TEXMEDIN Inspiring Lab Final Conference Prato November 9 th, 2011
INSPIRING LAB SPACE AND FRAMEWORK EU Programme: Programme MED (Axe 1: Strengthening innovation capacities Objective 1.1: Dissemination of innovative technologies and know-how)
Past Museum Collections Know-How Documents Museums as promotion places Inspiring Lab Vision Cultural Heritage Valorise the Past (Cultural Heritage) Future R&D Results New materials Innovative tools Innovation Promote the Future (Innovation) (Fashion trends) Present (Market rules) New market/social needs Serve the Present (Market Needs)
Past Museum Collections Know-How Documents Museums as promotion places Inspiring Lab Actors MUSEUMS Valorise the Past (Cultural Heritage) Future R&D Results New materials Innovative tools + R&D Technology Training Providers + Promote the Future (Innovation) (Fashion trends) Present (Market rules) Business/Entrepreneurs Local Authorities Serve the Present (Market Needs)
Past Museum Collections Know-How Documents Museums as promotion places Future R&D Results New materials Innovative tools Inspiring Labs Mission Serve young designers Past Enhance (Cultural Heritage) Inspiration + Enhance Creativity + Support Prototyping Innovative culturally rich marketable prototypes Valorise the Promote the Future (Innovation) (Fashion trends) Present (Market rules) Promote Prototypes Serve the Present (Market Needs)
A Local Physical Place Local Inspiration Lab Clusters commonalities A space generally located in a Museum or in a Technical Center, acting as a meeting place of local stakeholders involved in the promotion and valorisation of Mediterranean Textile Heritage offering access to local and remote Cultural Heritage Collections offering local support to Young Designers for realising prototypes promoting prototypes inspired by Cultural Heritage Objects
A Transnational Cluster: A Network of places The network of Inspiring Labs was collectively created by the partners as a transnational cluster of advanced facilities dedicated to research and inspiration. There are five of them established in Prato, Athens, Lyon, Terrassa and Carpi - Each Inspiring Lab provides direct access to the TEXMEDIN Digital Library as well as to innovative services and tools, including specialised training and coaching sessions for young designers and stylists..
Services provided access to T&C Heritage Collections belonging to TEXMEDIN partners; specialised training courses for young fashion students, designers and stylists; prototypation of ideas and project works; promotion of young designers and stylists; networking of online communities dealing with the valorisation of T&C heritage; online collaboration between young designers and professionals of the T&C sector to design new products inspired by historical collections.
Return from experience The activities of the Inspiring Labs have involved a high number of local stakeholders, technicians, stylists, designers, enterprises, fashion schools, as well as agencies for safeguarding and promoting the textile and clothing heritage. The key initiative of the Inspiring Labs was the launch of the TEXMEDIN Design Challenge, a European public contest addressing young fashion designers and stylists In spite of the wide range in background, culture, professional maturity, etc all actors involved in the Inspiring Labs expressed their appreciation for this very positive experience. The success of this initiative shows that the needs of the fashion and design sector can find new ways to innovate its production in front of the global arena
Helped young designers to enter in new worlds Inspiring Labs has been a completely new experience both in relation to European projects and in the area of specialised training. Through their theoretical and practical training modules the Inspiring Labs have proved able to help young fashion students and designers enter the world of Textile & Clothing production which is not usually the case in traditional training by existing fashion courses. The Inspiring Labs succeeded in creating active links between young designers and relevant physical and/or digitalised T&C collections from heritage museums, serving as a practical platform for creative inspiration to translate into real prototypes.
Empowered the skills of T&C stakeholders Through Inspiring Labs for Innovation TEXMEDIN had a great impact on Creativity, design, style, research & development, use of unconventional information sources, for the production of high-added value garments All these are tools enabled fashion companies to re-define their position in the market to compete better within ever more complex value chains. It empowered the skills of the T&C stakeholders through the experimentation of innovative training methodologies, and the access to the huge T&C technical know-how and creative background already existing in the partner regions.
Experimented an innovative learning methodology - Innovative in the way potential beneficiaries were involved. Trainees have been directly implicated in defining the details of the design course - they were asked to figure out and review their previous skills/experiences, interests, aptitudes and expectations. - Innovative because going beyond ordinary training activities funded by classical financing channels which fit only to homogeneous groups of beneficiaries - Innovative in terms of flexibility in the methodology and schedule of the training: as allowed the trainees - both employed and unemployed ones - to attend the training and coaching sessions according to their needs, that is, at times and hours agreed upon with the trainers and coachers.
How it worked? It allowed participants through the simulation of some real working stages to: - face problems, - make choices, - find solutions, - work in team, - take autonomous decisions - all typical actions in a real working setting. The systematic contact with T&C companies has increased the intimacy with a working environment, and fostered beside the acquisition of technical skills - the development of relational abilities, - the improvement of communication skills, - thereby stimulating an overall growth of the personality of the young trainees..
Conclusion The Inspiring Labs have met the training needs of the participants in relation to the T&C economic and production system, as they have: promoted a more qualified, adaptable and skilled workforce, supported the adaptability and flexibility in the work organization, fostered the development of a more entrepreneurial mindset and spirit, achieved the qualification and reinforcement of the human capital. It is therefore desirable that the Inspiring Labs and the training methodology they have developed becomes a model for other territories and fashion districts in Europe and the Mediterranean
Greetings Thank you for your attention Ευχαριστώ για την προσοχή σας Merci de votre attention A.Contargyris IFTH - thanos@dialogos.net