Abstract:

The Industrial Design School of the Bío-Bío University, Concepción, Chile, is in constantly working with Surdesign Lab, from the same university. In this way, students have early experiences of bonding with the environment. The scenario for the professional and commercial development of design is widely stated in the Gran Concepción Regional Strategic Program, prepared by the Government of Chile's Corporation for the Promotion of Production. The ideology proposes the identification of the referred territory, as a creative, innovative and inclusive area, through the generation of an ecosystem to connect the creative and cultural industries (CCIs) of the design sector, with complementary environments. The outlined goal proposes a diversification of the regional productive matrix and growth of the creative sector from 2.1% to 4%, in relation to the total number of regional companies, while increasing their sales by 30%, in a three-year period. To achieve this objective, it is essential to advance in maturity and competitiveness, generating employment, consolidating companies and strengthening an economic activity with a high innovative capacity. The project that we present below favors the internationalization of the sector and contributes to the competitiveness of the traditional industry, through a supply of goods and services with capacities to increase its value and positioning. In this context, Surdesign Lab develops a series of three projects with public financing. As an initial scenario, the strengthening of a design culture and its productive dimension is considered relevant; since weaknesses coexist that limit the development potential of CCIs. The diagnoses carried out within the framework of the project have shown economic difficulties to implement investments in optimization of business management, synthesized in fundamental aspects such as production, research, development and innovation, which slows down the possibilities of economic projection of these units. In the context of the approach carried out, deficient and priority areas of the companies are identified, beyond the external actions that are equally necessary for their visibility and articulation. In the field of qualified human capital, there is a perceived lack of knowledge regarding the significance of developing innovative products; Imbalances are appreciated for the application of creative strategic thinking and its compatibility with rigid administrative systems designed for traditional companies. Regarding the economic projection, there is an absence of communication for collaborations between the traditional and creative industry sectors, generating a mutual lack of sensitivity regarding possible synergies for increasing competitiveness. At the very least, this reality reveals the urgency of providing knowledge in design business management and promoting social and productive integration. Industrial design students experience everyday business situations and propose innovative solutions to improve competitiveness. The results are expressed in the realization of prototypes that 33% offer solutions for better working conditions for operators, 33% to renew the offer of products and services and 44% are about optimization of production processes through integration of design devices.

Keywords:

Education, design, university, SMEs.