Ms Louise Allen:

I thank the committee for the invitation to make this presentation. I am delighted to be here. I will quickly flick through various images on the screen which come from an exhibition which just closed in Milan on Sunday. They will give members a flavour of the potential of the creative economy for our emerging and established design community.

The potential of the creative industries cannot be underestimated in terms of its impact as a catalyst for radical change. Design, creativity and innovation are intrinsic to the future growth of Ireland's economy. In the same way that Ireland has excelled in developing the agricultural, pharmaceutical and technology sectors, this is the moment to utilise the creative industries as a platform and tool for growth, innovation and economic development. To do this, appropriate infrastructure and supports are required.

My role as the head of international programmes for Irish Design 2015, ID2015, and as head of innovation with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland has provided specific insights into the needs of these sectors. ID2015 is a year-long initiative backed by the Government exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design throughout Ireland and internationally to drive job creation, grow exports and increase competitiveness. The programme for the year includes presenting the work of Irish designers at high-profile events in design capitals including London, Paris, Eindhoven, Milan, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong/Shenzhen. ID2015 is being convened by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, in collaboration with partner organisations on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise Ireland. It is an ambitious programme with more than 300 national and 50 international events throughout the year that aims to create 1,800 jobs over three years; generate an additional €10 million in design-based exports; generate 200 new design business start-ups; facilitate 300 companies to attend international trade events; engage with an audience in excess of 3 million; and develop a national design centre.

The ID2015 programme is a significant undertaking and represents the start of a journey to position Ireland at the leading edge of design collaboration, integration and innovation. To ensure its success and that of the creative industries as a whole, a long-term, strategic view from economic and cultural perspectives is required. The broad spectrum of design disciplines represented by ID2015 includes, but is not limited to, architecture and the built environment, film animation and motion design; food design; furniture design; gaming, product and industrial design, textile design; crafts; fashion; and web interface and digital design

ID2015 has identified key strategic enablers that could be applied to the creative industries sector as a whole to drive job creation, innovation and balanced economic development in the creative economy. These can be listed under the following headings: education, enterprise and innovation; communication and promotion; legacy, infrastructure and disruptive reform; and commercialisation and internationalisation. In terms of the first heading, the development and implementation of an education and enterprise model in collaboration with all major third level institutions to develop a strategy that provides tools for creative industries students and graduates to become entrepreneurs with the capacity to trade internationally is recommended. This can be achieved through tailored programs delivered in partnership with the network of local enterprise offices, LEOs, and incubation centres throughout the country or through new models based on international exemplars such as NeueHouse in the US directed by James Reilly or Highway1 set up by Liam Casey of PCH.

To foster innovation across an integrated eco-system of creative industries, the parameters for innovation vouchers or similar incentivised funding should be broadened to enable B2B innovation across multiple sectors. An innovation brokerage system should be established to pair companies and assist in the development of strategies and relationships to realise innovative products and services.

To realise significant growth in exports, small and medium enterprises, SMEs, and creative industries need to have access to international markets. Sustained investment to enable participation in international events such as design weeks, fashion weeks and architecture biennales,as well as access to funding to attend trade events for creative industries, must be maintained and further developed.

Raising awareness of the quality and innovative nature of the creative industries is key. Coverage in high profile international media enhances and elevates the international perception of Ireland and our design, innovation and technical abilities.

To ensure sustained growth and development of the sector, a level of infrastructural supports is required. They include a benchmarking of the creative industries sector as a whole. The Western Development Commission has done a substantial amount of work in that area in the western region. We also need engagement on an inter-agency and interdepartmental basis to maximise resources and strategic development of the creative sectors. Access to investment for the creative industries through grant aid or venture capital funding is key. The development of projects and programmes that integrate design thinking solutions across the business and community sectors to drive efficiencies and provide a platform for new systems to emerge is important. The development of design hubs or creative industries hubs to encourage networking, collaboration and the sharing of skills, ideas and expertise is recommended. The launch of a Made in Ireland campaign and a strategy of supports based on models in the United Kingdom and the USA would increase the capability of Irish manufacturers and bring visibility to the types of product available in Ireland. The creation of a creative industries policy and a future strategy for Ireland is extremely important also.

I will give a sense of the impact cross-sectoral collaboration can have, especially when coupled with international exposure. As I said, I have just returned from Milan where we opened Liminal Irish design at the threshold. It represented over 20 Irish designers and design companies. It was the first time in 50 years that we had this kind of international exposure and representation. The level of innovation and resulting products from this initiative were significant. For example, companies such as Thomas Montgomery, a small furniture manufacturer based in Bray, partnered Perch Design Solutions which is based in Dublin and they launched a product called FLOAT, an integrated system for seating in office environments. It integrates both social and work-based interactions. I asked Mr. Stuart Montgomery, its chief executive officer, his impressions of attending the show. In terms of interest, he had received 45 concrete leads and interest from global design brands such as Labofa in Denmark, Kloebar in Germany, Vanerum in Belgium and FASB in Italy, which are interested in either tertiary exclusivity of his product or developing licensing agreements. That is the result of just one representation on an international platform.

Another example is Design Partners that has worked with an American company, Seed Labs Inc. They are exploring the smart home market to uncover and deliver the potential of its technology and brand. Seed Labs Inc. developed pioneering Bluetooth and connected solutions technology through its own software, protocols and chips. Design Partners has helped it to translate them into a brand, an experience and product design language in the design of all their products. Working closely with Seed Labs Inc., it launched its first control device, Silvair, in Milan in April and it is just about to launch in the United States. That is important because these companies are positioning themselves at the forefront in shaping the future of connected and integrated devices.

Enabling these collaborations allows true innovation to take place. Supporting and promoting collaboration across sectors and disciplines will enable more intuitive, responsive, user centred smart design products and services to emerge. Ireland has an incredible opportunity to merge our assets, technologically, scientifically and creatively, with the creative industries. Based on research being undertaken as part of Irish Design 2015, we have the opportunity to develop and support a defined policy and a strategic plan for investment in the design and creative industries for the future.