Innovative Cities symposium in Bratislava 30th -31st May 2013

Marie-Haude Caraes, Director of the Research Department and Josyane Franc, Director of International Affairs of Cité du Design will  be the speakers at an international symposium on The tools and stakes for innovative cities in Bratislava City Hall, Slovakia, on 30th and 31st May 2013. This symposium is part of a 2012-2013 scientific cycle on innovative cities organized by the French Institute of Slovakia, the Technical University of Kosice and the committee of Kosice, European Capital of Culture 2013.

For more information please visit: http://ifb.ambafrance-sk.org/-Evenements-

BEDA President Isabel Roig shares her thoughts on the future for BEDA

Isabel Roig of Design Centre Barcelona has just taken over as President of BEDA. We caught up with her to ask about her plans for the next two years.

You’ve just taken over as President of BEDA – what, in your opinion, does BEDA do really well?
BEDA has been a key player in recent years in raising awareness in the European Commission about the strategic role of design in Europe, which has not been fully exploited.
The European Design Innovation Initiative and the Leadership Board have proved this.

What are the key things you hope to achieve during your presidency?
I will continue the work done recently, contributing as much as possible to make BEDA  successful in achieving its present challenges. One of these is to start the implementation of the most urgent recommendations made by the Leadership Board.

Following on from this, where do you see BEDA in five years’ time?
I see it as a much bigger, more influential and powerful organisation, for the benefit of its members and the European design system, and also for the European Commission.

You’ve got Design for Leadership onto the EU agenda – what’s next at policy level?
To include design in the realization of the main strategic priorities as defined under Horizon 2020, the EU framework programme for research and innovation.

We’re also aiming to extend the scope of design in innovation systems around Europe. That would benefit business competitiveness as well as strengthening the design services sector.

How is BEDA going to sustain momentum for the design agenda at European level, now that the Design for Growth report has been launched?
BEDA will continue working with the European Commission on the development of the recommendations and their implementation and take-up, whether at short, medium or long term.  Some of the issues raised in the report are already being tackled by BEDA and its members.

BEDA is currently recruiting new members from across Europe - what do you see as the key benefits of membership?
BEDA can offer to new and potential members the opportunity to be an active partner in creating momentum for the design agenda at European level.

Of course, you can sit back and watch what is going on, but taking part in the process is much more interesting, in my opinion.

The network of BEDA Members is powerful and is growing every day. We are achieving our goals, and this is a benefit for the overall design system in Europe.

CLICK NL | DESIGN is the primary umbrella organisation for innovation in the Dutch Design sector, and as such will stimulate the impact of design through:

 - Creating knowledge and turning that knowledge into innovation by developing a national research, and innovation agenda for the design sector;
 
- Connecting industry and knowledge on a national level by acting as the national and international point of contact for all those players who want to innovate in and with the Dutch creative industries;
 
- Uniting people and resources; building an open network for practitioners, industry and knowledge institutes.

CLICK NL | DESIGN is a network of organisations, related to the Dutch design sector:

• Design United, Centre of Excellence for Design of the three Technical Universities (Delft/ Eindhoven/ Twente)
• Universities of Applied Sciences in Design (HBO)
• The Association of Dutch Designers (BNO)
• Designlink
• Design Management Network (DMN)
• KIVI NIRIA IO
• Syntens
• TNO
• Capital D (organiser Dutch Design week)

CLICKNL | DESIGN is part of CLICKNL, the creative industries knowledge and innovation network in the Netherlands. Inquisitive researchers and enterprising creative people connect in order to work on sustainable solutions for societal and economic challenges. Other networks within CLICKNL are Games, Build Environment, Next Fashion, Media & ICT, Cultural Heritage, and Creative Industries Next (business).

For more information please visit: http://www.clicknl.nl