Design for longevity
Project name: Design for longevity: Contemporary production and consumption in Upper Norrland
Region: Norrbotten and Västerbotten
Project period: 2021-06-01 until 2023-10-31
Total budget: 5 728 775 kr
Partner: RISE
Funders: Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth , Region Västerbotten, Umeå Municipality
In the Design for longevity project, we want to contribute to sustainable growth and innovation in cultural and creative industries in Upper Norrland through digitalisation, design knowledge and innovation development.
Both the EU and the UN put the creative and cultural industries at the centre of sustainable innovation and in rebuilding communities after the pandemic. It is a sector that plays a crucial role in the development of sustainable, attractive and vibrant communities, but it is also the sector most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design for longevity is a collaboration to strengthen the creative sector and an initiative where tradition and future merge. The overall aim of the project is to use digitalisation, design knowledge and innovation development to contribute to the sustainable growth and innovative capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises in Upper Norrland. The target group is creators and producers, companies that are hard hit by the pandemic.
THE WORK PACKAGE
Design for longevity's three overarching work packages to support the target group:
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
During the programme period, Design for Longevity will implement two business development programmes for creators and manufacturers, bridging cultural heritage and design process. The programmes will increase knowledge of design principles for longevity in objects and products based on our cultural heritage. Participants will have the opportunity to capitalise on cultural heritage, intangible values and knowledge created by previous generations, interpret them and carry them forward into the future.
The programmes also aim to better understand and use the design process as a tool and thus develop as a creator and create a higher business value. Finally, Design for longevity wants to develop qualitative networks and meeting places for creators, experts, local suppliers that provide the conditions for common sales channels both nationally and internationally.
The business development programmes are aimed at creators and small businesses in the cultural and creative industries that want to strengthen their business model and local production, develop their brand through storytelling, and find new digital production methods to reach out with their value proposition.
OPEN INNOVATION ENVIRONMENTS
Through our open innovation environments, we provide opportunities to test digital technologies and cross-border collaborations. The innovation environments offer expertise for prototyping, product development and exploration of new materials and digital technologies, and interactive design. Through the collaboration of RISE, eXpression Umeå and Västerbottens Museum, we can offer several environments that serve as places to explore and learn together with others.
ESTABLISH THE SPOK PRODUCTION NETWORK
Contemporary Production and Consumption (SPOK) is a platform for production that aims to gather and disseminate knowledge about local manufacturing opportunities, from crafts to industry. Design for longevity will establish, run and develop a SPOK network for northern Sweden that creates the conditions for creators and producers to provide products made of sustainable materials with shorter transport and thus less climate impact.
COMMUNICATION
Inspiration, communication and dissemination of the work of the Design for longevity project is mainly done via:
FILMS
Document the processes of creators and manufacturers through storytelling. We make the design process visible by filming and documenting the entire process during the project period. The result will be both the opportunity to show these stories from creators in northern Sweden but also material that creators and manufacturers can take with them in their own branding work and expose in various digital channels and exhibitions.
PODCAST
Through the podcast "Kreativa Norrland", creators and manufacturers from northern Sweden are highlighted. The podcast focuses on highlighting the stories of existing creators to inspire other creators, spread knowledge about the industry to the public and inspire more people to dare to invest in the creative and cultural industries.
Kreativa Norrland podcast cover with presenters Matilda Henningsson and Oskar Riby.
Lwidow of the podcast Kreativa Norrland.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Design for longevity's overall goal is to develop and future-proof forms of co-operation and create direct benefits for companies in cultural and creative industries in urban and rural areas. It is a strategic endeavour to jointly develop activities in northern Sweden where design, art, culture and creative industries play a crucial role in sustainable innovation and transformation towards a sustainable society.
Design for longevity also works on two horizontal objectives during the project period. The first is environmental sustainability by developing and implementing design principles for longevity. In the early design phase, careful consideration of material selection and design principles based on zero waste and prudent use of resources and energy throughout the production process and distribution.
The second horizontal objective is social sustainability, gender equality and equal opportunities. As different sectors are measured with sometimes different approaches to entrepreneurship, the project will work with expertise in norm-critical innovation and process management from the start. This aims to raise the dialogue and any problems early on to create equal synergy effects and establish the view of entrepreneurship on equal terms.
CONTACT
Barbro Renkel, eXpression Umeå
barbro.renkel@expressionumea.se
Matilda Henningsson, RISE
matilda.henningsson@ri.se
