Winning designs will be selected based on innovation, with functionality, aesthetics and emotional aspects also considered.
Andy Mackay, UK brand and marketing director for Electrolux major appliances and floorcare, said: "Electrolux is already the leading global household appliance innovator. Design Lab underlines this commitment to thoughtful design innovation, providing a platform from which to reach a far wider public."
An international team of judges will select nine finalists for a global final in Barcelona in November. The winner, who receives €5,000 (£3,400), will be announced on December 1.
The 2005 competition attracted more than 3,000 entries from students in 88 countries, with the top prize going to Airwash, a waterless washing unit that uses negative ions, compressed air and deodorants to clean clothes. The unit pleased judges with its ecological design.
Students can enter at .
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