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News article17 October 2018European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency

WORTH MENTOR INTERVIEW: NEREA T. RUIZ

WORTH MENTOR INTERVIEW: NEREA T. RUIZ

We got the opportunity to interview the fascinating WORTH Partnership Mentor Nerea T. Ruiz who is a Lecturer at both IED And SAE Institutes.

She is an entrepreneur and Project Manager, focused on the 3rd industrial Revolution Technologies, Industry 4.0 and Smart Factories. She is a disruptive innovator which is something we wanted to know more about through our interview, as well as how she can pass her expertise onto Partnerships of WORTH:

You have an amazing range of work within the creative industry including passing on your knowledge to the next generation through your work as a teacher, why is this personally important to you?

As you mentioned, I was fortunate to have participated in many projects related to the creative industry in which I had the possibility to combine different disciplines, which have contributed to the holistic vision and knowledge that I always try to transmit to my students. It is very inspiring to observe how they assimilate and use it to materialize their ideas and creative projects.
Teaching them innovation is my favorite, because I give them new creative tools that allow them to think differently and create projects in which the results are always impressive. In addition, a reciprocal relationship between us is always created, because whenever I teach they bring me back much more than what I give. Moreover, being a teacher also allows me to be updated with all the continuous changes that are happening today in the industry.

Innovation, sustainability, arts and technology are all aspects of your work, what advice would you give the Partnership Projects to ensure they respond to these?

In a project with these characteristics, it is very important to have a broader vision because we are conceiving together the new topics that will shape the industry of the future. I consider the Partnership Project to be a multidisciplinary project, bringing together very different personalities with diverse backgrounds, able to carry out original and disruptive ideas to question the common established models that currently exists in the industry.
For a change to be generated, it is very important to think in a different way, and in my opinion, innovation, sustainability, arts and technology combined, are the fundamental basis to generate that change, so to respond to them is the key. On the other hand, it is also very important to communicate new ideas to the market, offering new business perspectives to face the common established models I have mentioned, and Partnership Projects must to respond to this challenge leaning on all these aspects.
In addition, I recommend being creative in order to develop new sustainable products for the changing environment and to apply the technology for better solutions, using resources responsibly and conceiving manufacturing processes in a sustainable way for the planet.

What do you think it takes to be an entrepreneur and innovator in the creative industry in 2018?

Being an entrepreneur is a challenge. It takes a great deal of creativity to imagine and materialize the next steps of your professional life, to adopt a vision that lets you think “Out of the Box” and to get out of the comfort zone to explore new horizons.
If you are an Entrepreneur I always recommend to be creative and pay attention to the better way to carry out your ideas, to connect to innovation and entrepreneurship networks and communities to share knowledge, to get involved in start-up ecosystems and to attend to innovation forums and business events.
Entrepreneurs should be aware that risk is a factor that will be always present in future actions, but if they manage risk well, they continue to learn about their experience and their mistakes and surround themselves by inspiring people with multidisciplinary skills to face problems from different approaches, success will be guaranteed.

In the current design industry, what are some trends you like and want to see further developed?

The trends I like in the current design industry are generally related to the concept of new emerging economies and new ways to develop products. There are many initiatives around the world modelling new economic models, Circular Economy is an example. In addition, new technologies are also reflected in the economy, offering the possibility of using cryptographic currencies, such as Bitcoins or Block Chain. Design is constantly changing and is being adapted to contemporary life. Collaborative design initiatives supported by open design tools are increasing and design thinking methodologies help creators to add value to their products and facilitate customer engagement. Many brands are getting involved in the creation of platforms that allow clients to participate in the customization of their own personalized products. These concepts empower the consumer, transforming them into “prosumers”, which means being a consumer and a producer of their own products.
Nowadays, consumers are demanding not only products, but they are also interested in the stories behind products. A product that tells a meaningful story, allows the creation of a genuine business model and an original brand that will make the difference with respect to competitors.
The most important trend I want to see further developed is the innovation in materials and manufacturing processes, because I consider it is a step further, especially in the fashion industry. The evolution of the emerging soft circuits, printed electronics and wearables markets, increases every year, and the research into sustainable materials such as eco-textiles, bio waste materials and eco-friendly leather (including also alternatives to leather), are creating new infinite possibilities for designers and companies.

Find our more about Nerea T. Ruiz through her WORTH profile here.

Details

Publication date
17 October 2018
Author
European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
News Type
Worth News