The designers of the second design SPEED are ready to enter the international market

Five domestic design brands participated in the second design SPEED mentoring programme organised by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency and the Italian Istituto Europeo di Design. The focus of the training was to teach the skills required for entering the international market, however, due to the current virus situation, the workshops and the one-to-one trainings were held online. The designers have acquired around 130 hours of training material during the programme, and after 6 months, completed their own project work. Once the mentoring programme has ended, the brands are ready to conquer the international market with a renewed force.

The design SPEED mentoring programme has been organised for the second time under the cooperation of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency and the Italian Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) with the aim of helping brands that are already well established in Hungary to enter the international market by providing them with advanced skills and knowledge. The Hungarian design industry is strongly export-orientated; therefore, it is particularly important to strengthen international access to Hungarian brands that will help them to strengthen their economic stability. Thanks to the programme, designers will be able to recognize the critical points in their activities and will be able to position their brand better. It is thanks to this, that they will be able to stand their ground better on the international market, while also strengthening the country's image.

Although the virus situation forced the workshops and one-to-one meetings to be held online, the designers successfully acquired the 130 hours long syllabus, and after 6 months they also prepared their own project work. Based on the experience from the first mentoring programme, we added an additional education package, so that besides strategy development and management skills, they are also able to develop their sales and marketing skills. Beside the Hungarian experts, they were also supported by Italian and American professors, among others Jacopo Bargellini, strategic advisor, who has previously worked with famous brands like Panasonic, JVC or Swarowski; Alberto Bottalico, vice-chairperson and COO of BCW Global; who currently works with famous brands like Dyson or Heineken; and Anne van Merkensteijn, international business advisor and brand manager for Procter&Gamble and Kiko Milano.

HFDA paid particular attention to reflect the changed economic situation in the syllabus of the training, and to help the development of the brands with professional advice. In light of the virus situation, the Agency enabled participation for a wider circle, and besides companies, sole proprietors were also able to apply, and as a result, professional development was made possible for more industry players. Due to their high international potential, Error N’ More who manufactures unique ceramics, Planbureau, the inventor of the award-winning Logifaces logic game, marta edocs, who is known for her glass combinations, Oleant Lighting an expert in lighting solutions, and Socowoo the expert of furniture made from durable materials.

During the training sessions, the brands proved that they are ready for international expansion. Error N’ More debuted at the International Ceramic Symposium, marta edocs received the Art Jewellery Night Challenge Cup, Socowoo’s team participated in the Construma OTTHONDesign exhibition, Planbureau’s products can be purchased overseas, and Oleant Lighting won the prestigious -NOVO Selection Innovative product. According to the feedback we have been given, the training specifically tailored for design entrepreneurs helped them to see their brand from an outsider’s perspective. Further, with the help of the professional mentors, they are able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their brands, so they can carry on with the development process of their brands far more consciously, both in Hungary and abroad as well.

“The coronavirus pandemic made us face several challenges, therefore the successful implementation of the design SPEED programme in 2020 was an enormous achievement from all parties. Now viewing the results, it can be firmly stated that the mentees stand ground on the international playing field. We hope that the mentoring programme gave them a new momentum, and they will be able to successfully use what they learnt in the future development of their brand.” – said Bata-Jakab Zsófia, CEO of HFDA.

Applications for the latest design SPEED mentoring programme are open

Hungarian designers are once again being given the opportunity to develop their brands. The programme, implemented jointly together with the Agency and IED, calls for designers to apply who already have two closed financial years and two product families, and their highlighted aim is to enter the international market. The deadline for applications is the 8^th of April 2020, Monday (midnight). The prerequisite for gaining entry into the mentoring programme is conditional on participating in an open, professional selection procedure. Details are available via the following link: https://hfda.hu/hu/cikkek/design-speed-mentorprogram-palyazati-felhivas-designmarkaknak-2196