23 August 2011
Swinburne set to house new Design Factory
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
Swinburne University of Technology is set to house the first ‘Living Lab' dedicated to design based at an Australian university.
Inspired by and in collaboration with the world's first Design Factory at Aalto University in Helsinki, Swinburne Design Factory will see teams of business, design, engineering and information technology students work on major, industry-sponsored projects.
"A Living Lab brings together end-users, researchers and companies in the early stage of product development to experiment with concepts and their potential value," said Professor Ken Friedman, Dean of Design. "This engages all the vital actors in a process that leads to breakthrough innovations for society, businesses and their customers.
"At Swinburne Design Factory, students who aspire to a leading role in the global design business will have the freedom and resources to create genuine solutions for client needs, from idea generation and proof-of-concept to prototyping and testing. Project sponsors will gain access to design teams of six to ten students to solve challenging real world problems."
The Design Factory will initially operate at Swinburne's Prahran campus from August 2011. When housed in Swinburne's new $100 million Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC), set to open in 2013, it will provide students with a purpose-built teaching and learning environment reflecting Aalto Design Factory's unique mix of flexible teaching, meeting and social spaces.
Swinburne Design Factory will also include advanced workshop and prototyping facilities. Its location in the AMC will give students access to the Factory of the Future, boosting Australian capability in design for manufacturing.