Friday, August 28, 2009

SEE bulletin issue 1


New! We are delighted to announce the launch of the first SEE bulletin, one of six to be published twice a year between 2009 and 2011.

This edition includes a research paper presented by Dr James Moultrie (University of Cambridge), interviews with Mika Takagi (Design Policy Office, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan) and Dr Julio Frias Peña (Design & Innovation Centre, Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico), an article on the future of EU innovation policy, a special report on the SEE partners’ study visit to Helsinki, two design policy case studies and a Library of references to related research and policy documents.

The SEE bulletins will be exploring the opportunities for integrating design and creativity into regional and national innovation policy as well as policy areas relating to competitiveness, entrepreneurship, sustainability and economic and social development. We hope you enjoy reading it and we welcome contributions, comments and feedback.

If you would like to receive SEE bulletins in the future please email info@seeproject.org

Friday, August 7, 2009

No rest for the wicked!

The August Summer holiday season is turning out to be a busy one for us. Our intention since April has been to build a portfolio of complimentary activities that demonstrate best practice in the provision of bespoke design support and by doing so give us the authority/insight to network with other design organisations and take a strategic perspective on the role design can play in economy development at a policy level.

Our work over the last couple of months on both of these levels is starting to come to fruition with the launch of a series of design workshops for business (delivered in partnership with the Wales Quality Centre) and support for another UK region in helping them to understand how their design support programmes might develop in the future.

The design support workshops make up a five day course intended to introduce a new product development capability to small and medium sized enterprises. The five day-long sessions will not transform delegates into designers but provide them with the capability and confidence to champion design within their company. Dates are yet to be agreed, but it looks as though the first workshops will be delivered at the end of September.