Media Release
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and
Sustainable Growth, John Swinney MSP, visited The Glasgow School of Art today,
16 January 2013, for the opening the Institute
of Design Innovation, which will consolidate the GSA’s success to date and
drive forward its work with businesses and services that supports the
development of a creative, sustainable economy for Scotland. It will also
reinforce the GSA’s reputation as an international centre of excellence in the
research and exchange of knowledge, and practices that improve work, wealth and wellbeing through
applied creativity.
 |
|
Finance Secretary, John Swinney,
with the wish tree at the launch of the Institute of Design Innovation. Photocredit: McAteer photography
|
“There is currently much talk about the
crucial importance of design, creativity and innovation in developing
successful businesses and services,” says Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam, Head
of the Design School at the GSA and Director of the Institute of Design
Innovation. “However, the question that is seldom addressed in any practical detail
is: how do you do that? Through
the new Institute of Design Innovation the
GSA will show clearly how design skills and creative thinking can be embedded
in organisations in such a way that innovation is sustainable. “
Since 2010 the GSA has been collaborating with
partners including the Institute of
Directors on the Creating Cultures
of Innovation pilot programme. This has seen specialists in design
innovation from the GSA working with a range of companies and institutions to
help enable and embed improved productivity within organisations.
partners including the Institute of
Directors on the Creating Cultures
of Innovation pilot programme. This has seen specialists in design
innovation from the GSA working with a range of companies and institutions to
help enable and embed improved productivity within organisations.
“The overall objective of the
initiative is by engaging and involving all staff to enable businesses is to
create a ‘culture of innovation’. In this way creativity is a collective skill
embedded in the organization. While there may be a marginal benefit for a
company in creating a single innovation, there is an overall general benefit
for a company to create the capability for sustainable innovation.” adds Professor McAra-McWilliam.
initiative is by engaging and involving all staff to enable businesses is to
create a ‘culture of innovation’. In this way creativity is a collective skill
embedded in the organization. While there may be a marginal benefit for a
company in creating a single innovation, there is an overall general benefit
for a company to create the capability for sustainable innovation.” adds Professor McAra-McWilliam.
By working with design as a transformational tool
the Institute of Design Innovation aims to create multidisciplinary
collaborations, building collective capability and addressing jointly what
cannot be achieved alone. This will enable Scotland to be better placed in
ensuring a sustainable economic future.
the Institute of Design Innovation aims to create multidisciplinary
collaborations, building collective capability and addressing jointly what
cannot be achieved alone. This will enable Scotland to be better placed in
ensuring a sustainable economic future.
Finance
Secretary John Swinney said:
Secretary John Swinney said:
“Scotland has established an
international reputation as being an innovative and creative nation, thanks to
the work of generations of talented, enterprising Scots.
international reputation as being an innovative and creative nation, thanks to
the work of generations of talented, enterprising Scots.
“The Scottish Government recognises the
importance of strengthening this reputation through ensuring businesses and
entrepreneurs can access the support and services needed to realise the
economic potential of their ideas.
importance of strengthening this reputation through ensuring businesses and
entrepreneurs can access the support and services needed to realise the
economic potential of their ideas.
“The Glasgow School of Art is one of
Scotland’s great hubs of creativity and this new Institute of Design Innovation
will encourage businesses to realise their growth ambitions and stay
competitive through applying design principles throughout their organisations.
Scotland’s great hubs of creativity and this new Institute of Design Innovation
will encourage businesses to realise their growth ambitions and stay
competitive through applying design principles throughout their organisations.
“The GSA has a proven track
record of success of working in partnership with business, including
collaborating with Scott and Fyfe, and I am confident that this new centre of
excellence will be a valuable contributor in strengthening Scotland’s economic
success.”
record of success of working in partnership with business, including
collaborating with Scott and Fyfe, and I am confident that this new centre of
excellence will be a valuable contributor in strengthening Scotland’s economic
success.”
An example of the successful application of the
Cultures of Innovation model is the work undertaken by the GSA with
Tayport-based industrial textile manufacturer, Scott & Fyfe. In a series of workshops the GSA staff brought
together employees from across the business to help focus and refine its new product
development and market identification efforts. A specially-created Innovation Space at
the company created by GSA Design students was also opened by John Swinney last
November. Welcoming the launch of the Institute of
Design Innovation
Chairman of Scott & Fyfe, Nick
Kuenssberg, said:
Cultures of Innovation model is the work undertaken by the GSA with
Tayport-based industrial textile manufacturer, Scott & Fyfe. In a series of workshops the GSA staff brought
together employees from across the business to help focus and refine its new product
development and market identification efforts. A specially-created Innovation Space at
the company created by GSA Design students was also opened by John Swinney last
November. Welcoming the launch of the Institute of
Design Innovation
Chairman of Scott & Fyfe, Nick
Kuenssberg, said:
“The work with GSA has helped the company look forward
to a cross-cutting partnership between all staff, customers, suppliers and
other technology partners to promote the new innovation-led strategy.”
to a cross-cutting partnership between all staff, customers, suppliers and
other technology partners to promote the new innovation-led strategy.”
