Winston-Salem named one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities of 2008
A place, a culture, a resource, an environment...
where partners
turn the ordinary into the extraordinary
and differences into strengths.
The Center for Design Innovation is a University of North Carolina interinstitutional collaboration between the North Carolina School of the Arts and Winston-Salem State University, partnering with Forsyth Technical Community College.
Why Design?
- Design differentiates and creates a competitive advantage.
- Design is more than aesthetics. It impacts cost, quality, functionality, sustainability, and safety.
- Design can be taught, encouraged, supported with technology, and developed.
- Success in the future will be determined by design.
Center Objectives
- To accelerate the growth of the emerging design cluster in the Piedmont Triad.
- To discover, develop and commercialize innovative technologies.
- To create new high-paying “knowledge economy” jobs.
- To provide a skilled workforce to support the growth of the design cluster.
- To make the Piedmont Triad nationally known for its preeminence in design.
In 2003 a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) was developed by Angelou Economics for the region served by the Northwest Piedmont Council of Government. The strategy strongly recommended, based on market demand, that the region pursue a course to accelerate the growth of the cluster of design-intensive businesses that exists in the Piedmont Triad. The strategy recommended a multi-faceted approach including supporting the expansion of existing design-intensive companies in the region, fostering innovation leading to new design-intensive companies, providing support for entrepreneurs, and developing a skilled design workforce to drive the regional economy.
In response to the recommendation in the CEDS, the North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem State University and Forsyth Technical Community College are collaborating to establish the Center for Design Innovation (CDI). The center will specialize in the application of digital design in entertainment, life science, education, product design, and product marketing.
To bring together the unique expertise and capabilities of the North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem State University and Forsyth Technical Community College to create a powerful economic development engine with remarkable potential for generating knowledge-based and design-focused economic activity that builds upon the strengths of the region.
The Center for Design Innovation fosters cross-disciplinary research and entrepreneurial activity related to design and innovation, provides educational programming focused on design and innovation, and acts as a design-based business cluster accelerator, to make the Piedmont Triad Region of North Carolina a recognized center of design across the country.
The Center for Design Innovation partners with public and private institutions of higher education*, industry, and professional organizations that share a passion for design. The partnership’s goal is to perform research and create initiatives that generate entrepreneurial activity, business development, and jobs. Benefits include:
- Access to collaborators with design expertise and experience
- Access to specialized equipment and facilities
- Facilitated contact with other designers and companies
- Awareness of design trends and latest technology for design
*Partners as of Oct. 1, 2005:
North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston-Salem State University
Forsyth Technical Community College
Director:
Dr. Carol Strohecker
Director, Center for Design Innovation
Instructor, North Carolina School of the Arts
Professor, Winston-Salem State University
336-413-5600, cs@nccdi.org
Key collaborators:
North Carolina School of the Arts
Jim DeCristo, Director of Economic Development and External Affairs
336-734-2862, decristoj@ncarts.edu
Winston-Salem State University
Randy Mills, Assistant Provost for Administration and Planning
336-750-2132, millsrw@wssu.edu
Forsyth Technical Community College
Herb Burns, Department Chair Architectural / Construction Technology
336-734-7342, hburns@forsythtech.edu |
