Presentation to the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
On the potential for job creation, innovation and balanced economic
development in the creative economy.
The potential of the creative industries cannot be underestimated in terms of
its impact as a catalyst for radical change. Design, creativity and innovation
are intrinsic to the future growth of Irelands economy.
In the same way that Ireland has excelled in developing the agri, pharma and
tech sectors, this is the moment to utilise the creative industries as a platform
and a tool for growth, innovation and economic development. In order to do
this appropriate infrastructure and supports must be provided.
My role as the Head of International programmes for Irish design 2015 and as
Head of Innovation with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland has provided
specific insights into the needs of these sectors. Irish Design 2015 (ID2015)
is a year-long initiative backed by the Irish government exploring, promoting
and celebrating Irish design throughout Ireland and internationally in order to
drive job creation, grow exports and increase competitiveness. The
programme for the year includes presenting the work of Irish designers at high
profile events in design capitals including London, Paris, Eindhoven, Milan,
New York, Chicago and Hong Kong/Shenzhen. ID2015 is being convened by
the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), in collaboration with partner
organisations, on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and
Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise
Ireland. It is an ambitious programme with over 300+ national and 50+
international events throughout the year that aim to:
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Create 1800 jobs over three years
Generate an additional €10m in design-based exports
Generate 200 new design business start-ups
Facilitate 300+ companies in international trade missions and
design based trade events
Engage with an audience of 3 million at home and abroad
Develop a National Design Centre
The ID2015 programme is a significant undertaking and represents the start
of a journey to position Ireland at the leading edge of design collaboration,
integration and innovation. To ensure its success and that of the creative
industries as a whole a long term, strategic view from economic and cultural
perspectives is required.
The spectrum of design disciplines represented by ID2015 is broad and
includes:
 Architecture and the built environment
 Contemporary and traditional craft
 Costume and set design
 Design Engineering
 Fashion
 Film animation and motion design
 Food design
 Furniture and lighting design
 Gaming and ICT
 Graphic and communications design
 Interior and exhibition design
 Organisational and service design
 Product and industrial design
 Textile design
 Web interface and interaction design
ID2015 has identified key strategic enablers that could be applied to the
creative industries sector as a whole to drive job creation, innovation and
balanced economic development in the creative economy. These are listed
under the following headings as:
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Education, Enterprise & Innovation
Communication & Promotion
Legacy, Infrastructure & Disruptive Reform
Commercialisation & Internationalisation
Education, Enterprise & Innovation
The development and implementation of an Education and Enterprise Model
in collaboration with all major third level institutions to develop a strategy that
provides tools for creative industries students and graduates to become
entrepreneurs with the capacity to trade internationally is recommended. This
can be achieved through tailored programs delivered in partnership with the
network of LEOs and incubation centres or through new models based on
international exemplars such as Neue House in the US directed by James
Reilly or Highway 1 set up by Liam Casey of PCH.
In order to foster innovation across an integrated eco-system of creative
industries parameters for innovation vouchers or similar incentivized funding
should be broadened to enable B2B innovation across multiple sectors. An
innovation brokerage system should be established to pair companies and
assist in the development of strategies and relationships in order to realise
innovative products and services.
Commercialisation & Internationalisation
In order to realise significant growth in exports, SMEs and creatives need to
have access to international markets. Sustained investment to enable
participation at international events such as design weeks, fashion weeks and
architecture biennales as well as access to funding to attend trade events for
creative industries needs to be maintained and further developed.
Communication & Promotion
Raising awareness of the quality and innovative nature of the creative
industries is key. Coverage in high profile international media elevates the
international perception of Ireland and of our design, innovation and technical
ability.
Legacy & Infrastructure
 Benchmarking of the creative industries sector as a whole
 Collaboration, partnership, sharing of resources and an integrated
approach between government departments and agencies tasked with
the development of the creative sectors
 Access to investment for the creative industries through grant aid or VC
funding
 The integration of design thinking solutions across business and
community sectors in order to drive efficiencies and provide a platform
for new systems to emerge
 The development of ‘design hubs’ to encourage networking,
collaboration, sharing of skills, ideas and expertise.
 Launch a ‘Made in Ireland’ campaign and strategy of supports based
on models that exist in the UK and in the USA to increase the capability
of Irish manufacturers and to bring visibility to the type of production
available in Ireland
 Creation of a creative industries policy and future strategy for Ireland
To give a sense of the impact that collaboration followed by international
exposure has in respect of the design community, I have just returned from
Milan, where the ID2015 flagship exhibition ‘Liminal Irish design at the
threshold’ represented over 20 Irish designers and design companies. This is
the first time in over 50 years that there has been an international
representation of Irish Design across the breadth of disciplines. Liminal
provides the impetus and space for a series of design led collaborative
relationships to emerge. The level of innovation and resulting products
attracted significant attention in Milan. Companies such as Thomas
Montgomery a furniture manufacturer based in Bray who in collaboration with
Perch launched FLOAT. FLOAT is a modular office furniture system that
responds to the need for seating that integrates social and work-based
interactions. FLOAT attracted a significant level of interest from global design
brands at Milan.
Over the past two years Design Partners have worked with Seed Labs Inc. to
explore the ‘smart home’ market and to uncover and deliver the potential of
their technology and brand. Seed labs have developed pioneering new
Bluetooth and connected solutions technology through their own software,
protocols and chips. Design partners helped in the development of their
brand, experience, and product design language and in the design of all of
their reference products. Working closely with Seed Labs Inc. they launched
their first control device, Silvair in Milan this April. Together they are
committed to developing their collaboration to position themselves at the
forefront of shaping the future of connected devices.
Enabling these kinds of collaborations allows true innovation to take place.
Supporting and promoting collaboration across sectors and disciplines will
enable more intuitive, responsive, user centred smart design products and
services to emerge. Ireland has an incredible opportunity to merge the assets
we have technologically, scientifically and creatively with those the creative
industries. Based on research that is currently being undertaken as part of
ID2015 we have the opportunity to develop and support a defined policy and
strategic plan for investment in the design and creative industries sectors for
the future.
Louise Allen
Head of International Programmes, Irish Design 2015
Head of Innovation, Design and Crafts Council of Ireland