Thursday, May 08, 2008 ECCP initiates material research program for local export firms
FOR Cebu to come up with new products, the export industry has initiated a research and development program to introduce new materials that can be mixed with the ones often used by exporters.
The two-year project, called Material Research and Development, will be comprised of a series of workshop that will tackle how to integrate traditional materials with a wide range of “innovative” materials, like glass, metals and enamel.
This program, which was launched yesterday at the City Sports Club, is initiated by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) and participated in by companies from the furniture, fashion accessories and gift and houseware industries.
Eric Casas, president of the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF), said the program is in response to the current market demand for Cebu export industries to come up with innovative products.
The research and development program will also give the industries better access to the European market as it will enable exporters to come up with designs that are attractive and marketable in Europe, said Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of ECCP.
Workshops
He noted that although there are already some companies that use a mixture of traditional and innovative raw materials,
they cannot be considered mainstream.
The ECCP availed of the services of German design consultant Ingrid Haufe of the Center for International Migration and Development to coordinate plans for the establishment of a materials library. Haufe will also design and conduct workshops to feature product developers and designers who process new materials through modern production technologies.
Haufe said that one of the objectives of the project is to increase the market share of creative industries in Cebu in the world market, with a special focus on Europe.
The ECCP will showcase the product designs that will be developed under the program in next year’s Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition (CebuX), as well as in some international shows.
Aside from CFIF, ECCP also partnered with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST 7) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI 7).
DOST 7 Director Rene Burt Llanto, in a video presentation, expressed commitment to the project.
The University of the Philippines College Cebu (UPCC) was also tapped as a partner-school. Its design students were also invited to participate in the different workshops.
Other partners in the program are the Creative Industries Initiative, Movement 8, Metal and the German Development Service.
Existing metal, glass and plastic industries in Cebu were also asked to become seminar facilitators like Machine Systems Corp., Spray Works Steel, Lucky Table Ware Inc. and Kima Glass Supply Co. (DME)
