Design Council urges manufacturers to embrace design

An event run by the Design Council encouraging manufacturers to embrace design is to take place in June at Birmingham City University.

The university is one of the Design Council’s partners on their Design for Europe scheme – a website and series of events which aims to support innovation in design across Europe.

The Leading Business by Design Summit will feature talks by manufacturing companies demonstrating how they have used design and new materials to make their products stand out, and how employing multi-disciplinary skills has helped to improve their businesses.

New research, conducted by Warwick Business School and market research agency RS Consulting, will also be revealed, looking at design’s influence in the automotive and aerospace manufacturing sectors.

The event will invite attendees to contribute to the discussion, ask questions and network with speakers and other visitors.

It is aimed at designers working in manufacturing firms, academics in business, manufacturing and design, and those involved in engineering, alongside local and central government policymakers.

“The Summit is taking place just after the general election, so should offer a platform for discussion about the future governmental plans for manufacturing growth in the UK,” says John Mathers, chief executive at the Design Council. “It’s an opportunity to start a national conversation on design in manufacturing – we’re very excited about it.”

The Leading Business by Design Summit will take place at Birmingham City University on 18 June from 10am-5pm. Tickets can be purchased from the Design Council’s website.