About us

BEDA Mission

BEDA sees design as a key driver for sustainable innovation, societal transformation, and planetary well-being. We represent and advocate for design as a method in everything from products and services to policy making and systemic change.

Why

The creative cultural sector has always reflected societal developments. BEDA sees design’s capacity to offer solutions in the face of the world’s relevant challenges by addressing these societal changes. With this in mind, BEDA embraces the continuous evolution of design.

How

BEDA’s vision for design as a driver of sustainable growth and prosperity is achieved through multiple avenues. BEDA focuses on three key topics: ‘climate change and sustainability’, ‘digitalisation of our futures’ and ‘design for growth and prosperity in Europe’.

• By being constantly curious about what is ‘next for design’
• By interconnecting policy and the creative cultural sector by Design, we create societal value
• Through supporting upskilling and re-skilling initiatives for the European community
• Advocating for Design to be embraced as a tool for political decision-making or governmental strategy
• (Acting as the leading house in European and international projects for the creative cultural sector in the field of design, arts and crafts, …)
• Advocating for progressive Design on the European political levels
• Supporting advocacy for Design at national levels to increase impact

What

• Facilitating collaboration between BEDA members
• Support and facilitate exchange between the Local, National and European stakeholders
• Driving research and publication in the relevant fields, strengthening the scientific foundation, and supporting the advancement of education
• Support members in achieving policy impact in their countries, regions, and organisations.
• Through the curation of tools, resources and events such as Open Doors Dialogues, BEDA Forum and BEDA Regulars
• Continuously improve design advocacy in key European Commission initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus, Industrial Strategy, Pact for Skills and the Cultural and Creative Industry Strategy
• By participating in meetings, publishing papers, building a pool of experts responsible for responding to requests by the Commission, contributing to policy and creating action plans

 

“Our vision is clear and ambitious. We want for design to be embraced in Europe as a driver of sustainable growth and prosperity. During the past 55 years, we have witnessed a tremendous development in the uptake of design throughout Europe in terms of businesses, the public sector, and governments. This goes for both regions, countries as well as the European Commission.”

Christina Melander, BEDA President/ Danish Design Center, Denmark

Meet the Working Board

Our board, including BEDA’s President and Vice President, is focused on promoting the value and potential of design to the European Commission and the design sector itself. Alongside this, the board coordinates and oversees the delivery of the organisation’s strategy, which is co-developed with BEDA’s members. As a working board, all members are responsible for carrying out the board’s directives. The board meets up to six times a year and is assisted by consultants to support BEDA’s operations and communications.

More information on how the board operates can be found in the Articles of Associations and Bylaws of BEDA.

Meet the Office Team

Our office team covers all operational aspects from communication to project administration. The team members are:

Communications: Evija Kraukle | [email protected]
Management: Anna Stark and Fleur Fisher | [email protected]
European Project Management: Dimitris Kaboukos