Porto Design Factory innovation hubs for music and design

Porto Design Factory launched January, 3rd 2017 Porto Design Accelerator and Beta Sound System product development projects. 

Aimed at being a meeting point for educational institutions, industry partners and start-ups, this hub is on a mission to creating change in the world of learning and research in the true spirit of problem-based-learning.

Porto Design Accelerator is a project that combines design / consumer goods with Portuguese manufacture, in partnership with TICE.pt - Information Technology, Communication and Electronic Technology and with Porto City Hall.

Beta Sound System, in turn, is the first Portuguese project to accelerate new business ideas for the music industry, in partnership with Casa da Música and Antena 3 Radio Station.

The original Design Factory was born in Helsinki, Finland from a research project focused on creating an ideal physical and mental working environment for product developers and researchers.

Today, universities and schools throughout the globe replicate this model by encouraging and enabling fruitful interaction between students, researchers, entrepreneurs and company representatives. 

Porto Design Factory, member of Design Factory Global Network, celebrates Design Thinking through a highly effective model of project-based learning.

The goal is to establish a new paradigm of innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem, in which projects of added value can be anticipated, since for Rui Coutinho, Porto Design Factory Manager, the mission is to connect industry challenges with design thinking using project-based-learning methodology.

Any team from any part of the world can apply for these projects, the only restriction being that "there cannot be a company applying for these projects that has not been incorporated for at least two years."

Five projects will be selected for each of the projects. After an evaluation and decision phase, the start-ups selected will develop their work from April 1 and over a period of six months. The first three months will be devoted to product development, while the next three months will focus on financing, production and market access.

Unlike other acceleration programs, Porto Design Factory does not finance any of the start-ups. Every start-up should seek its funding, and these projects will provide connectivity and network support.

As with every Factory Design, people are at the core of every project.

For more info and application go to Porto Design Factory.