Alcantara's premium automotive interior material was featured on cars and light trucks at Detroit's recent international auto show and also in a student design competition.

Alcantara, the Italian company which developed the versatile material for auto interiors and upholstery applications, was a partner in the CDN-GM Interactive Design Competition, organized by Car Design News and General Motors.

Edward Tseng, 18, a student at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., was honored by Alcantara for the best use of Alcantara material in his entry, a design for a future Buick LaCrosse.

Tseng and four other winners, including his twin brother, Alvin Tseng, were awarded paid internships at GM's design studios in Warren, Mich., to experience life as professional car designers.

Lighter but more durable than leather, Alcantara was featured on a wide variety of domestic and foreign vehicles on display at last month's 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. New models from the Tesla Model S and popular Ford F-150 pickup to the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera GTS were shown with the Italian-made material.

Based on unique, patented technology, Alcantara today is the choice of leading companies in the automotive, marine, fashion, home interior and consumer electronics industries. A registered trademark of Alcantara Spa., it has been certified as "carbon neutral," adding to its appeal for companies and consumers with a strong interest in the environment.

Alcantara Spa. is headquartered in Milan with research and production facilities in Nera Montoro, Umbria.