Press release -
Pre-launch of Down to Earth project in Stockholm on June 15th
At the KTH innovation pavillion of Love 2010 at Skeppsbron, the "Down to Earth project" will be pre-launched to the public during June 15 - 17.
Jönköping International Business School and Umbilical Design AB launches the first concepts from Down to Earth. The project has the objective to deploy technologies, concepts and ideas developed for applications in space as inspiration for innovative products and businesses in various industries, addressing environment and sustainability challenges, and enabling young people to create new innovative, sustainable jobs.
Down to Earth has developed a cross-over innovation process that generates new innovations and ideas with focus on sustainability. This process has been applied and tested with different businesses ranging from global product companies to small and medium sized services businesses as well as sustainable city development. The compact workshop processes have delivered more than 100 ideas and innovations possible to commercialize. Clients in the first phase has been Electrolux, Academedia, Lidköping municipality, Veprox, Elos, ITM International.
The project began in the fall 2009, with the first phase of innovation workshops conducted during the spring 2010.
A selection of the innovations generated in the first phase of the Down to Earth project are being visualized by art college Konstfack and will be demonstrated at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, “Better City, Better Life”. Down to Earth arranges the “Sustainability Space Day” in the Swedish pavilion of the World Expo in September 2010.
The Down to Earth project aims to generate new jobs for young people based on sustainable concepts and technologies. A future area is to use “frugal innovation” aimed at creating highly robust but low cost innovations aimed at poor areas in developing countries.
Space technologies, materials and concepts are strategic sources for new innovations in earthbound businesses. The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that every Euro invested in space generates 20 Euros in spin-off business.
Umbilical Design AB has been contracted as the National Technology Transfer Initiative for Sweden by the European Space Agency, ESA. This means a responsibility to develop space technology transfer to Swedish industry.
The initial phase of the project has been financed by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and Jönköping International Business School (JIBS).
For more questions, please contact:
Cecilia Hertz, Initiator, Managing Director
070-575 46 51, cecilia.hertz@umbilicaldesign.se
Niclas Ihrén, Sustainability Director
070-49 11 499, niclas.ihren@umbilicaldesign.se
Professor Niclas Adler, Managing Director and Dean, JIBS
076-1181901, niclas.adler@jibs.hj.se
Ebba Kierkegaard, Project Coordinator
070-679 37 60, ebba.kierkegaard@umbilicaldesign.se
Umbilical Design AB
Grev Turegatan 14
114 46 Stockholm
Sweden
