Maximum use should be made of the World Design Capital year
Highlighting design in the cityscape and in the everyday life of ordinary people is the goal of the World Design Capital year. For companies this year provides a great opportunity to achieve visibility and to promote their business.
As well as design companies, there are other companies, whose profile is not traditionally linked with design, who are also participating in events during the year. In this way design gets to be seen from the perspective of service-, system- and concept development as well as just that of the design of objects.
The significant efforts being made by the public sector and companies should serve to promote the use of design in business and in the development of public services. For companies design is an integral part of business - without good products there can be no good business. Finland has to make efficient use of this venture, both internationally and in its domestic innovation and enterprise policy. Promoting Finnish design and business competitiveness is important in the global economy where several countries are also investing in the development of their competitiveness through design policy.
We have companies who are active globally for whom design is at the very heart of their development work, planning and production. We have internationally successful designers. And we need more of both: we need more companies targeting growth and internationalization and we also need top designers.
The timing of this WDC year is well suited to the drafting of a new design policy. The central idea has to be that design is a natural part of our national innovation and enterprise policy. The programme must address the ever changing competitive conditions as, thus far, business activity in the design sector has not been growing or become international in the way the previous design policy lines were drafted.
