Speakers
Moderator:
Henrik Føhns
Henrik Føhns, is, among other things, known from Denmark's Radio P1. He holds a degree in journalism and is known as the host of "Harddisken" at Denmark's Radio P1. He has been editor of the monthly magazine "Samvirke" and IT- and science journalist at "Børsen" / "Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin". He has furthermore been Head of Programs at Denmark's first online tv-station, TVropa.com (which is a part of "Zentropa"). Henrik is known to occupy himself with digital subjects and was one of the first journalists who blogged and podcasted.
Henrik has been the moderator of several conferences and will guide us in the Smart Space and into the age of intelligence in buildings and furniture.
SMART GREEN:
John Thackara, Director, Doors of Perception, France
Every third minute a new product sees the light of day. "And what does it do?", John Thackara asks. In his opinion, innovation should be based on the value it adds in daily life, today – not on the promises of science fiction.John Thackara is Director of Doors of Perception, a production company that organises festivals and projects in Europe and India in which grassroots innovators work with designers to imagine sustainable futures - and take practical steps to realize them. John was programme director of Designs of the time (Dott 07) in North East England, and is now a senior advisor on sustainability to the UK Design Council, and a fellow of the social innovation incubator the Young Foundation. He is also commissioner of City Eco Lab at St Etienne, France. Described as "a key figure in the international dialogue of the future of the planet", John's most recent book is In The Bubble: Designing In A Complex World (MIT Press).
Read more here: http://www.thackara.com
Henrik Marstrand, Director of the design company Mater, Denmark
Ethics, social responsibility sustainability sets the framework of Mater. The associate international designers keep a code of conduct, where production and profit slides into a micro funding of initiatives in Third World countries. The success of creating profit via social responsibility and sustainability is remarkable – in 2008 Mater received the Wallpaper award – Best New Debut Design Brand 2007.
Check out the website www.materdesign.com for more information.
Martin Fluri, CEO, Vuggetilvugge.dk
Martin Fluri is CEO of www.vuggetilvugge.dk, that wants to spread out and implement the cradle to cradle concept in Denmark and international.
"Cradle to cradle" is the name of a new design paradigm which is emerging around the world. Instead of the traditional focusing on minimizing the way we damage the environment, cradle to cradle focuses on how we can design our products and way of living in a manner that benefits our planet. The basic principles of the cradle to cradle concept will be explained, and best practices from governments and from companies, that produces shoes, clothing, furniture, cars and buildings by these principles will be presented.
Read more here: www.vuggetilvugge.dk
SMART MATWERIALS:
Alexandre Bau, Founder Nordic Materials and Creative Director at Ralston & Bau, Norway
Alexandre Bau has a Master in Product & Interior Design at the Fine Arts and Design School of Rennes, France in 1996. He began his career at J.P. Heim Architects between Paris and NYC in 1997. After being Designer at the Merchandising Department of Lancôme, Paris in 1999, he created Ralston & Bau design studio in 2001 in Paris with the Swedish American designer Birgitta Ralston. In 2004, he launched Nordic Materials network in Norway, building Transplant, a design and competences centre based on the Norwegian west coast, acting as a product development tool for companies. Alexandre has a strong background within the materials fields as he mentored more than twenty innovative sessions as Nordic Material Playground 2007 in Oslo, Norway, the European Sunglasses Association Conference in Milano in 2008, and is permanently coaching research and development sessions for Nordic companies since 2005 and using himself innovative process through a design production.
Nordic Materials is an innovative material network and has extensions in Nordic countries as Norsk Designråd in Norway, ID Forum in Denmark. Its Nordic headquarter is based in Transplant, Norway permanently linked with the first European resources centre in innovative materials Innovatheque, Paris. Nordic Materials has more than 500 active members all around Europe.
Read more here: www.nordicmaterials.com, www.transplant.nu and www.innovatheque.fr.
Torben Anker Lenau, Assistant Professor at the Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
With more than 10 years of experience with intelligent materials, research of new materials and their impact on the environment and his great knowledge of integrated design Torben Anker Lenau is an extremely qualified speaker. His work at the Department of Management Engineering has led to several articles and books including: Material Innovation – inspired by Nature. One of his newest projects is about new types of nano coating in interaction with new formations of colors where inspirations are drawn from nature.
Check out the websites: www.polynet.dk/lenau, www.man.dtu.dk, www.designinsite.dk for more information.
SMART LIVING:
Carole Collet, MA, Central Saint Martins College, UK
Carole Collet is Course Director, MA Textile Futures and Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins College. She is also Associate Director of the University of the Arts Textile Futures research Unit.
Carole is trained as a textile Designer and is a consultant in the area of textile print, R&D, sustainable design, and intelligent textiles. Carole has recently pioneered the Nobel Textiles project with Professor Amanda Fisher (sponsored by the Medical Research Council) which paired Nobel laureates with leading Textiles and Fashion designers.
Her work has been exhibited at the Science Museum, The ICA and the V&A and she has contributed to conferences worldwide.
Read more here: www.textilefutures.co.uk, www.csm.arts.ac.uk and www.carolecollet.com
Marianne Graves Petersen, Associate Research Professor, Institute of Science, The University Aarhus, Denmark
Mariannes research work takes place at the Center of Interactive Spaces where she’s been working intensily with interaction between computers and human beings, interactive spaces and how new, IT-based products and services can be a part of our daily lives and simultaneously create an increased value for us. She says: There is a big gap between how people live and the technology they use in their homes”. She has just been the main speaker at the NordiCHI08 conference, which had the title: ”Future Homes, and why we want to live in them.” Marianne is currently project manager at the “Mobile Home Centre” project supported by “Højteknologifonden” in which the participants include: The University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Architecture, The Alexandra Institute, and Bang & Olufsen. Among other big projects, “Everyday Special: Supporting Playful Experiences in Everyday Life at Home” and “iHome” are worth mentioning. She has published 2 dissertations and articles such as “Interactive Spaces: Towards a Better Every day ?”
Check out the website: www.daimi.au.dk/~mgraves/ for more information.
Into the Smart Age:
James Auger, Royal College of Arts, UK
James Auger (b 1970, Derby, England) has a BA in Product design from Glasgow School of Art and an MA in Design Products from the Royal College of Art in London. Post RCA He worked as a Research Associate for Media Lab Europe (The European Partner of the MIT Media Lab), where the main focus of his research was a design-based investigation into technology mediated human experience.
Following his appointment as tutor at the Royal College of Art, James moved back to London where he has been teaching and continuing his research in the Design Interactions department.
He is a partner in the speculative design practice Auger-Loizeau, whose projects have been published and exhibited internationally over the last seven years.
Prior to being a designer, James comleted an engineering apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce (aero engines) and worked as a special effects technician for T.V and film.
Get more information here: www.auger-loizeau.com