As of today, 18th January 2021, the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative enters a new stage in its co-design process. With the launch of the website, the Commission seeks to engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders and citizens in shaping the future New European Bauhaus pilots. At the launch press conference, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, emphasized that the initiative is key to the green transformation that we have to undergo as we emerge from the pandemic reality, as it focuses on changing our environments and daily practices. With creativity and design at its core, the New European Bauhaus innovative set up will facilitate and accelerate sustainable transformation basing on key concepts of inclusiveness, durability and aesthetics.
The website is aimed to foster conversations around good practices in sustainable design and challenges needed to be addressed. All interested individuals are invited to share:
- inspiring, contemporary examples of materials, products, services, spaces, practices and buildings that demonstrate beautiful, sustainable, inclusive living;
- ideas on how the initiative should be shaped, how it should evolve, how the steps after this co-design phase could look like;
- examples of the challenges that prevent us from living together in harmony with ourselves and with the environment.
There is a 'conversation toolkit' for any formal or informal groups that would wish to organise a local debate on the initiative and contribute its conclusions to the NEB Team. All the entries will be analysed and will inform the New European Bauhaus concept. The Commission also calls various European and national networks and umbrella organisations to become the "Partners of the New European Bauhaus". The role of a partner would be to "act as inspiring promoters of the debates and of the ideas that will be developed through the movement". The Bureau of European Design Association (BEDA) as the representation of European design expertise is already working with the Commission and its members to stimulate collaboration, share good practices and ensure the success of the initiative.
This so-called 'engagement & harvesting' period will last until Summer 2021, when all the entries on the website and outcomes of debates will feed into a formulation of a support framework based on EU programs, including a call for proposals for pilots projects. Also in the Summer, special prizes of around €30,000 will be awarded to the best sustainable practices identified through the process.
