Coffee time in Trieste

 

An excellent visit to Illy HQ in Trieste this morning with Francesca Marchi of the AREA Science Park and Nils Duelfer of A.T. Kearney who is an associate involved with the Improve Academy which works to improve the management of the sustainable innovation performance.

Photo: Francesca Marchi

We were very fortunate in that Francesca had arranged for us to meet with the Corporate Director for R&D, Mr Furio Suggi Liverani. Mr Liverani spent a good deal of time with us relating the fascinating story of the development and growth of Illy over the past eight decades.

Established in 1933 by Francesco Illy, the company is a testament to the power of continuous and pioneering innovation underpinned by a passion for science, research and knowledge. Illy achieves the highest possible product and service quality through an enduring commitment to user-centred design. The end customers' experience of the coffee they produce lies at the heart of everything they do.

In 1935, Francesco invented the Illeta - the precursor to the modern espresso machine. Its submarine-like aesthetic derives from the fact that the piping and valves was indeed developed with the support of submarine engineers who worked in Trieste's shipyards.

Due to his revolutionary method for preserving coffee, taste and aroma through 'pressurisation' packaging, for the first time, it became possible to guarantee a balanced flavour rather than a burnt and bitter one.  And significantly for business growth, it also meant that it became possible to export.

Created by the pop artist James Rosenquist in 1996, the current version of the logomark is distinctive and instantly recognisable.

Its more mechanical and straight-laced predecessor is shown below on the 1974 packaging of the innovative vacuum packed ESE coffee system (Easy Serving Espresso).

This too was revolutionary as it suddenly allowed delightful espresso to became available to customers everywhere - whether at home, in the office or at their favourite restaurant or café.

My thanks to Francesca and Mr Liverani for a fascinating and compelling visit.

Milan Expo, Design for Europe Seminar

This is the view from the meeting room in the EU Pavillion at Milan EXPO 2015 where this afternoon I will be chairing the event, 'Design-driven innovation for food industry'. This is co-organised under the umbrella of Design for Europe, by DG Grow of the European Commission with the Politechnico Milano and the Danish Design Centre. The programme can be found here.

We have great speakers lined up from both the food industries and design. The afternoon will be opened with a speech from Mark Niklas, Deputy head of Unit, Innovation Policy and Investment for Growth in the European Commission's DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

Also presenting will be Beate Kettlitz, FoodDrinkEurope; Emily Boniface from the Nestle Product Technology Centre in the UK; Victoria Spadaro Grant, Chief R&D and Quality Officer of the Barilla Group and finally, Lotte Lyngsted Jepsen, Innovation Director and Partner of Hatch and Bloom, service designers in Copenhagen.

I am looking forward to seeing more pavillions after the event.

Design for Europe Conference, Brussels

Professor Lou from Tongji. No room for his Shanghai dot on the map provided! (Spot the orange dot on the right). We last met when he was a speaker with Ezio Manzini (as he will today) at the World Design Capital 2014 Cape Town conference on policy last October. Lou is closely involved in design policy developments currently building momentum in China.

Kick off of the Design for Europe Conference

Kick off of Design for Europe conference.

Leaving for Design for Europe Conference

Departing St Pancras for the Design for Europe conference taking place tomorrow in Brussels.

There is a great line up of speakers and the conference, organised by programme leader Design Council, represents an important step in further embedding design as a key factor for growth within the culture of the new Commission.

We already have design champions working hard within the Commission and this conference is an important platform to enable discussion that can lead to new actions - not only in Europe's industries, but also for the Commission itself as it moves towards the close of the initial funding programme for design under the European Design Innovation Initiative.

The deeper task is to disseminate design's unique role more widely across the Commission's Directorates. With the new VP structure in place - a more horizontal structure than was previously the case - the opportunity exists to achieve further strategic goals for design at the European level.

Luxembourg Design Awards Jury

On my way to Luxembourg to join this year's Luxembourg Design Awards jury.

Design Management for Creative and Commercial Growth

I have been invited by the DBA (Design Business Association) in London to give a breakfast talk on Thursday morning 11th December at Dragon Rouge. Looking forward to hearing key issues for the design industry as we work through the one-and-a-half-hour session.