▲ Shen Jong-Chin, the Minister of Economic Affairs (three from the left in the front row), Didi Sumedi, the representative of IETO in Taipei (one from the right in the front row), and Chang Chi-Yi, the Chairman of the Taiwan Design Center (two from the left in the back row) attended the MOU signing ceremony.
In order to deepen cultural exchange between Taiwan and Indonesia and establish a Southeast Asian Design Alliance, the Taiwan Design Center and Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (IETO) are joining forces. On December 9th of this year, on the “2019 Taiwan — Indonesia Industrial Collaboration Forum” Chang Chi-Yi, the Chairman of the Taiwan Design Center, and Didi Sumedi, the representative of IETO in Taipei, signed a memorandum of understanding on design cooperation.
In November of last year, IETO recommend six outstanding Indonesian designers come to Taiwan to improve their craft by taking part in a design workshop. While in Taiwan, the Indonesian designers participated in the Golden Pin Design Award Forum and Award Ceremony, conversed with designers and artists, and came in contact with design concept products — they then returned to Indonesia with a deeper understanding of what can be possible with design.
Next year, Indonesia will support similar trainings for designers, thereby strengthening and diversifying cooperation between designers — and the design industry — between the two countries.
▲ Taiwan and Indonesia signed MOU on Design Cooperation.
In the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in design, three clauses highlighted strengthened cooperation in the coming years. First, next year will be the first time the 2019 Indonesia Good Design Selection (IGDS) will select five professional designers to come to Taiwan for design training. Indonesia’s best designers will have the chance to better understand Taiwan’s design industry, while simultaneously expanding their skills in cross-cultural design and use of technology in design in Taiwan.
Secondly, Indonesia invited Taiwanese designers to go to Indonesia to put on an international design workshop. Not only will these foster cross-cultural cooperation between Taiwanese and Indonesian designers and bring the two countries’ design industries closer together, it will also offer Taiwanese designers a chance to gain international experience.
Finally, for this year’s Best Design champions from IGDs, the Taiwan Design Center is offering a promotional entry price of Golden Pin Design Award—giving Southeast Asia’s largest country greater recognition and influence in the international arena.
▲ Indonesian designers visited the Shuhuo Paper Museum to learn about Taiwan’s traditional papermaking process.
▲ In 2018, the Indonesian award-winning new talents participated in the design workshop “Design Labs” in Dadaoyu, Taipei.
In tandem with the New Southbound Policy, the Taiwan Design Center is actively seeking cooperation with design industries in Southeast Asia, working across cultures to establish long-standing design relationships. The Taiwan Design Center Chairman Chang Chi-Yi said that Taiwan Design Center is in the process of transitioning into the Taiwan Design Research Institute. He hopes that by linking design with international cooperation, Taiwan’s design prowess will make a significant impact in the world arena — and will strengthen the international image of “Taiwan Design”.
