Design network wins grant
An Adelaide design and development association has been awarded a $275,000 state government grant to help the organisation grow and keep design projects local.
A render of the Lot Fourteen development, showing the location of the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre on the right. Image: Renewal SA
Adelaide Design Network (ADN) was founded in 2018 as a not-for-profit product design and development networking body.
According to its website, its members consist of “influential design-related individuals and businesses located in SA”.
Innovation and Skills Minister David Pisoni announced ADN as the grant recipient at Lot Fourteen on Wednesday evening.
He said the grant, which was part of the state government’s Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund, would help the group grow.
“The Adelaide Design Network is building connections within our existing design sector, consolidate our strengths, and demonstrate that the South Australian design industry has world-class capability to deliver major design projects,” Pisoni said.
“The funding will allow ADN to map the extensive range of South Australia’s product development capability, deliver networking and industry events, and advocate for our talented design professionals.”
The Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund was intended to support researchers, entrepreneurs and businesses to increase their progress through government funding.
AND chair John Brooks said the organisation had identified a gap in the local product design market for firms that could offer a “full-service capability with scale to handle major projects”.
He said the funding would allow the Adelaide product design community to collaborate and better market the organisation.
“Our aim is to evolve ADN from an industry-based networking association into a commercially operated Design Service Integrator, focused on retaining major design projects in SA,” Brooks said.
