Collaboration, sharing the knowledge and good practices between regions have a big transformative potential, what has been proven in so many Interreg projects. Thanks to knowledge exchange projects, you have access to experts in a specific field and can improve your skills and competences. Working together on similar challenges is more efficient, can generate savings and bring new perspectives. Lessons learnt and connections build through the joint learning process definitely have a strong effect on partner organisation, but more and more often we think how to ensure transferability of our learnings and long-lasting, sustainable impact on a bigger scale.
This was a topic for an event hosted by Biz-up Business Upper Austria as part of DesAlps project led by t2i technology transfer and innovation centre. The meeting took place on 4th and 5th November in Linz in Tabakfabrik, an inspiring space, where an industrial heritage site was transformed into a hub for a variety of contemporary arts and business purposes – a societal microcosm of the working life and business worlds of the future. Tabakfabrik hosts co-working spaces, start-up incubator and prototyping and innovation labs, among other creative ventures.
On the first day, PDR as a leader of Design4Innovation and User-Factor projects and external observer of DesAlps project, participated in discussions on scaling up and legacy of European knowledge exchange, effective communication of design value and ensuring that design innovation system in our regions thrive. Using creative methods we summarized what has been done, what impact it currently has and how we can use it to achieve our goals in the future. The participants agreed that all the knowledge and connections built must carry on to create a culture change that fosters creativity and innovation.
The second day summarized successes of DesAlps project. The partnership established six Design Thinking Labs, which organized 74 workshops and supported impressive 551 SMEs to use design thinking process to improve their businesses. We heard from some of the supported companies that ranged from digital communication agency, software developer company to a vegan food producer.
Again, we got our creative juices flowing to prototype the sustainable use of DT Labs on pan European scale with Lego Serious Plat method. The method helped us better communicate our ideas and constructively collaborate on a shared vision. The main aspects discussed were openness, collaboration and communication.
We look forward to further collaborate and share knowledge across European regions.
