Highlighting the value of design

Design Management Europe, DME, a key part of the PRO-INNO Europe initiative, will set out to demonstrate and promote to businesses and organisations the commercial benefits gained with good design management practices. Eighteen partners from fourteen European countries are working together to establish the first Design Management Europe Award, DME Award, for European businesses and organisations who successfully integrate design in their management, processes and strategy. DME will also challenge European regional authorities to stimulate innovation through design with the formulation of the DME Agenda. This will provide advice and support to develop design clusters and design promotion activities. In addition the partners will develop state of the art knowledge on design management within the expanding DME Network.

Design is rapidly being recognised as a competitive element in business strategy among successful businesses and organisations, however, many small and medium sized businesses are not aware of the potential this approach to business strategy can offer them and how to implement it. DME aims at addressing this shortfall among European businesses to enhance innovation and competitiveness.

The DME Award is not a design competition; it is instead recognising the skills and leadership of management to implement design in their business for commercial success. Companies and organisations are challenged to apply for the DME Award by demonstrating how design is integrated in their processes, management, and strategy to achieve commercial gains.

There are six categories this year:

• Microbusiness (<10 employees and annual turnover <Euro 2million)
• Small business (<50 employees and annual turnover <Euro10 million)
• Medium sized business (<250 employees and annual turnover <Euro 50million)
• Large business (>250 employees and annual turnover >Euro 50million)
• National Government Organisations & Non Profit Organisations
• New comers (business who recently used design for the first time)

Recognition by the Award Jury demonstrates leadership in innovation, implementing change and excellence in management. Winning entries will also be rewarded in being part of the DME Exhibition which will showcase the winners in multiple media and on an international scale. These good practices will be used as role models to inspire and stimulate European businesses.

ADMIRE Timeline

• 1st January 2007 start of DME, a project in the PRO-INNO Europe program (DG Enterprises and Industry of the European Commission),
• 7th  June launch of the Design Management Europe Award in the city of Eindhoven (The Netherlands) with an international Design Conference.
• 22nd  November Design Management Europe Award ceremony in Essen (Germany).
• 13th October 2008 second Design Management Europe Award ceremony in Cardiff (Wales).
• November 2008 a top level Design Management Europe Congress in Barcelona (Spain) to evaluate the overall results. This will also be the moment to announce the host city of the European Design Management Award 2009.

During the two years showcases of good design management will travel through Europe with a Design on Stage-tour, showing the winners of the award as well as nominees. Regional workshops will gather designers, companies, organisations, knowledge institutes, and design centres to discuss and further innovation through design management.

DME Network
The partners will work together under the coordination of the City of Eindhoven (The Netherlands). They will gradually expand the DME Network with regional and national organisations and enterprises to work together in achieving the DME objectives.

Coordinator
City of Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Partners
Austria: Design Austria, Vienna / Belgium: Design Flanders, Brussels / Belgium: City of Kortrijk, Kortrijk / Croatia: Croatian Design Centre, Zagreb / Finland: Taideteollinen Korkeakoulu University of Art and Design Helsinki, Helsinki / France: Agence pour la Promotion de la Création Industrielle (Paris) / Ecole Supérieure d’Art et Design de Saint Etienne, Saint-Etienne / Germany: NOA, Aachen / Germany: Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen (Essen) / Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH, Stuttgart / The Netherlands: BNO, Association of Dutch Designers Amsterdam: European Design Centre Eindhoven/ UK: PDR University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Cardiff / Portugal: Centro Portugues de Design, Lisboa/ Slovenia: Ambient Magazine for Delo Revije Publishing House, Ljubljana / Spain: BCD, Barcelona Centre de Disseny, Barcelona / Turkey: Izmir Abigem Consultancy and Training, Izmir.

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For further information:
Steven Cleeren, Design Flanders
t: +32 2 227 60 58 
@: 
www.designmanagementeurope.com