Bold ideas for logistics innovation across Africa take centre stage: winners of Toyota Logistic Design Competition 2026 have been announced

About Toyota Logistic Design Competition 
Held biannually, the Toyota Logistic Design Competition challenges students to send in innovative, creative concepts that provide sustainable solutions for different problems in logistics. Held in collaboration with Toyota Motor Europe, Toyota Europe Design Development (ED²), Toyota Material Handling Design Center and, for the first time, Toyota Open Labs, the competition continues to evolve as a bridge between creativity, innovation and real-world impact. 

 
From concept to impact: a new generation of logistics solutions 
The 2026 edition invited participants to develop solutions across four categories, Product Design, Digital Platforms, Business Innovation, and Open Category, all aimed at addressing the realities of fragmented logistics networks, last-mile delivery challenges, and limited infrastructure in African contexts. 
 
Following an intensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary jury, the 2026 winners stand out for their originality, feasibility and potential real-world impact. Presented to the public during Milan Design Week, the finalists’ concepts demonstrated how design can act as a catalyst for inclusive, scalable and sustainable logistics systems, connecting underserved communities with essential goods and services.

• • Toyota Logistic Design Competition Category Product Design   
    Winner: ATTA – Irene Ponteduro & Matteo Marinaro, University of Bologna, Italy 
     
    About ATTA 
    ATTA is a human-powered cargo tricycle with an integrated forklift, inspired by leaf-cutter ants, that improves banana harvesting, transport and loading in Kenya by increasing efficiency, reducing damage, and strengthening smallholder farmers' livelihoods.

• • Toyota Logistic Design Competition Category Digital Platforms  
    Winner: Farm to Table – Gichuki Harrison, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Kenya. 
     
    About Farm to Table 
    This category proved particularly competitive, with the final decision reflecting a very close call between two standout digital solutions. Farm to Table is an app that connects stakeholders in Kenya’s agricultural supply chain to streamline logistics and reduce food waste caused by inefficiencies.

• • Toyota Logistic Design Competition Category Business Innovation 
    Winner: EveryLink – Sihyung Kim, Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea 
     
    About EveryLink 
    EveryLink is a community-based hub-and-spoke delivery system that improves last-mile logistics in rural Africa by reducing costs, increasing reliability, and expadning access through local agents and centralised village hubs

• • Toyota Logistic Design Competition Open Category 
    Winner: MaternLink – Reva Rajgarah & Tulsi Nyati, Avantika University, Lekoda, India 
     
    About MaternLink 
    Considered the overall winner of the competition, MaternLink stood out for its holistic vision and strong societal impact. MaternLink is a maternal-health logistics system for rural Nigeria that connects mothers, community workers, drivers, and health centres via digital and offline tools to improve emergency transport, care coordination, and reduce preventable maternal deaths.

Special Mentions 
In addition to the category winners, the jury also recognised two exceptional projects. In the Product Design category, “One Flow Logistics” by Kim Dongkun, Ryu Jiwoong and Seong Woojin - Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea - stood out for its strong vision and thoughtful approach to streamlining logistics flows. In the Digital Platforms category, “PortLink” by Bawan Ghorbani, Kaisa Almquist and Julie Hjellegjerde Martinsen - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway - impressed the jury with its innovative and highly relevant digital solution. Both projects demonstrated outstanding creativity and real-world potential, making them worthy of special recognition within an already highly competitive field. 

 
More than a competition: supporting future innovators 
Besides recognition, the Toyota Logistic Design Competition offers tangible opportunities for participants to bring their ideas to life. Winners receive global exposure, industry recognition and the chance to connect with Toyota’s design and innovation teams. In addition, finalists benefit from potential internships and pathways to collaborate on real-world applications, reinforcing Toyota’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent. 
 
Building on this, the 2026 edition marks an exciting new phase: Toyota is exploring ways to support projects beyond the competition, helping transform strong concepts into viable initiatives or even startups. Additional support from Toyota Open Labs will be available to all finalists, further strengthening the platform’s role as a launchpad not just for conceptual ideas, but for real, tangible solutions.