The very first IDA Congress from 24 to 26 October was also the largest design forum ever to be held in Taiwan.

During the 3-day event, over 130 industry leaders from 21 countries came together to share insights and exchange views on design and other fields with some 3,000 local and international professionals.

Following the theme “Design at the Edges”, 5 topics of global relevance related to design were discussed including economic development, technology, biotechnology, urbanism and international migration.

On the subject of economic development, the former Prime Minister of Finland, Esko Aho, pointed out that technology is indispensible, but it is still necessary to unite talents from different fields via designing. In his speech on the Internet, the CEO of Quanta Computer Inc. Barry Lam reminded the audience that in the era of cloud computing, designers should think outside the box and base their works on humanity. And on the topic of biotechnology, environmental activist Vandana Shiva stressed that sound agricultural design can replace genetic engineering, protect biodiversity, and benefit farmers.

Speakers on the last day also hit home some sound points. In particular, on the topic of international migration, Bob Elton, Chair of the Board of Directors, Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia from Canada, stressed that immigrants bring to countries diverse cultures and creativity, but tension and conflict occur at the same time. Designers need to think of ways to help immigrants integrate into the local environment, said Elton, adding that designers have the power to move people.

Apart from the keynote addresses, other discussion platforms were also held, including mobile forums where congress participants got to experience the cultural heritage of Taiwan.

At the event, IDA’s founding partner, Icsid – also the initiator of the World Design Capital (WDC) – took the opportunity to announce that the title for the next WDC in 2014 will go to Cape Town, South Africa.