Design is one of the most accessible approaches to innovation. As a people-centred activity it creates desirable, usable products and services that are defined and delivered. Design is a cost-effective method of de-risking the innovation process by gaining insights into user needs in the first place and the ecosystem environment.

Through this consultation, BEDA welcomes the opportunity to highlight the following points to the European Commission:

Scale up gap:
Design is the bridge between basic, breakthrough and disruptive innovation and market success. Incremental innovation is at the core of the design process.

Framework conditions and policy making:
Adopting a design approach to innovation policy-making would provide a collaborative way to bring together the technology, academia, users and markets.

Human- and planet-centred design are mindsets and methods which help to foster sustainable developments and added value for society.

Fragmentation of the ecosystem
Pockets of design expertise should be mapped and invested in so that they can turn into regional strengths and motors of development and growth. Interdisciplinary collaboration between clusters of expertise should be fostered through a mission-oriented and challenge-based approach to innovation funding.

Talent development
Creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and complex problem solving, collaboration and agility will all be crucial in the constantly evolving competitive digital economy. Design is the key to those key competences.

To foster sustainable products, services and processes the role of design in the European Innovation Council should be strengthened. New efforts should be undertaken to collect pan-European data on the use of design in innovation processes and its effectiveness to de-risk market entries, market growth and lay the path for added value for society.


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