D-Air project wins prestigious award

Dainese and Ducati have been given a prestigious innovation award for their partnership to launch the airbag-equipped Ducati Multistrada D-Air adventure sports bike.

The Professor Ferdinand Porsche award, which recognises technical innovation in memory of the man who founded the famous German car manufacturer, is awarded every two years by Vienna’s University of Technology.

The 2015 award has been given to Dainese and Ducati for working together to make an integrated D-Air option for the Multistrada. Riders who take up the option get the adventure bike ready equipped with all the software and systems to inflate a protective airbag in a Dainese vest or jacket worn by the rider.

The award was presented by Professor Bernhard Geringer from the university’s Institute for Vehicle Engines and Automotive Technology. It is shared between Dainese’s Luigi Ronco and Ducati’s Federico Sabbioni, who each receive half of the €50,000 (£35,700) prize.

Dainese chief executive officer Cristiano Silei said: “The Ferdinand Porsche Award that Dainese received today is a recognition of the commitment that our company has always shown in relation to safety.”

Previous winners of the award include engineers responsible for using LEDs in car headlights, pioneering eco-friendly car exhausts and the team who first used a lithium-ion battery in a car.

The Multistrada D-Air model was launched in 2014 and the updated 2015 Multistrada D-Air will be available in July.