Hong Kong visits

In 2022, Business of Design Week Hong Kong (BODW) selected the Netherlands as its strategic partner. BODW is no stranger to Dutch designers. In 2008, the Netherlands was also the guest country, and since then, contact has always been maintained. In 2019, a representative of the Topteam Creative Industry visited Hong Kong for a preliminary investigation. Following that, interest in the Dutch creative industry was gauged, and after delays due to Covid, the program coordinator began preparatory discussions with the partner institution in Hong Kong in the summer of 2022.

Together with the Topteam Creative Industry, circular design was chosen as the theme. This aligns with the agenda of the knowledge and innovation network CLICKNL, under which CreativeNL falls. The topic is universally relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals of both Hong Kong and the Netherlands. Both countries are striving for carbon neutrality by 2050. We sought to connect through the triple helix of government, education/research, and business. This led to the development of a year-long series of activities in both countries, with the aim of establishing sustainable collaborations beyond 2023.

Game Changers in Circular Design

Under the banner “Game Changers,” an exchange program was developed, including activities such as work visits, expert meetings, lectures, a Dutch pavilion at BODW (RoomNL), and exhibitions. The program focused on the domains of the built environment, sustainable fashion, and product design. The Netherlands holds international prestige in these domains and aims to share this expertise to make a positive impact. The knowledge exchange and market expansion that emerged provide a boost to the Dutch creative industry itself. This enhances the impact of design on the transition to a circular economy worldwide. Along the way, we are making the significance of circular design for reducing waste, reusing materials and products, and for our way of working and living more tangible.

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