Italy Spearheads Design Innovation as Business of Design Week 2025 Partner Country
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Italy Spearheads Design Innovation as Business of Design Week 2025 Partner Country
Signing Ceremony on 10 July 2024
Paves the Way for Long-Term Collaboration
Hong Kong Design Centre and the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau
Set to Shape the Future of Design in 2025 and Beyond
HONG KONG, 11 July 2024 – Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia's premier annual event on design, innovation and brands, has been organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) since 2002. HKDC actively seeks a Partner Country or City for BODW annually to foster collaborations between Hong Kong and other countries or regions, facilitating knowledge exchange and leveraging shared resources to promote design excellence. In an exciting announcement, HKDC is proud to announce that Italy has been confirmed as the year-round Partner Country of BODW in 2025.
Widely recognised as the most anticipated design event in Asia each year, BODW is co-organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), with the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) as the lead sponsor. Additionally, BrandHK, Hong Kong Design Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design, InvestHK and PMQ are Strategic Programme Partners of BODW.
HKDC and the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau solidified their commitment to fostering design collaboration through a Letter of Intent, the signing ceremony of which was held on 10 July 2024 in Hong Kong, to cement their partnership. The ceremony was graced by esteemed representatives, including Mr Carmelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, and Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC, who signed the document for the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau and HKDC respectively. The signing ceremony marked a significant milestone in the partnership between HKDC and Italy, with the presence of distinguished government officials and industry leaders such as Dr Victor Lo, Board Member of HKDC & Chairman of BODW Steering Committee, Ms Anna Cheung, Services Promotion Director of HKTDC, and representative from CIDDA and many other guests.
It also marks the third year-round partnership between HKDC and Italy, following their previous collaborations in 2007 and 2017. Italy's design heritage can be traced back to the age of Renaissance, a period of profound change in art, architecture, and thought. Italian visionaries not only redefined the visual arts but also laid the foundations for modern design principles. In the 20th century, Italy rose to prominence with movements such as Futurism, and Italian design became synonymous with quality, style, and ingenuity, influencing fields such as furniture, automotive design, fashion, and more. Today, Italy continues to lead the way, seamlessly blending tradition and modernity. Italian brands across a range of sectors are celebrated around the world for their cutting-edge designs and unwavering commitment to craftsmanship. Joining forces with Italy could further elevate BODW on a global scale, providing valuable insights and perspectives.
Mr Carmelo Ficarra says, ‘We are very proud of starting a structured cooperation with HKDC and with local partners, which support creativity and related industries. Hong Kong is consolidating its position as creative and design hub in Asia and globally; within this partnership with HKDC, we aim at further enhancing contacts and relations. Our contribution will concentrate on the best of Italian design and “Made in Italy” in various sectors to strengthen dialogue, exchanges and synergies.’
Prof. Eric Yim says, ‘Italy’s design heritage of artistic brilliance has driven our collaboration, pushing boundaries and blending tradition with contemporary aesthetics. This exchange of ideas has enriched our design communities and propelled us towards global innovation. We look forward to future joint endeavour to inspire the world with our passion for design.’
HKDC is delighted to have the support from HKTDC in 2025, highlighting the partnership with Italy. DesignInspire 2025 will showcase the incredible creativity in design of Hong Kong and Italy through interactive exhibits.
As the year-round Partner Country of BODW 2025, Italy will bring its exceptional talent and creative vision to the forefront through renowned speakers and a series of exclusive design events at BODW and another flagship event organised by HKDC under CCIDA’s sponsorship, Knowledge of Design Week (KODW). However, this partnership extends far beyond the conclusion of BODW in 2025. It marks the initiation of a long-term collaboration and a transformative journey of mutual learning between the thriving design communities of Hong Kong and Italy. This ongoing engagement aims to establish enduring relationships, drive innovation, and inspire continuous growth within the design industry.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates on the partnership initiatives in 2025.
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About Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)
Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in leveraging the city’s East-meets-West advantage to create value from design.
To achieve our goals we:
- Cultivate a design culture
- Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the value of design
- Promote excellence in various design disciplines
About Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau (conshongkong.esteri.it)
The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau represents Italy and the Italian Government in the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The activity of the Consulate General focuses on consular services provided to the Italian nationals formally resident in Hong Kong or in Macau as well as to the local and international community (mainly for visa services). The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau contribute to the implementation of the initiatives to promote Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, especially cultural activities, together with the Italian Cultural Institute, and business and trade promotion together with the Italian Trade Commission. From 1st of September 2022, the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau is Mr. Carmelo Ficarra. More information on the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau and its activities are available on the website https://conshongkong.esteri.it/it/ and on social profiles IG (@italyinhongkong) X (@italyinhongkong) and FB (@italyinhongkong).
About Business of Design Week (www.bodw.com)
Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands since 2002, Business of Design Week (BODW) organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) gathers some of the world’s foremost design masters, brand leaders and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong as well as overseas, driving discourse on the value of design and innovation to inspire global audiences and explore new business opportunities.
About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (www.ccidahk.gov.hk)
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. CCIDA sponsors HKDC to organise BODW and other projects to promote Hong Kong design and design thinking.