Trends in design and government in Europe

Abstract

In Europe, design is attracting significant interest in governments at regional, national, and European levels as a driver of innovation in both private and public sectors. In 2013, the European Commission published its “Action Plan for Design-driven Innovation,” and between 2012 and 2015, it has invested more than €26 million ($27.5 million) in design initiatives. One of these initiatives was the SEE Platform (Sharing European Experience on Design Innovation Policy). SEE was a network of 11 European partners operating from 2005 to 2015 with the aim to accelerate the uptake of design in innovation policies and programs. Led by PDR, the International Design and Research Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University, between 2012 and 2015 the SEE network facilitated 112 workshops using design methods for more than 1,000 policy-makers across Europe. As a result of workshops, research, and advocacy, the SEE partners integrated design into 18 policies and 48 programs. SEE is highlighted in the European Commission’s Design Action Plan as a successful initiative for advancing the strategic understanding of design in government. At a national level, countries like Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, and Latvia also have design action plans, but in addition, 15 of the 28 member states of the European Union (EU) have included design in their national innovation policies. In this article, we share the results of the SEE Platform and propose some emerging trends in design and government across the EU.