Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Design Promotion Agency have officially launched the 'Young Designer Collaboration Design Project' this year, a practical industry-academia cooperation program that brings together local young designers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

1. Project Overview and Objectives:

This project is structured around teams composed of design major students from Kyungsung University and Dongseo University working on practical design tasks presented by SMEs in the Busan area. Going beyond simple industry-academia linkage, the project aims to provide students with experience in developing designs with potential for actual commercialization, while offering SMEs creative and practical design solutions.

2. Participating Universities and Students:

A total of ten teams, comprising students majoring in design from Kyungsung University and Dongseo University, are participating in this initiative. Students will autonomously form teams based on the characteristics and needs of each company and will undertake design improvement tasks reflecting the actual challenges faced by the businesses, integrating these tasks with their graduation projects.

3. Kick-off Meeting and Tripartite Agreement Ceremony:

The kick-off meeting, marking the official commencement of the project, and a tripartite agreement ceremony involving the universities, participating companies, and the public institution, were held on April 16th at the Busan Design Promotion Agency. The event was attended by approximately 60 individuals, including faculty members from Kyungsung University and Dongseo University, participating students, and representatives and working-level personnel from the SMEs involved, such as ㈜Samjin Food, Taesungdang, and ㈜Summertree.

During the agreement ceremony, the roles and responsibilities of each participating organization were clearly defined, and in-depth discussions were held regarding close cooperation plans to ensure the successful operation of the project and the creation of tangible design outcomes.

4. Project Implementation and Expected Outcomes:

Throughout the project duration, students will gain practical experience by collaborating closely with the participating companies in all stages, from the initial planning phase to design concept development, feedback incorporation, and final design refinement. This hands-on collaboration is expected to enhance students' design capabilities and improve their understanding of the actual job market.

Participating SMEs are anticipated to leverage the fresh ideas and design capabilities of the students to strengthen their competitiveness and discover new growth engines. In particular, the development of designs with actual commercialization in mind has the potential to positively impact the companies' revenue.

5. Future Plans:

The final outcomes of the project will be showcased at the graduation exhibitions of the participating students from Kyungsung University and Dongseo University. This will serve as an opportunity to widely publicize the students' achievements and underscore the significance of the project.

Kim Yu-jin, Head of the Future Design Division of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, "This project marks an important first step towards building a sustainable local design ecosystem. We plan to actively support both the participating students and companies to ensure that they receive practical benefits."