Newsletter Issue 32
April 2010
APDIG News and Events
Design and the Public Good: Creativity vs. the Procurement Process
Report
In association with the Design Business Association ndOn 2 March the APDIG launched its long-awaited report on public sector procurement of design and creative services. We‟d be delighted to hear any feedback or thoughts you may have about the project and our recommendations. Please feel free to get in touch with the group on the contact details below.
; Download the report
; Presentation to the Whitehall Creatives‟ Network
; What next?
Design for our Built Environment: Innovation in Construction
Parliamentary Inquiry
In association with Buro Happold
The APDIG will be building on a very successful dinner and policy discussion in March with a new research project, looking at putting good design and innovative practice at the heart of the construction industry.
; Read a summary of the event and discussion
APDIG at the Big Rethink (courtesy of Core 77!)
Redesigning Business: an Economist Conference in association with the Design Council
; Content from the conference
; Reviews, speaker by speaker
; Post-conference thoughts
APDIG Officer Claire Curtis-Thomas judges green product design competition for Axion „The winner of the Axion Polymers Green Product Design Competition is Gary Poolman with his design „Wazzon‟. This innovative gadget enables swift and efficient drying of sandwich bags, allowing them to be washed and re-used. The Wazzon can also be used to dry other types of bags and items such as rubber gloves‟. More here.
Forthcoming…
Manufacturing for a Balanced Economy, Parliamentary Seminar
In association with the ERA Foundation
Sustainable Transport Technologies, Parliamentary Conference
In association with Frost & Sullivan
News from the last 30 days…
Design
A big week for the Design Council, who launched Patient Dignity prototypes, the latest design industry research and a lovely new website at the end of March
; Unveiling of the new Designs for Patient Dignity
; Launch of Design Industry research findings
“Contemporary public sector needs are riddled with complexity, and institutions are increasingly looking to designers to implement ingenious, problem-solving methods in rethinking service provision” - A very
comprehensive service design supplement in the Guardian
The Queen‟s fashion sense: “She is an example of knowing what works for you and committing to it.” Pictures
of the reception for the British Clothing Industry, attended by APDIG Officer Barry Sheerman MP, at Buckhingham Palace here, comment (including reported use of the word „glitzy‟ by Prince Philip) here and why
the fashion sector is looking healthy here
„Clerkenwell Design Week is a three-day annual festival celebrating design‟s creative richness, its social impact and its power for change‟. News about Clerkenwell Design Week, 25-27 May, here
The question facing last week's DottCornwall seminar on 'emerging design practice' was a tough one: where can designers make the best difference? More here
Skillset to join forces with fashion and textiles to create one of the biggest Sector Skills Councils in the UK here
and launches new Advanced Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media here
BDI and UCA: Turning Propositions into Profit through Collaboration, not Competition, University Design
Industry Partnership Scheme. Conference Summary here
COI introduces new flexible procurement process here which it claims will address design concerns here
The original and best: the Milan design fair 2010, Salone Internationale del Mobile, next week 14 - 19 April
The design industry is broadly welcoming the help for small businesses unveiled in the Budget yesterday, says Design Week
A folding plug from an RCA graduate wins the Brit Insurance Design of the Year Award
Results from Defra‟s sustainable clothing roadmap conference here
Results of Design Week Awards 2010 are online here
New leadership at Creative and Cultural Skills here
Anti Copying in Design announces exhibition steering group here
“The best design work is accountable, delivering both creatively and commercially. That's the very essence of effective design.” DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2010 - Entry now open, more here
Innovation
Why the iPad matters here, vs a slightly more cynical take on the Jobs empire here
Learning from the Extremes – Cisco report on rethinking education here
How might we re-imagine the structure and experience of higher education using service design techniques? More here
Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) has launched a new website, the Social Innovator
Summary of the first year of the Innovators Council here
Register now for the SciTech 2010 innovation conference on 20 April
Arts institutions suffer in university budget cuts here
NESTA responses to Budget 2010:
; Tax relief for the UK videogames industry
; Growth capital fund and green investment bank can rebalance the economy
The Strategy for National Infrastructure includes a plan for a Green Investment Bank to cover the anticipated short fall in the provision of equity capital for low-carbon infrastructure projects.
The Current and Future Role of Technology and Innovation Centres in the UK, A Report by Dr. Hermann
Hauser here. Building on government innovation policy it recommends the creation of a network of business-focused TICs to bridge the strategic gap in commercialising UK research. Going forward, Government and the TSB will work with stakeholders to develop a national strategy.
Work Foundation pre-election statement, „Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship in 2020‟ calls for
government to build an eco-innovation system in Britain. The report is part of their ongoing Knowledge
Economy programme
Architecture and the Built Environment
CABE launches a CABE Space research project to fill the serious „green information gap‟ here
French architect Jean Nouvel to design the 2010 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, pictures of the proposed design here
Glasgow City Council unveils plans to secure the future of Charles Rennie Mackintosh‟s Lighthouse building as Scotland‟s National Centre for Architecture and Design here
Artist Anish Kapoor‟s design chosen for Olympic monument
The construction industry would benefit most from a Labour win at the forthcoming general election but the majority of architects will vote Conservative, according to a new survey of architects in the AJ
Enter the 2010 Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award – register before 15th April 2010
Heatherwick's Shanghai Expo pavilion completes, Expo runs May 1 to Oct 31, 2010. Apparently they‟re
expecting 70 million visitors. More here
Housing: the big questions, a letter from Paul Finch here
Entries are now open for the 2010 Building for Life awards here
From Open House to Open City: „After 18 years as Open House, London's leading architecture education organisation announces name change to Open-City. The launch of Open-City signals a new focus in the strategic direction of the organisation, as it expands its commissioning of research into current issues on the built environment.‟ More here
Manufacturing
„Manufacturing in Britain is not dead, it‟s just very quiet and polite‟ – Professor Steve Evans at the Big Rethink
on how climate change will drive business innovation here
Innovation and Industry: A Manifesto for Manufacturing, Policy Exchange report by John Wilman here and FT
coverage here („Protectionist „Cadbury‟s Law‟ is last thing UK needs‟)
New Industry, New Jobs, One Year On: update from BIS here
Reuters: “A survey from the British Chambers of Commerce showed export balances for both services and manufacturing firms improved at the start of this year”, here
Nissan's Sunderland factory to build new electric car here
Sir James Dyson steps down as company chairman here. Read his Ingenious Britain report (commissioned by
the Conservative Party) here
In Parliament
thBudget 2010 (24 March)
Budget 2010 focused on how best to secure the recovery whilst reducing the fiscal deficit.
