Spanish companies, fashion brands and designers shine into the European largest creative incubator

 

Worth Partnerships Project

13 January 2021 – Use a bio-based material made from cork stopper’s leftovers, a collection of high-end foldable leather & tulle Bags, a seismic-sensitive garment that reacts to earthquakes, a universal collection of glassware that facilitates pouring & drinking for the visually impaired and a flexible anti-shock & soundproof shoe sole cover for tap dance shoes created applying advanced materials; these are just some of the Spanish selected projects part of the Worth Partnership Project, Europe’s largest creative incubator where designers experience the benefits of transnational collaborations to create innovative products and processes. 

Funded by COSME, the European Union’s Programme for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises, WORTH Partnership Project has led to the selection of 152 projects involving 345 partners from 34 EU-COSME countries and the 36 Spanish partnerships.

Below are some of the WORTH projects involving Spanish designers or companies:

 

 

LÈBIU – let’s CORK it

A bio-based material made from cork stopper’s leftovers

Countries involved: Spain, Italy

The challenge: 3D printing is a growing industry, but as a disruptive and innovative technology, the range of materials that can be used is still limited, particularly as regards natural materials. On the other hand, cork is a CO2 sink tree, and its bark, extracted from the cork oak, has great properties.  It absorbs polluting gases and cleans the air, so that, it produces is famous “skin”. The challenge resides in using the powder waste from the cork industry with 3D printing to provide a much greener alternative material.

 

The solution: The objective of this project is to create filaments for 3D printers generating a resin to print objects using cork dust, with enhanced thermal qualities and lighter in weight, creating the objects such as lightweight modular acoustic panels, lamps, and vases that have sound-absorbing properties thanks to the cork particles and added materials like cork skin and Sardinian sheep wool, therefore using locally-produced waste.  The project is a combination of heritage, exquisite craftmanship and technology, matching the expertise of the Sardinian artisans with cutting edge technology to provide a more sustainable design system.

 

The partners of the project:

FABIO MOLINAS (Spain) Is an Industrial Designer from Sardinia based in Madrid who has received numerous awards.

FABLAB VENEZIA (Italy) Is a digital fabrication lab, born in 2014 with the aim of helping enterprises, designers, artisans, and creative people develop their ideas and innovative projects using digital technologies such as 3D Printing, CNC Milling and Robotics.

 

 

The Eastern Side of Riviera

A collection of high-end foldable leather & tulle Bags

Countries involved: Spain, Bulgaria

The challenge: Foldable bags are extremely useful for travelling and storage in wardrobes. However, there are not many on the market and the ones available are not particularly functional or attractive. The challenge is to create truly foldable bags that mix form with function.

The solution: The team will produce a collection of high-end bags made of leather and tulle. The size and shape of the bags can be adapted to suit the occasion. The harder leather parts will provide structure while the lighter tulle sections provide flexibility. In every aspect, the bags will be eco-friendly, using sustainable yarn (recycled nylon from old fishing nets or biodegradable yarn), developing creative and highly resistant tulle, combined with upcycled leather.

 

The partners of the project:

LIDIA MURO (Spain) Is a multifaceted designer. Her various specialties (fashion, textiles and accessories) combine the importance of the material and functionality with a sensitive and personal approach to aesthetics, especially color.

BISTRA PISANCHEVA (Bulgaria) Is an expert in bobbin lace making and is passionate about this highly experimental technique.

 

Sense of nature

A seismic-sensitive garment that reacts to earthquakes

Countries involved: United Kingdom, Spain

The challenge: Typically, wearable technology is applied to design-centered devices for humans. The challenge is to intrinsically connect the sense of nature with the human. This garment leads us to a speculative design about where we live able to feel and express the movements of the planet and how to connect with different points of the earth and nature.

The solution: This project seeks the creation of a garment that reacts every time there is an earthquake somewhere in the world in real-time. We would use this garment in a performance setting, in this way people will be able to visualize how earth moves, and how alive our planet is. The Project will use a soft robotic approach that mimics plate tectonic movements such as centrifugal movements that are extrapolated from points where there is movement on the planet.

 

The partners of the project:

MOON RIBAS (UK) Cyborg artist and choreographer best known for developing the Seismic Sense, an online seismic sensor once implanted in her feet that allowed her to perceive earthquakes taking place anywhere in the planet through vibrations in real time.

MONTSERRAT CIGES (Spain) Technological artist and fashion tech designer, her work is based on the intersection between art, technology and biology, researching on biomaterials, soft robotics, and micro fluidics.

ADRIANA CABRERA (Germany) Designer, researcher and lecturer in digital fabrication, textiles and wearable assistive technology, Adriana is a senior consultant in Innovation and product development.

 

 

Vibrant-barrier-free glassware collection

A universal collection of glassware that facilitates pouring & drinking for the visually impaired

Countries involved: Poland, Spain

 

The challenge: In our society, there is a need of human centered, high quality hardwearing products to help integrate the visually impaired and make their daily lives more rewarding. Glassblowing is a craft technique that is becoming less attractive to young job seekers, hampering its continuity in the near future. The industry needs to produce more and more innovative products creating new market opportunities to preserve the technique and at the same time attract young people to continue the tradition.

The solution: The idea behind this Project is to create a universal collection of glassware that facilitates pouring and drinking for visually impaired people. An analogical system of sounds and vibration will tell the user when the glass is full and the articles will be easy to grip firmly while drinking, making life easier. The main goal is to create a project that help blind people to be independent and more confident in their day-to-day life. The project takes a humanistic approach to the design of articles of glassware that are easy to hold and aesthetic. Glassblowers, both young and old will also use their skills to create glassware in new environments and actually motivate them to stay longer in the workforce.

 

The partners of the project:

HAK STUDIO (Poland) Industrial designer and design strategist. Born and raised in Poland, she has a master’s degree in industrial design.

FERRAN COLLADO (Spain) The fourth generation of glassblowers. 15 years of experience in glass blowing, lather, cold work, etc. he learned all about glass through the family.

 

Step Smart

A flexible anti-shock & soundproof shoe sole cover for tap dance shoes created applying advanced materials

Countries involved: Hungary, Spain

The challenge: Tap dance shoes (tap, Irish step, Flamenco) have metal parts on the sole. Dancers ruin the floor surface where they practice and are very loud, causing a nuisance. Footwork is very bad for the joints and back, but especially if the technique is poorly taught. The team’s hybrid educational tools and IoT wearables aim to solve these problems starting with the tap dance shoes.

 

The solution: To develop a flexible anti-shock & soundproof shoe sole cover for tap dance shoes applying advanced materials. The partnership will use the analogy of silicone horseshoes, the rubber anti-slip shoe cover, and the silicon shoe heel protector. The Project draws attention to the possible crossroads of digital culture and old cultural heritage. What can tech innovations do for art and well-being?

 

The partners of the project:

DOSGOLPES (Hungary) Is a art director and designer of DosGolpes, a hobby is flamenco dancer based in Budapest.

ROSA DE LAS HERAS (Spain) Is a dancer, researcher and teacher who has a patented innovative system to note tapping and footwork rhythm.

Gabor Feher (Hungary) Is a research software engineer, and lecturer at TU TMIT Department Budapest.