Design region of Kortrijk stretches its wings full of ambition
Over the past 17 years, Designregio Kortrijk and its partners have developed many projects and products to bring innovation using design methodologies. With this valuable expertise, Designregio Kortrijk, under the wings of its new chairman Mieck Vos, wants to go public and offer this as a service to companies and the public sector.
Designers are experts in innovating products, services, methods, materials, ... They are not only creative. They are also critical. They dare to question the everyday. And when coming up with solutions, they start from the needs of the customer, end user or society. As a result, they offer answers to the challenges of today and tomorrow. Designregio Kortrijk has been using this 'design thinking' methodology for 17 years to bring innovation to companies. The organisation now wants to use this unique added value as a fixed offer for companies and public authorities.
Under the chairmanship of Dominiek Callewier, from 2014 to early 2022, the foundations were laid to take this route. Dominiek has been managing director of AVC Gemino Inspiring Doors & Walls based at Evolis since 2003 and a true champion of implementing design thinking in companies. He leveraged Designregio Kortrijk's strong track record to win recognition for the Kortrijk region as a UNESCO Creative City of Design in 2017. This recognition opened the door for Designregio Kortrijk and its partners to new international projects, an enriching global network and new funds. Designregio Kortrijk experienced an international growth on which it can now grow further. As a true ambassador, Dominiek thus led the Kortrijk region to become a more creative, entrepreneurial and innovative region.
Now Mieck Vos takes over the chairmanship torch. The perfect moment for the organisation to valorise the expertise it has gained. Mieck Vos is former general director of the Association of Flemish Cities & Municipalities (VVSG). Before that, she held various other entrepreneurial positions in the public sector and social profit sector. She was chief of cabinet to the mayor of Kortrijk between 2013 and February 2017. Among other positions, she was deputy city secretary of the city of Kortrijk and was nominated as government manager of the year. Mieck's experience in different sectors allows her to be a bridge builder and bring stakeholders together, and let this be precisely the dna of Designregio Kortrijk.
Over the past few years, Designregio Kortrijk has managed to develop into a professional organisation with a strong team. We will certainly continue providing services for companies and also governments, based on our expertise of the past 17 years. With inspiration from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and based on the contemporary needs of companies and governments regarding sustainability, digitalisation and social issues, we will develop new services and grow them as business cases in our organisation. With this strong local anchoring in the Kortrijk region, we want to further strengthen the eco-system and spread our wings in Flanders and abroad. Everyone can enjoy our offer.
Designregio Kortrijk's services consist of thoughtful links with designers and creatives, intensive guidance in product and service development and online and offline visibility for innovations. They work fully tailored to the needs of the company or public administration.
Interested in working with Designregio Kortrijk? Contact coordinator Stijn Debaillie at stijn@designregio-kortrijk.be or 056 51 91 47.
Designregio Kortrijk would like to thank its former chairman Dominiek Callewier for his inexhaustible enthusiasm and enormous drive, as well as warmly welcome its new chairman Mieck Vos. We look forward to an exciting collaboration!
Mieck Vos, mieck.vos@icloud.com, 0474 84 32 43
Dominiek Callewier, dominiek@callewier.eu, 0495 27 70 40
Stijn Debaillie, stijn@designregio-kortrijk.be, 0474 93 02 95
