Design Boosts Export Potential

Responding to the Chancellor’s recent budget, the Design Council said it particularly welcomed the Government’s further investment in UKTI as a move to boost UK export trade.

Research findings by the organisation indicate that for every £1 businesses invest in design, they can expect over £20 in increased revenues, over £4 increase in net operating profit and over £5 in increased exports. “Our newly developed programme ‘Design for Exports’enables UK businesses in high-growth sectors to drive up their competitiveness and build stronger relationships in overseas markets, helping to keep UK business ahead of increasingly ambitious international competition,” reports Design Council policy advisor Kate Jones.

Research showed that designers account for 2% (£7.2bn) of UK exports – a far higher share than their share of employment (0.7%), - while exports of design services were £190m in 2012, up from £59m in 2011.

“On Science and Innovation, the Chancellor committed almost £140m to research across UK and to investing into the Internet of Things. The UK has world-leading science and technology research, yet we spend only 1.8% of GDP on research and development and lag behind our competitors when it comes to commercialisation.

“As recognised in the government’s Science and Innovation Strategy in December and expanded upon in our latest research, ‘Innovation by Design’ design is one of the most powerful tools we have to commercialise science research. We are working with Innovate UK, the Catapult centres and Knowledge transfer Network (KTN) to ensure that our science base benefits from design in order to compete,” Ms Jones added.

Design helps turn innovative ideas into profitable offerings that meet consumer needs and compete on a world stage explained John Mathers, Chief Executive, Design Council: “Innovation is the most important driver of long-term prosperity. Our economy must be innovative in order to grow and to make the UK’s economy competitive globally. Design helps turn innovative ideas into profitable offerings that meet consumer needs and compete on a world stage.”