Good practice:

Porto Design Factory

The PORTO DESIGN FACTORY project consisted of an integrated set of activities that adopt a collaborative perspective, involving companies, SCTN entities, students and users, fostering an open innovation process. Main activities: Partnerships and collaboration agreements with Stanford University, Aalto University and CERN to the implementation of knowledge and technology transfer programs based on the “Stanford Product Innovation”, “Product Development project” and “Challenge Based Innovation”; MindsOn platform , based on a customer served architecture, with centralized resources, the platform has two large macros - the Open Innovation Network and the Observatory; TECH TRANSFER UNIT - Multidisciplinary Creation Laboratories - equipped manufacturing and prototyping unit, available to companies, students and researchers, with technical and technological specialized support for the development of innovative projects; IN&OUT SESSIONS - Interaction sessions between companies and SCTN entities, presentation of R&D results by researchers, and their application in business activities, and sessions dedicated to the presentation of companies' activities to identify their R&D needs; INNOVATION 101 - Workshops to enable companies to integrate new models of innovation; PDF Files - series of open masterclasses about topics ranging from communication to innovation; KISS - Knowledge Interaction Systems Summit - international seminar on innovation trends and knowledge transfer processes; etc

Project supported by the Northern Regional Operational Program - Priority axis I:
NORTE-46-2015-03
Collective Action Support System
Funding: 1 205 398,86 €

The project was a catalyst for an experimental innovation and interdisciplinary entrepreneurial culture, which enabled the reinforcement of technology transfer to the business sectors, in particular, the creation of high added value in the design-based consumer goods sectors. We underline the importance of the collaboration with international SCTN entities, such as Aalto and Stanford Universities, CERN, and the involvement of the companies and their central role in Project piloting.

This project implemented an experimental system of knowledge transfer based on co-creation, co- development and acceleration of innovative products and services, oriented towards interdisciplinary work, applied research and collaboration multidisciplinary approach, meeting business challenges in terms of product innovation, with emphasis on the intersection between symbolism (creativity), synthetic knowledge (technology and engineering) and the market, to foster innovation and product differentiation based on design. Being a collaborative based project and built based on knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences within the diversity of networks involved, we believe that this approach is an example of good practice with potencial to apply in other regions with diverse contexts.