The Influence of WIRAD’s Design Policy Unit on the Design Innovation Policies of Wales, the UK and the European Union
Submitting Institutions
Cardiff Metropolitan University,
University of Wales, Trinity Saint DavidUnit of Assessment
Art and Design: History, Practice and TheorySummary Impact Type
PoliticalResearch Subject Area(s)
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration
Summary of the impact
The Design Policy Group has directly influenced the design innovation
policies of the UK and EU Governments since 2008. We will evidence a clear
link between the unit's research and the EU's 2010 `Innovation Union'
policy and 2013 Action Plan, demonstrate that they provided important
underpinnings for the Welsh Government's 2013 `Innovation Strategy for
Wales' and that the group directly engaged in the UK's Design and
Innovation Policy debate through invited membership of a House of Lord's
Select Committee.
[Throughout this template, references to underpinning research are
numbered 1-6; sources to corroborate are numbered 7-15]
Underpinning research
The Design Policy Group is a forerunner in the development of research to
support design policy-making [4, 5]. The roots of their research
lie in the Welsh Design Advisory Service (WDAS) contract held from 1994 -
2009 by members of what is now the Design Policy Group. The WDAS service
focussed on helping Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) exploit design for
business benefit. Their extensive interactions with companies over those
15 years gave members Raulik (Research Officer), Cawood
(Director of WDAS) and Larsen (Senior Research Officer) an
understanding of the barriers to SMEs adopting design practice and an
interest in how those might be removed. They realised that while design is
a key factor in stimulating innovation, good design policy was
critical to creating conditions conducive to supporting it. Further
investigation led to a recognition that although design promotion had been
undertaken by regional and national governments for decades, there was
little academic research into the efficacy, or the reasons behind
successes or failure, of a variety of international policy approaches.
In 2004 the group pioneered research comparing national systems of design
support. They studied polices advocating the benefits of design and the
mechanisms for assisting its adoption [1, 2]. Membership of the
group grew to include Whicher (SEE Programme Manager,
2009-present) and Walters (Director of Research/Reader in Product
Design 2010-present).
In 2005, a seven European partner consortium, Sharing Experience Europe
(SEE), was formed. The consortium was led by the Design Policy Group and
funded by a €1m INTERREG grant [3]. SEE researched the history of
design promotion and analysed the different strategies deployed across
Europe and how those related to the different stages of economic
development within regions. A second INTERREG Grant of €1.5m in 2008
empowered an expanded team across 11 European nations. Together, they
sought to define design policy, ask how it could be deployed to enhance
European competitiveness and how governments might develop, implement and
evaluate those policies effectively. The project's outputs highlighted the
potential impact of effective design innovation policies and made a series
of recommendations on ways to align them to the differing needs of a range
of European regions. SEE Bulletins (edited by Raulik and Cawood 2005-2011
and Whicher and Cawood 2011-present) have been used to maximise the
dissemination of findings with proven effect (see 4.).
A third phase of European Commission funding was won in 2012 in the form
of a €1.1m Competitiveness & Innovation Programme (CIP) grant. As with
the first two grants, Welsh Government indicated the value they place on
the Design Policy Group's work by providing match funding.
The present Design Policy Group is an evolved entity: Larsen
retired in 2009 and Raulik (now Raulik-Murphy) left shortly after
the completion of her PhD in 2011. Following Cawood's promotion to PDR
Director in 2013, leadership of the group was awarded to Whicher,
with Walters and Cawood supporting. In the third phase of
its research the Design Policy Group is focussing on the development of an
academic framework for benchmarking the design policies of SEE's 11
partner nations. They will create a bank of research-based evidence
providing a robust rationale for policy intervention in support of design
[6].
References to the research
The underpinning research for this impact case study has been published
in international journals (1, 5) and in the proceedings of double blind
peer reviewed international conferences (2, 4, 6). Further, the research
has attracted competitive research funding including, but not limited to
(3) totalling €5.9m.
2. Raulik, G., Cawood, G. and Larsen, P. (2008b). A comparative analysis
of strategies for design in Finland and Brazil. In (Ed.) Undisciplined
2008! Design Research Society Conference. Sheffield UK: Sheffield Hallam
University. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/452/1/fulltext.pdf
Whicher A., Cawood G., and Walters A.T., 2012. Research and Practice in
Design and Innovation Policy in Europe, DMI International Research
Conference, Boston, MA, USA, 8-9 August 2012
https://repository.cardiffmet.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/10369/3529/1/Design%20Innovation%20Policy.pdf
Details of the impact
The research of the Design Policy Group has directly influenced the
design innovation policies of the Welsh Government and the European
Commission. The group have also influenced the UK's policy discussions
through expert input to parliamentary debate.
