Hong Kong Design Centre celebrates 20^th anniversary with theme 'Design for Sustainable Community'

Debuting a new format, KODW 2022 to probe the urgency and potential of regenerative design

Speakers to include more than 30 field experts, entrepreneurs, and creatives from around the world

HONG KONG, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), co-organised by Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) and School of Design, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design), together with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor, Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) assembles over 30 industry experts, entrepreneurs, and creatives in fields including architecture and urban planning, healthcare, and arts and culture to explore its 2022 theme 'Regeneration by Design'.

In the face of our rapidly changing global landscape and a mounting climate crisis, maintaining the status quo through green initiatives will not be enough. A successful transition into a truly sustainable society requires a regenerative design mindset focused on pivoting toward restoring and replenishing resources, striking a balance between economic development and environmental health.

From the innovation of materials, mobility, and food systems, to rebuilding urban spaces, empowering inclusive wellness, and reinventing e-commerce, KODW will spotlight design principles and case studies rooted in the vision for a sustainable future.

Bringing KODW to prime time: An all-new experience

This year, HKDC celebrates its 20^th anniversary under the theme 'Design for Sustainable Community'. Facilitating an exchange of ideas between the worlds of design, business, and the public sector, as well as fuelling a synergy with other leading creative cities, KODW will be among HKDC's exciting year-round initiatives with Strategic Partner, the Netherlands, and its platform for creative pioneers, CreativeNL, and Strategic Regional Partner, Guangzhou Design Week. Also joining as Strategic Cultural Partner is M+, Asia's new museum of global visual culture, where this year's physical events will be hosted.

For the first time, KODW transforms the traditional format of an international design conference into a high-quality production on primetime television, with talks to be broadcast on ViuTVsix on 24 September, 8 October, 15 October, 22 October, and 12 November alongside the physical events at M+. The panel discussions will also be streamed online on bodw+ and on social media platforms to provide full access to viewers all over the world, while interactive live chats will be hosted on Zoom to engage KODW's international audience.

Taking sustainability to the next level

Under 'Regeneration by Design', KODW 2022 seeks to define new and improved paths forward for different facets of society in four programme pillars: Regenerative Design for Our Ecosystem, Regenerative Design for Social Good, Regenerative Economy, and The Future of Regenerative Culture.

Renowned in their respective fields, this year's panel of speakers include: 

• Dr Andrew Dent, Executive Vice President, Research, Material ConneXion (United States)
• Cherrie De Erit Atilano, Founding Farmer/President and CEO, AGREA Agricultural Systems International, Inc. (The Philippines)
• Edwin Keh, Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (Hong Kong)
• Jack Moy, Chief Eexcutive Officer, Sustenir Group Pte Ltd (Singapore)
• Jiang Ying, Co-founder and Principal, O-Office Architects (Mainland China)
• Joe Iles, Circular Design Programme Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (United Kingdom)
• Dr Louis Ng Chi-Wa, Director, Hong Kong Palace Museum (Hong Kong)
• Malcolm Wood, Group Managing Director, Steelhead Group (Hong Kong)
• Miriam van der Lubbe, Creative Head of Dutch Design Week 2022, Dutch Design Foundation (The Netherlands)
• Niels de Jong, Partner and Creative Director, Kossmanndejong (The Netherlands)
• Piet Hein Eek, Founder, Piet Hein Eek (The Netherlands)
• Queenie Man, Founder and CEO, The Project Futurus (Hong Kong)
• Dr Sanjay Batra, Hardware Research Manager, Google (United States)
• Dr Saskia Visser, Program Manager Circular and Climate Neutral Society, Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands)
• Suresh Balaji, Founder, Web3 Marketing Association (Hong Kong) and more 

KODW talks will be livestreamed for free on bodw+, the digital design knowledge platform envisioned to become Asia's leading online design portal, with evergreen year-round content that facilitates conversations on Design, Brands and Innovation for a global community. In addition to the free Basic membership now available for registration, the platform now offers a brand new Plus Membership providing privileged access to KODW programmes on demand, masterclasses, exclusive offers for upcoming HKDC programmes, and special discounts from bodw+ partners. To foster meaningful exchange, businesses around the world may opt for a Corporate Membership for complimentary access to networking events, in addition to other perks such as unlimited access to exclusive content, and advertising opportunities on bodw+.

Continuing KODW's longstanding objective to inform and engage its audience with a variety of timely design topics, KODW 2022 will host eight open to public workshops and masterclasses taking place from 22 August to 28 October. These sessions, which will be held in a mix of physical and virtual formats, are to be led by global experts based in Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the UK, and will explore various takes on 'Regeneration by Design' from social, environmental, cultural, and business lenses including:

• Regenerative Design for Business: Discovering Material Innovations at The Fabrick Lab, led by Elaine Yan Ling Ng, Founder, The Fabrick Lab (HK)
• User Brands: Creating Business Sustainable Brands with X Thinking, led by Michael Lai, Dean, X Thinking Institute (CN)
• Developing Sustainable Solutions through LEGO Serious Play, led by Per Kristiansen, Partner, Trivium (DK)
• Meet the Creators of the Sandbox Metaverse, led by Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder and COO, and Erich Wong, Head of Growth, The Sandbox (HK)

Stay tuned for more information on KODW 2022 and learn the most innovative approaches to regenerative design today.

Register for bodw+ membership, free access to the live video, live chat and early-bird discounts for the workshops and masterclasses for KODW at bodw.com.

Contact

For further enquiries and requests for interviews, please contact: 

CatchOn, a Finn Partners Company  

Email: HKDesignCentre@FinnPartners.com 

Press materials

Images including speakers' portraits are available at:

https://finnpartners.box.com/s/24x5l2hz4awsrztjzv6cjfxlmy9k3soz

About Hong Kong Design Centre  (www.hkdesigncentre.org)

Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a non-governmental organisation, and was founded in 2001 as a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being.

About Knowledge of Design Week  (www.bodw.com)

Launched in 2006, Knowledge of Design Week (KODW) offers an exciting and premier global knowledge platform for local and international designers, brand strategists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, educators and visionaries to share industry insights, trend analysis, creative solutions and game-changing innovation to transform individuals, businesses and the society.

About Create Hong Kong (www.createhk.gov.hk)

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the HKSAR Government in June 2009. It is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK has been sponsoring HKDC's various projects to promote Hong Kong design.

SOURCE Hong Kong Design Centre