Innovation is fueled by great collaborations

The third design LAB incubation program of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency has come to an end, which gave six manufacturer-designer couples the opportunity to create together and to combine their professional knowledge and creativity in joint product development. The six-month production process proved to be fruitful: innovative, sustainability-focused products were created, which are expected to be successful on both the domestic and international markets.

The primary goal of the design LAB incubation program is to promote the creation of collaborations between players in the sector, manufacturers and designers, and to strengthen and modernize the domestic manufacturing background. The program was launched for the third time in the spring of 2022, and attracted great interest again: a total of 36 applications were received, from which, according to the decision of the professional jury, six manufacturer-designer duos won the financial support and were able to start manufacturing their products.

The success of the design LAB is proven by the fact that the incubation program, now held for the third time, was able to welcome returning participants: from the manufacturer side, Kárpitos Partner Group Bt., and from the designer side, Sára Kele, Máté Horváth and IO Line And Round Kft. (designer Annabella Hevesi) participated repeatedly to create fruitful collaborations.

The special feature of the joint creation process is that the manufacturer-designer duo's own experience, applied technology and individual style are reflected in the result of the joint work, in all of the products. Thanks to the program, diverse creations that prioritize user needs were created, and the pursuit of sustainability can be found as a common point in the work of all the pairs.

Art Innova Kft. and designer Dr. Norbert Vasváry-Nádor also deal with the recycling of carpentry by-products within the framework of the APPACK project, they aimed to develop a tool sharing furniture. With the REPETA product line, Concrazy Kft. and designer Sára Kele offer a collection of interior design concrete objects for catering units. The objects are made by crushing scrap concrete elements and then using them, which draws attention to the importance of circularity. The result of the joint work of Faktum Bútor Kft. and Máté Horváth is the Shape project, which is an innovative set of products that functions as a baby's room. During the collaboration, sustainability is put in focus by planning for a long life and mounting on the sheet. The Shango project, a mobile kitchen island, was created as a result of the joint creative process of Gránit és Márvány Kft. and Espiritu Consulting Kft. (designer Bettina Bessenyei). When creating the product, leftover or waste pieces from the processing and cutting of stoneware ceramic tiles and natural stone were used. The joint project of Kárpitos Partner Group Bt. and IO Line And Round Kft. (designer Annabella Hevesi) is the PEACH Easy Chair, an upholstered lounge chair for home and office use. The special feature of the product is that the 3D printed metal fittings achieve the desired ergonomic effect by mechanically distorting the sponge - instead of shaping, gluing or casting. Multifelt Factory Kft. and Co & Co Designcommunication Kft. (designer Márton Budai) created the KILIM tactile lamp family. The main element of the product family is wool felt, the production of which is the least environmentally burdensome activity in the textile industry: only water, steam and heat are needed for its production, in addition the felt waste generated during production can be recycled into production.

The collaboration not only encourages the sharing of professional knowledge and creativity, but thanks to the program, the organizers also provide the pairs with extensive visibility and export opportunities. HFDA is constantly working to ensure that works created during the program can be presented at as many domestic and international exhibitions and design platforms as possible. In the spirit of this, some design LAB products can be presented within the framework of the Milan Design Week Alcova exhibition.