Materials and Design Exchange (MADE)
Download MADE reports here

InnovationRCA was instrumental in founding the Materials and Design Exchange (MADE), which brings together the communities of design and materials technology in order to stimulate innovation, promote the transfer of materials knowledge and improve the competitiveness of UK business.

Launched in 2006, MADE is part of the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) funded by Government through the Technology Strategy Board. It forges links between designers and other sectors of the KTN concerned with metals, plastics, textiles and the full range of modern materials.

The core partners of MADE are the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Royal College of Art, Design Council, Institution of Engineering Designers and Engineering Employers Federation South.

Professor Clare Johnston, InnovationRCA Business Fellow and RCA Head of Textiles, is a MADE Board Member and, with InnovationRCA’s John Bound, is leading on the initiative for the College.

RCA alumni Geoff Hollington and Ed Matthews act as Design Mentors for MADE, including responsibility for the ‘Spark’ Awards scheme which has attracted successful applications from several recent graduates of the College.

Already the MADE programme, which includes resources, publications, workshops, lectures, design shows and funded projects, is making an impact across the UK, with more than 3,000 practitioners signed up to the MADE network.

Activities led by InnovationRCA include:

• Two national conferences bringing scientists, artists and designers together to discuss opportunities for collaboration in healthcare, crime prevention, the built environment and other priority issues for UK government.
• The Manufacturing Reinvented conference on the design and economic implications of digital manufacturing, accompanied by a collection of essays produced in association with Loughborough University. This event formed part of the London Design Festival 2007.
• A three-day summer school on materials in bicycle design which brought together 40 student designers, engineers and scientists from across the UK, learning from top bicycle designers including Mike Burrows and Sir Alex Mouton, as well as senior staff of the RCA and Imperial College.
• Materials in Art & Design Education held at the Institute of Materials in April 2008, with 50 UK art and design course leaders debating best practice in engaging students with materials and accessing materials information. Due to the interest from academics taking part, InnovationRCA plans to develop this as an annual spring event for MADE.
• A forthcoming conference on sustainable materials for the high street or retail mall, to take place at the RCA on 19 September 2008, during the London Design Festival.
• Publication three times a year of the MADE E-newsletter which highlights events, exhibitions and publications of interest to the science and design communities.
• A workshop and publication designed to improve innovation within public sector procurement. This pilot project focused on HM Prison Service’s need to extend the useful life of prison mattresses, and clearly demonstrated the potential for inter-disciplinary collaboration. It is anticipated that similar MADE projects will be developed in 2008/9.
• MADEconnections, an inter-university initiative aimed at facilitating dialogue between student designers and materials scientists. Planned by and for students and recent graduates of the RCA and Imperial College, initial events have explored biomicry (learning from nature) and collaborations between practicing artists and scientists. Other colleges and universities have expressed interest in adopting the MADEconnections model and a national student website is under development.

Materials And Design Exchange registration is free and offers professional, recent graduate and student members:

• Networking of design through all sectors of the Materials Community
• Regular themed events including lectures and workshops
• Magazine, newsletter and e-alerts
• Resource centre for reference materials, samples and processes
• Website featuring a virtual resource centre
• Team of design/materials mentors
• Network of expert materials advisors
• Spark award brokerage to assist innovators with development projects.

See the MADE web site for more information.
Join MADE here