Scotland's Economy

Strengthening Scotland’s creativity: launch of Institute of Design Innovation

January 16, 2013 by John Swinney MSP No Comments | Category Uncategorized

Thanks to the work of generations of talented, enterprising Scots, Scotland has established an international reputation as being an innovative and creative nation.

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is arguably one of our greatest hubs of creativity and today I helped to launch its new Institute of Design Innovation, which focuses on encouraging businesses to identify opportunities and seize the economic benefits of  creativity.

The institution recognises the massive contribution that increasing creativity can make in the workplace through increasing competitiveness, productivity and, ultimately, success. GSA has been working with a range of organisations in developing their growth ambitions and this has led to the establishment of a new Institute of Design Innovation.

The Institute will encourage businesses to realise their growth ambitions and stay competitive through applying design principles to their work.

The School has a proven track record of successful partnership working with business, including a collaboration with the textile manufacturer Scott and Fyfe. And graduates from the GSA’s Product Design Engineering course are making a difference to people’s lives across the globe.

GSA’s alumni reads like a Who’s Who of Scotland’s most celebrated artists, architects, playwrights and designers. Perhaps less well known, however, are the graduates who are current blazing a trail in business. These include the founders of 4c Design, one of Scotland’s leading Product Design consultancies (Robin Smith and William Mitchell); the head of design for Jaguar Land Rover (Ian Callum); and the winners of the 2012 International Dyson Award (Dan Watson) and the Shell Livewire Grand Ideas Award (Amy Corbett).

This new centre of excellence is a really exciting initiative – one which will help bring together the best of our creative talent and business minds to ensure we can strengthen our reputation as an innovative and creative nation and secure economic benefits.

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