Design House Exhibition

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) headlined the opening ceremony of the International Design House Exhibition, declaring design to be indispensable to national development and pledging support to the design sector to strengthen the use of design in policymaking and improving peoples’ lives.

Referring to the exhibition’s theme of “an adaptive city,” she said that design not only helps to improve cities, but also nations, as it has proven to be beneficial to promoting tourism, upgrading industries, marketing agricultural products, improving public infrastructure, giving business a competitive edge, and tackling social issues, such as aging societies and pollution

President Tsai Ing-wen was joined by the Minister of Economic Affairs Chih-Kung Lee, Mayor of Taipei City Wen-je Ko; Icsid/WDO President Prof. Mugendi M’Rithaa; and city representatives from Helsinki, Cape Town, Mexico City, Eindhoven, Kolding, and Phoenix.

Mayor Ko said the design event had boosted the nation’s international profile and expressed similar thoughts about the importance of design in improving peoples’ lives. “During this exhibition, we hope to show the world the strength of design in Taiwan,” Mayor Ko said. “Through design, we hope to make Taipei a more attractive and convenient city. This (WDC) year, this design exhibition is only the beginning.”

Icsid/WDO President Professor Mugendi M’rithaa encouraged the audience to explore each of the exhibits. “May you be inspired by the many new design ideas and encouraged by the way design thinking is having a positive impact on the lives of people in Taipei and in different parts of the world. And may your interactions here today and in the coming weeks lead to tangible design-driven results.”