The Metropolitan Design Center (CMD) in Buenos Aires, Argentina was created to promote the local design industry and act as the main public organization supporting the economic, cultural, and social importance of design. The CMD offers programs to help small- and medium-sized businesses incorporate design into their operations to increase competitiveness and innovation, including providing strategic planning, design consulting, funding, and workforce training. After over a decade of efforts, the CMD has helped thousands of companies use design and now operates a 14,000 square foot facility as an ideas laboratory for the city.

1. Buenos Aires Argentina, City of Design The challenge to promote innovation through design Cape Town 18.10.14

2. About the context:

3. Argentina is known throughout the world for:

4. tango

5. football

6. barbecued

7. mate

8. and also for the Pope!

9. design
BKF chair 1938
But we also have:

10. Chair “Desarmable”
Designer: César Janello, 1955.

11. “Fire lighter”
Designer: Hugo Kogan
Producer: Aurora

12. lantern “Eveready”
Designer: Hugo Kogan
Producer: Eveready

13. Radio “Giulia”
Designer: Roberto Nápoli, 1975
Producer: Noblex

14. Servocuna “SMX 2-3-4”
Designers: Hugo Kogan, Hugo Legaria and Raúl Anido, 1993
Producer: Medix.

15. The historical context

16. The crisis 1976/1983
Military coup
Opening to importation and dismantling
of the productive system

17. The crisis 1976/1983
Military coup
30.000 missing persons

18. 1983 Coming back of democracy

19. 1985
Creation of design careers at the
University of Buenos Aires (28.000 students)

20. 1990-2001
stage of convertibility
$ 1 argentinian pesos = U$S 1

21. 2001 New economical and social crisis

22. 2001 Unfavourable conditions for importation Local industry recovery but… Industry/design disjoint

23. Creation of Metropolitan Design Center (CMD)
Need for state policy design promotion:

24. The Institution is dedicated to promote local design. It´s the main public promoter of economic, cultural and social importance of design in Argentina CMD is an international and unique model in its kind in Latin America.

25. companies/institutions
Design in business
“Incorporating design program”
designers
Business in design
“Business Incorporation”
Target:

26. Design incorporation

27. Program aimed at SME businesses in the city of Buenos Aires
Objective: To contribute to increasing the quantity and quality competitiveness and innovation of the Buenos Aires through design.
Encourage the incorporation of design as a valuable tool in the production of goods and services and strengthen exports.

28. • Survey and analysis of the current situation of the company.
• Identifying opportunities and weaknesses.
• Delivery of a strategic plan to incorporate design
Design Consulting
funding

29. New companies
“Incubation program”

32. Research and transfer
Knowledge creation for local development

35. SMEs that used design 2009/2010
SMEs had carried out design activities

36. Training
Strengthening of the Creative class

38. Skills training
Sewing/leather/carpentry

39. Public digital fabrication laboratory

40. Infrastructure
An ideas factory for the city

41. 2010 = 14.000m2

44. More than a decade promoting design and innovation

45. Last considerations:

46. We arn´t artists solving our problems. We are experts solving others problems.
Design is not necessary, it´s inevitable
The best way to predict the future is to design it.

47. Thank you!
Muchas gracias!

48. www.cmd.gob.ar D.I. Anabella Rondina Metropolitan Design Center Buenos Aires City Governmet arondina@buenosaires.gob.ar