SPE Launches IMPACT Awards to Celebrate Excellence in Injection-Molded Part Design and Performance

Injection molding remains one of the most powerful and versatile manufacturing processes in the plastics industry—driving innovation across automotive, medical, consumer, industrial, and emerging markets. Recognizing the engineering rigor and creative problem-solving behind great molded parts, SPE, in collaboration with the SPE Injection Molding Division and the SPE Product Design & Development Division, has launched a new awards program: SPE’s IMPACT: Injection Molding Performance Awards.

The IMPACT Awards are designed to recognize outstanding injection-molded parts that demonstrate excellence in design, engineering, manufacturability, sustainability, and user-focused innovation. Winners will be announced at ANTEC® 2026, bringing national and international visibility to the teams and individuals shaping the future of injection molding.

Showcasing the Best in Injection Molding

From high-precision medical components to complex automotive structures and thoughtfully designed consumer products, injection molding continues to push technical boundaries. The IMPACT Awards spotlight the ingenuity behind these achievements—celebrating parts that excel not just in appearance, but in performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

The program is open to both commercially produced parts and student-developed concepts, offering a platform for seasoned professionals and emerging talent alike to gain recognition within the global plastics community.

Why Plastics Engineers and Designers Should Enter

For engineers and designers, the IMPACT Awards provide an opportunity to highlight real-world solutions to complex challenges—whether that’s optimizing part geometry, selecting advanced materials, improving tooling strategies, or reducing environmental impact.

Finalists and winners gain:

• Industry recognition from a panel of technical experts

• Increased visibility with peers, customers, and decision-makers

• Professional credibility tied to design and engineering excellence

• Exposure at ANTEC®, the industry’s premier technical conference

Eligibility Requirements

• Parts must be produced using injection molding

• Commercial products must have been introduced within the past 24 months

• Student prototypes and conceptual designs are also eligible

Award Categories

• Automotive / Transportation

• Manufacturing / Commercial / Industrial Equipment

• Medical and Health

• Consumer Products (housewares, furniture, children’s products, etc.)

• Sports and Recreation

• Student (Prototypes / Concepts)

Judging Criteria

Entries will be evaluated by a blue-ribbon panel of industry experts using a comprehensive set of criteria, including:

• Design Excellence – Quality of execution and defect-free performance

• Customer Needs & Impact – Market relevance and business value

• Innovation – Creative use of materials, tooling, and processing

• Human-Centered Design – User benefits and quality-of-life improvements

• Aesthetics – Form, function, and color integration

• Sustainability – Reduced environmental and societal impact

Key Dates

• Entry Deadline: February 13, 2026

• Online Judging: February 17–19, 2026

• Finalists Notified: February 23, 2026

• Final Judging (ANTEC® 2026): March 9, 2026

Recognition at ANTEC® 2026

Award winners will be formally recognized during a dedicated IMPACT Awards ceremony at ANTEC® 2026, held March 9–12, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

For submission details and program information, visit www.4spe.org/IMPACTAwards.

If you’ve engineered, designed, or molded a part that sets a new standard for performance, innovation, or sustainability, the IMPACT Awards are your chance to show the industry what’s possible.