Our project partner in Galicia - GAIN is full steam ahead with the implementation of its ambitious programme Deseño para a Innovación 2020. On 15th of May, GAIN hosted the event “Design, good practices, action proposals and SME support”. The aim of the event was to promote the pilot action that GAIN has developed to support 25 SMEs in the development of new innovative products and services through the use of user-centred design tools.
More than 30 people attended to this session, where three small but well known Galician companies shared their experience using design, serving as an example of good practices for those companies interesting in participating in the pilot.
The goal of this pilot is to bring user-centred design tools for 25 SMEs in Galicia so that they can adapt to the new context and to the demands of their clients. The pilot programme has been developed based on the experience gained through participation in User-Factor project.
The pilot programme will involve a design maturity diagnosis based on the Danish Design Centre Design Ladder at the outset. The design audit, exploring how each company uses the design in development of their products and services, will be carried out by experienced consultants in order to suggest improvements that will generate more value in their markets, identify new business opportunities and increase success and profitability in their innovation processes.
Then each of the participating companies will obtain a customised plan for improving services or products with detailed actions, materials and mentoring support for implementation of the plan. The group of participating companies will be monitored in order to know the implementation degree of the recommended measures and their level of satisfaction. The experience from this pilot will serve as the basis to design new support actions.
Moreover, inspired by good practices from Design4Innovation partners (PDR and LIAA), GAIN have managed to achieve an agreement with one of their stakeholders - the Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (IGAPE), to introduce two new services for design within the RE-ACCIONA programme:
- Services for the design and launching of innovative products and services.
- Services for protecting innovation (including protection of the design).
The new services will be available to access by Galician SMEs by the end of 2019. The total cost of the implementation of these services will be €310k in 18 months and will be funded by GALICIA ERDF 2014-20.
Other exciting developments in design-driven innovation in Galicia include:
- creation of Materioteca - a library of materials for designers and a space for the dissemination of innovative materials that combines an exhibition and archive of samples classified with specialised services to facilitate the transfer of materials technologies to the business fabric and stimulate intersectoral innovation.
- development of a Map of design services providers - an online catalogue to promote professional collaboration and visibility of work between designer, companies and society.
- development of Galician design success stories to promote design as a tool for business competitiveness.
Well done Galicia! Keep up your awesome work!
