Design
There is political agreement in Europe that to ensure competitiveness, prosperity and well-being, all forms of innovation need to be supported, and that the progressive shift in emphasis of European innovation policy from exclusive reliance on technology towards more demand- and user-driven innovation must continue.
European Design Innovation Initiative - Innovation Union commitment
A particular importance of design as a key discipline and activity to bring ideas to the market, has been recognised in the Innovation Union 
[203 KB] 
, Europe's 2020 flagship initiative. In line with the commitment taken in the Innovation Union, the European Commission will launch in 2011 the European Design Innovation Initiative to exploit the full potential of design for innovation and to reinforce the link between design, innovation and competitiveness.
Design as a tool for innovation - background information
Beyond the recognised drivers of innovation in other policy domains, such as education and entrepreneurship, some countries in the EU and beyond have started looking at drivers of innovation not previously examined in a policy context. Notably, some of Europe's leading innovation nations have included user-driven or user-centred innovation as cornerstones of their national innovation strategies. It is seen as a way of providing innovative products, services and systems that correspond better to user needs and therefore are more competitive.
The same countries that explore the potential of user-driven or user-centred innovation are leading nations as regards the development of national design policies. User-driven innovation is often closely associated with design, and involves tools and methodologies developed and used by designers.
On 7 April 2009, the Commission published a working document on Design as a driver of user-centred innovation [394 KB] . It provides an analysis of the rationale for making design an integral part of European innovation policy. On the basis of this document, the Commission launched a public consultation aiming at finding out if more should be done at EU level in the area of design and - if so - what.
The results of the consultation on design as a driver of user-centred innovation are very encouraging. The Commission received in total 535 online replies - 309 from organisations, 226 from individuals. 91 percent of responding organisations consider that design is very important for the future competitiveness of the EU economy. 96 percent consider that initiatives in support of design should be an integral part of innovation policy in general, 91 percent that initiatives in support of design should be taken at EU level in addition to Member State and regional level.
Background studies on design
-
Design as a driver of user-centred innovation [394 KB] - Commission's staff working document
- Feasibility study on a European responsible design label
- Workshop report and presentations from an INNO-GRIPS workshop in Marseille, June 2008, on "design as a tool for innovation"
- INNO-GRIPS mini-study on "design as a tool for innovation"
-
TrendChart report on "national and regional policies for design, creativity and userdriven innovation" [5 MB]
EESC Design Eleven - 2011 European Design Award for a Sustainable Present
With the EESC Design Eleven - 2011 European Design Award for a Sustainable Present, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) faces European realities and supports practical and functional ideas for European citizens. In this way it contributes to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for people in Europe at the same time.
The first award edition EESC Design ZeroNine was a big success and proved that there is the demand for a forum for Europeans. The EESC wants to communicate Europe to its citizens by including them and giving them a voice amongst the institutions.