The Chancellor highlighted that together with the Business Secretary, he has been working to find effective ways to:
; Enable small businesses to grow;
; Invest in key national infrastructure and skills;
; As well as promote research, innovation and enterprise
“Building on the recommendations of the Glover review, I will increase by 15 per cent the proportion of central
government contracts that go to SMEs. This could mean new business worth an extra ?3bn from central government alone and up to ?15bn across the wider public sector. “
“Our creative industries are also a huge source of jobs, wealth and pride. From advanced manufacturing to pharmaceuticals, from digital communications to creative arts – it is the ideas that drive their success. Building
on the Hauser Review, we will ensure that the UK‟s Technology and Innovation Centres achieve their potential
to commercialise new British discoveries.”
A number of supporting papers were published:
; The Government response to Total Place; advocates putting the citizen at the heart of the service,
working locally to co-design public services with users, gaining efficiencies and savings as a result.
; UK Finance for Growth; to be established to oversee the development of the government's ?4bn worth
of finance schemes for SMEs, including the Growth Capital Fund announced in the 2009 Pre-Budget
Report.
ththDigital Economy Bill (6 & 7 April)
The Digital Economy Bill was rushed through a second and third reading in the commons here and passed by
MPs with 189 votes to 47. Commentary from the FT here and the guardian here.
Read Charles Leadbeater‟s paper on why the bill is unambitious and short-sighted here
PQ & Statements
Whether the Chancellor plans to amend the fiscal environment for small manufacturing businesses to facilitate their growth here
Intellectual Property Office targets for 2010-11 here
What discussions Lord Mandelson had with the Chancellor before the Budget on reducing the tax burden on small businesses here
Staffing numbers at CABE here
The DCMS definition of culture here
Plans for bringing together the design and creative industries, following the closure of the Lighthouse, in Glasgow, and what role creative Scotland is expected to play in the development of the design and creative industries sector here
Conservative Technology Manifesto launched here
Government raises curtain on ?600,000 Creative Bursaries Scheme to help talented graduates find work in the
arts here
The EU Competitiveness Council took place in Brussels on 1 and 2 March 2010: summary of discussions here
February 2010 EU Informal Competitiveness Council on electric cars more here
Thurrock NSA for creative and cultural skills announced here and here
The reports of the 13 pilot areas in the Total Place programme have been published online here Marketing figures for DCLG here
How much the treasury spent on advertising, marketing, public relations and publicity in relation to the (i) Real
Help Now and (ii) Building Britain's Future here
Best practice guidance through Government Communications Network here
GDP generated by the manufacturing industry here
How many ?60,000 homes have been built following the Design for Manufacture competition to date here and download the lessons learnt report here
CLG and HCA Departmental spend at MIPIM 2010 here
Cost of a CABE Building for Life assessor here
COI: advertising spend and video recordings here
How many people were employed in manufacturing in each constituency in each year since 1997 here
„The idea behind the tea bag was to promote discussions around safe working practices at workers' break
time„ – more here
UK Representation at the Brussels Forum 2010 here
Industrial development associations here
How many loans have been provided under the Automotive Assistance Programme in each constituency here
The number of schemes meeting the EcoHomes standard in the last three years here
PM meeting on the creative industries here
Assessment of the effect on the economy of the level of activity in the manufacturing sector here
National science and engineering week here and here
Amendments to parts L, F and J of the Building Regulations here (conservation of fuel and power, means of
ventilation and combustion appliances and fuel storage systems respectively). These amendments are
scheduled to come into force on 1 October 2010
CABE funding here
Public sector procurement of small businesses here
Effects on the construction industry of the Construction Industry Training Board Levy here
COI: Advertising spend here
Westminster Hall Debates
; Patient Safety
; UK Chemical Industry
In other news…
Apparently there‟s going to be an election. Official party manifestos are yet to be launched: watch this space to
see if design gets a mention in any of them…
The Telegraph‟s summary of the main party policies are here: Labour, Tories, Liberal Democrats
Elections guide on Parliament‟s website here
Why design IS political here
A great diagram about the differences between left and right here: informationisbeautiful.net
Contact APDIG
For further information on any of the news features, to provide items for future e-newsletters, or to discuss
APDIG events and membership please contact:
Jocelyn Bailey
Manager
Associate Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group
Policy Connect CAN Mezzanine 32-36 Loman Street Southwark London SE1 0EH 020 7202 8588 www.policyconnect.org.uk design@policyconnect.org.uk To unsubscribe, email jocelyn.bailey@policyconnect.org.uk with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line
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