Influence on the European Commission: In 2010, the European
Commission included design as one of ten priorities for stimulating
innovation. This was the first time design had achieved such a high
priority, and this is important since the policy guides how the Commission
distributes funds. The reasons for design's inclusion can be directly
traced to the Design Policy Group's SEE Platform (see 2. above).
The policy in question, Innovation Union is a ten year economic
development plan for Europe. The EC Policy makers responsible for it
directly referenced Raulik & Cawood's SEE bulletins as evidence
underpinning the 2009 European Commission staff working document from
which the Innovation Union policy was formed [7, 8]. As
part of Innovation Union's implementation plan the European
Commission also drafted an Action Plan for Design-driven Innovation in
Europe. The Design Policy Group's research also provided the
evidence base for this document, and SEE is also directly referenced in
it. [9]. A Policy Officer at the European Commission for the
Director General Enterprise and Industry, Innovation Policy for Growth,
stated:
"Research generated by PDR (the centre where the
Design Policy Group is situated) through the SEE Platform has
proved a valuable resource in preparing the Commission's policy work
on design-driven innovation including the two
staff working documents on design in 2009 and 2013 which have directly
influenced the EC Innovation Policies" [10].
Influence on Welsh Government: The Welsh Government debates and
policy have been directly shaped by the Design Policy Group's activities.
In 2010, an Assembly Member referenced their Design for Innovation in
Wales Manifesto [11] during a debate on innovation policy
development in Wales, including the role of design. The resulting vote
gave unanimous, cross-party support for design becoming a key Welsh
priority for the first time. That came to fruition with the publication of
the Welsh Government's The Innovation Strategy for Wales, 2013 [12,
13].
Influence on the UK parliament: In recognition of the Design
Policy Group's influence on Welsh and EU Policy, Cawood was invited to
engage in a debate on the effectiveness of the EU's Research and
Innovation proposals and on design and innovation policy development. In
2013 he did so by joining the Associate Parliamentary Design &
Innovation Group which provides a forum for open debate between Parliament
and the UK's design and innovation communities [14]. 2013 also saw
Cawood's invitation to and participation with the House of Lords Select
Committee on the European Union as an Expert Witness on Design's role in
innovation policy [15].
In summary, WIRAD's Design Policy Group's research into design policy
efficacy has resulted in a series of impacts at national and international
levels. They can evidence a sustained and substantial influence on the
policies of the Welsh Government and the European Commission and have also
provided expert input to the UK parliament's debate on design's role in
innovation policy.
Sources to corroborate the impact
- Commission of the European Communities, 2009, Commission staff working
document: Design as a driver of user-centred innovation, Brussels,
pp.19, 24, 40, 44, 51, 52, 55, 69.
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/files/design_swd_sec501_en.pdf
- European Commission, 2010, Communication from the Commission to the
European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social
Committee and The Committee of the Regions: Europe 2020 Flagship
Initiative Innovation Union, Brussels, pp.3,
http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/innovation-union-communication_en.pdf
- European Commission, 2013, Commission staff working document:
Implementing an action plan for design-driven innovation, Brussels,
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/files/design/design-swd-2013-380_en.pdf
- Statement from the Policy Officer of the European Commission, DG
Enterprise and Industry, Innovation Policy for Growth
- National Assembly for Wales, 2010 The Record of Proceedings 05.10.10
http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-third-assembly/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=198289&ds=10/2010
- Welsh Government, 2013, Innovation Wales,
http://wales.gov.uk/docs/det/publications/130714innwalesen.pdf
- Welsh Government, 2012, Innovation Wales — Call for Evidence
Responses, pp.130,
http://wales.gov.uk/docs/det/consultation/121113innovationresponses.pdf
- Statement from the Head of Group, Manufacturing, Design and
Innovation, Policy Connect
- House of Lords, 2013, Select Committee on the European Union, Internal
Market, Infrastructure and Employment Sub-Committee, Effectiveness of EU
research and innovation proposals, Oral and written evidence, http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/eu-sub-com-b/Innovation/EUSUBBWRITTENEV.pdf