The Design and Ideas Market provides an outlet for innovative projects

A year ago a young designer by the name of Pablo Puyana, plus some friends at the Escola Elisava, presented a project at the Mercat d'Idees i Disseny (MID): turning unused road sweepers' overalls into functional items like bags, hats and fancy dress.
Now Puyana and Ohsisi, the creative group he formed with his friends, can see how their yellow and green bags with reflective straps are starting to be produced and sold.
This is the perfect example of what the MID aims to achieve. A Barcelona Centre de Disseny initiative, the idea is to "convert innovation into wealth for the city", according to Pau Herrera, the BCD chairman. The way it does so is simple: it puts these young entrepreneurs in touch with companies and investors who can give their plans an outlet.
Taking part in the market you have creators and entrepreneurs with ideas and business plans linked to all kinds of spheres but with a strong design element. Ideas are selected according to feasibility and market needs' criteria.
Aside from putting creators and businesses in touch, the market also offers training, a real and a virtual exhibition to attract companies and investors, and a talent exchange.
"There is a lack of channels for putting the academic world in touch with business. Links like the MID are necessary", said Puyana.

Double effect
As Herrera explained, the MID has had a double effect: "not only are there projects that find funding or are bought by companies, it has also become a talent exchange that has allowed a lot of these creators to be signed up".
This year there are 180 projects taking part (last year there were 150) and 60% are from Barcelona, while 30% are from the rest of Catalonia and the others from the rest of Spain.
"Barcelona cannot be a franchise city. People come here looking for something that sets it apart, creativity", said the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation, Jaume Ciurana. He recalled that Barcelona is a creative-friendly city and insisted that "the MID unites creativity with the capacity to team up with the city's productive fabric".
At the start of September the projects to be presented to companies at the end of the month will be chosen.
The MID is on the Barcelona Design Festival programme, which runs from 26 June until 5 October.

(Barcelona.cat)