The Danish Design Center sets a new direction at Design School Kolding

Design School Kolding has entered into a new partnership with the Danish Design Center (DDC), which means that from 1 February 2023, DDC in Western Denmark will have a base at the design school.

CEO of the Danish Design Center Christian Bason says:

- After almost three years in Kolding, we have only been strengthened in our opinion that both the knowledge environment and business life in Western Denmark play a central role for the Danish design field. With the partnership with Kolding Design School, we are now moving even closer to the latest research and the generations of designers who will solve the challenges of the future.

Rector at Design School Kolding Lene Tanggaard says:

- Kolding Design School is very much looking forward to working even more closely with the Danish Design Center. This means that through a more intensive research and development collaboration, we can strengthen the strategic partnership based on our common ambitions to make design relevant in the solution of central societal challenges both locally, nationally and globally.

Focus on the green transition
It is almost three years since the Danish Design Center opened an office in Kolding. This was done with the purpose of strengthening their presence in Western Denmark and as part of a merger with the then design cluster D2i - Design to innovate.

In the summer of 2020, the Danish Design Center launched a new business strategy with a focus on three societal transitions, where design as a method can make a decisive difference: The green transition, the social transition and the digital transition. It is especially the green transition that DDC will focus its activities in Western Denmark around.

CEO of the Danish Design Center Christian Bason says:

- We have a number of major efforts on the drawing board, which together will set a completely new direction for Danish business, especially within the circular economy. At the same time, these efforts will illustrate the huge potential that design holds to transform our society in a more sustainable direction.

He estimates that the design school's close contact with the local business community and special ability to translate research into concrete, business-relevant results will strengthen business-oriented efforts for green transition. Likewise, DDC's existing partnership with Kolding Municipality will be of great importance in future work.

Fact
The Danish Design Center is Denmark's national design center that uses design as a method to enable Danish and international companies to identify and pursue new opportunities for sustainable growth. With experimental innovation processes and practical tools, DDC builds knowledge and action within green, digital and social transformation. In their daily work from both Copenhagen and Kolding, they reach hundreds of organisations and small and medium-sized companies in Denmark and abroad.

Design School Kolding is an independent institution under the Ministry of Education and Research. The school trains designers at bachelor's and master's level. Design School Kolding has approximately 340 enrolled students and a number of PhD students. The school admits around 150 new students annually - 80 on the bachelor's programme and 70 on the master's programme. In addition, the school offers a master's degree in design management in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark.