Michael Thomson steps down as Beda president

The managing director of the Norwegian Design Council, Jan R Stavik, takes the helm as president of the Bureau of European Design Associations, replacing Michael Thomson, who stepped down at the weekend.

The managing director of the Norwegian Design Council, Jan R Stavik, this week takes the helm as president of the Bureau of European Design Associations, replacing Michael Thomson, who stepped down at the weekend.


Stavik is to be supported by Design Business Association chief executive Deborah Dawton, who has been elected vice-president.


Together they will work to influence the development of design policy at EU level.


The organisation expects to publish consultation papers for the European Commission next month, under a likely heading of Design as a Tool for Innovation.


Thomson, who has served a four-year term as Beda president and managed to get the European Commission to agree a series of measures looking at design in European innovation policy last January, will remain involved with the EU design policy process.


Beda has also ratified four new members: the UK Design Council, Design Forum Finland, Red Dot organiser Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen and Slovenia’s DOS.


Beda has been lobbying the EU for consistent public investment across member states, as well as a united European design strategy in the face of Asian competition.

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