The Institute of Design Innovation will
build on the GSA’s existing, successful strategic partnerships:
·
A
further two-year commitment to the Creating Cultures of Innovation initiative
with businesses, public sector and government is now underway. Working in
partnership with the Institute of
Directors Scotland the GSA is now rolling out the success of the pilot
project.
A
further two-year commitment to the Creating Cultures of Innovation initiative
with businesses, public sector and government is now underway. Working in
partnership with the Institute of
Directors Scotland the GSA is now rolling out the success of the pilot
project.
- In the
Highlands and Islands it will consolidate the success of the collaboration in its Centre for Design Innovation
(Forres) with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, working with
businesses and communities to
generate economic growth and strengthen communities.
- The Institute
will also take forward the GSA’s Design Innovation support for small and
medium sized businesses. The GSA is currently running a Scottish Enterprise funded
programme supporting companies to have confidence in commissioning and
working with design.
·
In
the area of healthcare innovation, the GSA is a partner in the DALLAS ‘Living It Up’ project – a
community engagement activities programme being run across five Health Boards
in Scotland. Funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the Scottish
Government, it is a pioneering integrated digital products and services project
for health and care across Scotland. A
key stream of work focuses on future health and wellbeing, identifying people’s
needs, and working with Health Service professionals and SMEs to support the
translation of these needs into new services and products.
In
the area of healthcare innovation, the GSA is a partner in the DALLAS ‘Living It Up’ project – a
community engagement activities programme being run across five Health Boards
in Scotland. Funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the Scottish
Government, it is a pioneering integrated digital products and services project
for health and care across Scotland. A
key stream of work focuses on future health and wellbeing, identifying people’s
needs, and working with Health Service professionals and SMEs to support the
translation of these needs into new services and products.
The
Institute of Design Innovation will be based initially at the GSA’s Skypark
Campus and Horizon Scotland, Forres.
Further
information at http://www.gsa.ac.uk/research/research-centres/institute-of-design-innovation/
information at http://www.gsa.ac.uk/research/research-centres/institute-of-design-innovation/
Ends
Notes for Editors
The Glasgow School of Art
is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s foremost university-level
institutions for creative education and research in fine art, design and
architecture. It is a creative
hothouse, a small concentrated community of committed, creative people bound
together by a shared visual language and a concern for visual culture. At the
heart of one of Europe’s most influential and creative artistic communities the
GSA provides an energetic environment in which new ideas can flourish. Its
Researchers produce work that influences world culture by generating new
knowledge through creativity and conceptual thinking, and the GSA supports economic growth through
knowledge exchange and the application of creativity and innovation. Since the School was founded in 1845 as one of the
first Government Schools of Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good
design for the manufacturing industries, the GSA’s role has continually evolved
and been redefined to reflect the needs of the communities of which it is part
of, embracing in the late 19th century fine art and architecture education and
today, digital technology.
is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s foremost university-level
institutions for creative education and research in fine art, design and
architecture. It is a creative
hothouse, a small concentrated community of committed, creative people bound
together by a shared visual language and a concern for visual culture. At the
heart of one of Europe’s most influential and creative artistic communities the
GSA provides an energetic environment in which new ideas can flourish. Its
Researchers produce work that influences world culture by generating new
knowledge through creativity and conceptual thinking, and the GSA supports economic growth through
knowledge exchange and the application of creativity and innovation. Since the School was founded in 1845 as one of the
first Government Schools of Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good
design for the manufacturing industries, the GSA’s role has continually evolved
and been redefined to reflect the needs of the communities of which it is part
of, embracing in the late 19th century fine art and architecture education and
today, digital technology.
Irene
McAra-McWilliam is Head of the School of Design and Director of the
Institute of Design Innovation at the Glasgow School of Art. Before
starting in Glasgow in September 2005, she was Professor and Business Fellow in
Innovation at The Royal College of Art in London and Head of the
Interaction Design Department. As Professor of Design Research at the University
of Technology in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, she examined ways in which
technology can enhance community and social sustainability. She was Director
of Design Research at Philips Electronics in the Netherlands and was
responsible for the vision and direction of Philips global Design Research
portfolio in areas such as ambient intelligence, interaction design, brand
design, and user experience and set up design teams in Philips Research
Laboratories world-‐wide to contribute to the company’s long term technology
research and innovation strategy. Professor McAra-McWilliam is a frequent
speaker at international conferences and is a consultant to industry and
government. She has been voted one of fifty top design leaders by the UK’s
Design Week magazine and is an expert in design innovation and digital culture.
Further
information from Lesley Booth: 0779 941 4474/press@gsa.ac.uk