On 10.12.2024, an inspiring workshop brought together the Culture & Creativity Research Group, the IMAGINE Center, and the Hephaestus project for a day of engaging discussions and knowledge sharing. The event featured an overview of the Hephaestus project, outlining its achievements, upcoming appointments, and theoretical insights.
The workshop also showcased a deep dive into four work-in-progress projects, offering a comprehensive look at the theoretical development shaping the ongoing research within Hephaestus. Additionally, three other works-in-progress were presented, further emphasizing the dynamic exploration at the intersection of creativity and culture.
Throughout the day, insightful presentations sparked meaningful dialogue, and we’ve attached some photos of the presenters and their research papers to provide a glimpse into the vibrant atmosphere of the event.
Stay tuned as we continue to share updates on the exciting work emerging from these collaborations!
Vishv Priya Kohli: Title: Ethical and Sustainable Innovation in the Craft Sector in the EU: Changes in Regulation and Impact in Practice
One of the most persistent puzzles of our times in the sphere of Intellectual Property (IP) laws across the globe, is the development of ways and means to promote sustainable and ethical innovation. It is especially challenging due to the discontinuous nature of policy changes that have dotted the landscape of public policy. I would like to focus on the region of the European Union (EU), where the EU agenda for sustainable growth is articulated in the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), which is one of the essential components of the European Green Deal. Amongst the European Green Deal policy areas, the proposal for a regulation on Eco-design for Sustainable Products, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the new 2030 Biodiversity Strategy feature prominently. The concerns articulated in these policy frameworks intersect with the concerns and measures being tackled in context of the craft and textiles industries in the realm of IP laws.
In this paper, I would like to delve in the new regulation on the geographical indications protection for craft and industrial products and evaluate its impact on ethical innovation and sustainability. Using the example of Hephaestus – a Horizon Europe research project on the future of craft, I would like to illustrate how an attempt is being made to bring together cutting-edge technologies and traditional crafts to co-create solutions in the form of a suite of tools, methodologies and business models to make the future of craft ecosystems socially, culturally, environmentally, and economically sustainable.
The paper will be divided into two main parts. In the first part, the context as well as the legal framework will be investigated with emphasis on the aspects that underpin the ethical, sustainable and innovative elements in the new regulation. In the second part, how these elements are supported in practice, will be explored. In addition, the paper will illustrate how a creative economy and entrepreneurship can be developed in a design-based craft driven innovation, employing the example of the Horizon Europe Hephaestus project.
Deepti (visiting PhD): Practice Insights on Traditional Craft and Digital Design
I will present a project that I worked on as an architect between 2005-2008, when working with an avant-garde architect in London. The project was executed in Chennai, India which is my hometown. The years between 2005-2010 marked an inflection point in computation in architecture where digital tools were beginning to be used for conceptualisation as opposed to drawing and planning. The period also held promise for a future in architectural design that would be technologically driven. Against this background, I present my perspective on a project that was one of the first to use digital tools for conceptualising. Through auto-ethnography, I collate data from design documents, emails and journals to show how the emergent digital design tools of the time worked. I will explain how computational design creates gaps and builds bridges for construction projects and present the importance of craftsmanship in contemporary design.
Margot: Crushed Waste and Experimental Glazes
The research question guiding the case study on Christina Schou business is: How can Christina Schou’s use of dynamic capabilities and integration of cutting-edge technology cultivate sustained value creation in her craft-oriented business model? The following section will present two main theoretical viewpoints, complemented by other concepts and literature, which will be used to analyze Christina’s case study.
