BEDA General Assembly 2024 Report

Following the 55th General Assembly of the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) held on 31 May and hosted by Wallonie-Bruxelles Design/Mode (WBDM) in Brussels, BEDA is delighted to announce the Board of Directors for the term 2024-2026 and one new member alongside the positive developments in its on-going work.

“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, public sector, and governments. This goes for both regions, countries as well as the European Commission. As BEDA President, I’m thrilled to welcome the BEDA board 2024- 2026 to continue the journey and ensure we, the European design community, can deliver by strengthening our skills, influencing policy and bringing confidence and optimism to the design sector.”

Christina Melander, BEDA President

Building on a strong community

Design can foster a sustainable and prosperous future for the European Union – by embracing new opportunities and challenges by strengthening impact, skills and policy making. The 50 member organisations of BEDA, representing design in Europe, support the ongoing economic and societal transformation process reflected in the Design Industry. Creating windows of opportunities for design beyond the upcoming election period has the potential to reach supranational to local design communities.

Welcoming new member organisation to BEDA

At its annual General Assembly, BEDA members unanimously ratified Designregio Kortrijk as a full member of BEDA. This brings the total of BEDA’s organisational members to 50 organisations across 28 countries of Europe as members.

Designregio Kortrijk, Belgium

Designregio Kortrijk is dedicated to fostering innovation and creativity in businesses, organisations, cities, and products. They connect clients with designers and creative skills tailored to their specific needs. Their mission is to inspire a wide audience about creativity and innovation, offering a diverse portfolio of projects. They cater to various target groups, including designers, entrepreneurs, municipalities, schools, and citizens, and encourage inquiries related to innovation and creativity.

For more details, visit their website here.

BEDA elects the BEDA Board of Directors, term 2024-2026

BEDA now has 11 board members. This includes the commitment of previous board members, and also includes six new board members. The newly elected BEDA Board of Directors serving a two-year term are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Bart Ahsmann, CLICKNL, The Netherlands – Board Member since 2024
Dita Danosa, Latvian Design Center, Latvia – Board Member since 2024
Lars Eriksson, Swedish Design Society, Sweden – Board Member since 2022
Levente Szabó, Hungarian Design Council, Hungary – Board Member since 2024
Marika Aakesson, ADI – Association for Industrial Design, Italy – Board Member since 2024
Mehmet Furkan Demirci, Türkiye Design Council, Turkey – Board Member since 2024
Piotr Swiatek, PDR-Cardiff Metropolitan University, United Kingdom – Board Member since 2020
Regina Hanke, Deutscher Designtag e.V., Germany – Board Member since 2022
Tom Watts, Design and Crafts Council Ireland, Ireland – Board Member since 2024

The BEDA President and BEDA Vice President did not stand for election. Christina Melander will continue her presidency until the General Assembly in May 2025, at which point Mark Illi becomes the President of BEDA, serving from May 2025 until May 2027.

All good things come to an end

BEDA expresses its heart-felt gratitude to Martin Fössleitner (designaustria, Austria), Anna Kohut-Jankó (Hungarian Design Council, Hungary), Fabrizio Pierandrei (Association for Industrial Design, Italy) who were board members since 2018, and also to Ingrid van der Wacht (Dutch Design Foundation, Netherlands) who was on the BEDA board since 2020. All have supported BEDA and its members with their dedication and passion to advocate for progressive design within Europe with their commitment beyond their organisations immediate remit.

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Last updated: 07/10/24