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Sharing Experience on Design Support for SMEs (SEEdesign)
Start date: Feb 28, 2005, End date: Dec 30, 2007 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Some organisations have already been set up by regional authorities to support and encourage a design sector capable of responding to the needs of SMEs. SEEdesign brings these organisations together to improve the effectiveness of support provided for local SMEs relating to design issues in Europe, creating a network for the dissemination of good practice in this field. Achievements: Achievements so far The SEEdesign programme is a network of seven partners responsible for the provision of design support and promotion in their regions &/or countries. The network has been working together since 2005 to share experience and exchange information on this issue in order to develop and improve their own activities. Through this ongoing cooperation the partners have been able to assess and enhance the provision of design support to SMEs throughout Europe and so enhance their contribution to the economic competitiveness of their regions and countries. Since 2005 the programme has run 5 European Workshops on Design Support in Copenhagen, Lyon, Florence, Brussels and Prague, an International Workshop on Design Support in Cardiff and six Seminars for SMEs. The website has grown to include 32 case studies in the library and a wealth of other materials - news, podcasts, transcripts, downloadable publications - of use to all those working in this field. The fifth and sixth issues of the SEEdesign Bulletin were published in September and December 2007 with 1200 copies of each distributed to design support practitioners, academics, policy makers and designers in 53 countries worldwide. This Bulletin - the only publication dedicated to this subject in the world - is also available in pdf format to download from the website. During the fifth EWDS held in Prague in October 2007, the partners heard presentations on the design support offered to SMEs in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark and Belgium. They also attended a number of events as part of the Prague Design Week (DesignBloc) and one of the partners presented the awards at a Student Design Awards ceremony. The transcripts of this workshop are available via the website. At their 6th Steering Committee meeting the partners participated in a workshop to assess project achievements and fomulate policy recommendations. The cooperative exchange that is the hallmark of this partnership has enabled partners to assess and improve their own programmes and so contribute to the economic competitiveness of their countries. Inspired by the work of one partner, three of the partners commissioned short films to communicate their key messages more effectively and to a wider audience. The national design support networks continued to develop and information on design policy was gathered. A final assessment of the measurement tools developed by the project demonstrated that, despite the challenges of assessing seven diverse partners with differing activities and goals, some useful conclusions could be drawn from the data gathered. At the end of the partnership a strong network of cooperation and exchange has been built and partners hope to work together on new projects in the future.
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  • 44.4%   460 175,82
  • 2000 - 2006 Interreg IIIC West
  • Project on KEEP Platform
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6 Partners Participants