This presentation is part of the results of the workshop "Design Policy in Action - The model of the Luxembourg Design Action Group". The event was organized by the Design Policy Lab at Politecnico di Milano and Luxinnovation, and took place in March 2016 at MUDAM, the Museum of Modern Art in Luxembourg, and was organised as part of Design for Europe. In these presentations shared by ambassadors at the event, they provide a brief overview of their national/regional design policy ecosystem.

1. Design Policy in Action—
Monday 21st March
MUDAM (Luxembourg - Kirchberg)
The model of the Luxembourg
Design Action Group

2. Nice to meet you —
My name is
Anna Loporcaro, Head of cultural program at Mudam
Luxembourg and DfE Ambassador for Luxembourg.
My link with design policy is:
> I’m curator at Mudam and in charge of Design City –
LXBG Biennale in collaboration with the City of
Luxembourg.
> One of the initiators of the Design Action Group (DAG)

3. http://designforeurope.eu/
National design ecosystem—
Population (1st Jan 2015): 562,958
Population Density: 214.4 pop./km2
Total Area: 2 586 km2
GDP (2014): € 49.428 Bn
GDP per capita (2014): € 84,889
N. of designers: 600-800 no exact
date available at this date.
GDV Design Sector: n/a
R&D Spending (2014): € 214 M
Some data about my country
The national design ecosystem of Luxembourg is
heterogeneous. There are several voluntary initiatives put
forth by design experts and professionals, yet no formal
policy is present or supported by the government.

4. Luxembourg context – prior to DAG
 multicultural and multilingual
European Capital
 economic diversification in
innovative sectors
 high standard of living and strong
intercultural awareness
 evolution to a better understanding
of design sector and the derived
activities
 size, proximity and location
 ease of direct follow-ups
 open and proactive policymakers
 short-time implementation process
 active group of designers
 strong economic situation
 strong positioning towards other
countries
 switch from “innovation follower”
to “innovation leader”
 use of design as strategic tool for
innovation
 gather all efforts in a coordinated
and global strategy
 make more coherent and unified
actions
 limited design awareness due to a
lack of knowledge of activities in the
private and public sectors
 misunderstanding of the concept of
design and its stakes
 lack of market opportunities and
brain drain
 few examples of companies
implementing design strategies

5. Design Actions
DESIGN CITY – LUXEMBOURG BIENNALE
Type: initiative
Start year: 2010
End year: ongoing
N. of edition: 4
Current status: Current
Budget per edition: 100.000€
Duration per edition: 1 month
POLICY CATEGORIES
Category: Framework development
Subcategory: Promotion and advocacy
SYSTEM OF SUBJECTS
Funders: Mudam and City of Luxmebourg
Policymakers: Mudam
Beneficiaries: public sector, creative
Industries, designers, general public

6. Design Actions
CREATIVE BUSINESS CUP - LUXEMBOURG
Type: initiative
Start year: 2013
End year: 2015
N. of edition: 3
Part of: Creative Business Cup global
initiative based in Copenhagen
Current status: Current
Budget per edition: € 10,000
Duration per edition: 4-6 months
POLICY CATEGORIES
Category: Asset and Framework development
Subcategory: Networking and collaboration; Financial support
SYSTEM OF SUBJECTS
Funders and Policymakers: Ministry of Culture via Mudam,
Luxinnovation, Technoport, 1535°,
Beneficiaries: start-ups, creative industries
Evaluators: Luxinnovation, Technoport, Mudam, 1535C – First phase;
World jury in Copenhagen – Second phase

7. Design Actions
Design Awards
Type: initiative
Start year: 2015
End year: ongoing
N. of edition: 1
Current status: Current
Budget per edition:
Duration per edition: 2-3 month
POLICY CATEGORIES
Category: Framework development
Subcategory: Promotion and advocacy
SYSTEM OF SUBJECTS
Funders and Policymakers: Design Luxembourg asbl
Beneficiaries: designers, public sector,
creative industries, general public
javascript:;
javascript:;

8. Nice to meet you —
Jan Glas,
design management & strategy
Member of Design Luxembourg
My link with design policy is:
Advocating & promotion
Creative industries cluster Luxembourg initiative

9. Subjects
What are the main subjects involved in design policy in your country and which
role they have?
INITIATORS
Luxinnovation
Mudam
POLICYMAKERS
Luxinnovation
Mudam
1535° Creative hub
Technoport
MEMBERS
LUCA- Luxembourg Center for
Architecture
Design Friends asbl
Design Luxembourg
Chambre de commerce
Chambre des métiers
Markcom
Uni.lu
BENEFICIARIES
Start-ups
Creative industries
SMEs
Designers

10. Luxembourg Design Action Group
• Initiated in 2010 by Mudam and Luxinnovation, with the help of several
local partners (design consultants, representatives from the Ministry of
Economy and the Ministry of Culture, communication agencies)
• Development of a Design Action Plan, identifying 6 axes in which activities
are classified:
1. Integrating design in the business
sector
2. Supporting the design sector
3. Promoting and raising awareness of
design culture
4. Integrating design in the education
system
5. Basic and applied research in design
6. Other (legal implications, organisation
and follow-up..)

11. Luxembourg DAG – Lessons learned
 Gather the right people and organisations
 Pool funding to make continuous and constant actions, limiting voluntary
basis
 Establish an action plan, identifying the main set of activities, as well as
working groups for specific projects (e.g. cluster on creative industries..)
 Define short- and long-term activities and have recurrent updates
 Communication and information are essential (f.ex. creation of website or
bottom-up actions)

12. Thanks!