The Government is to put design at the heart of its plans for economic growth in the UK. The commitment will be made by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts at ‘Design for Growth’, a high-level summit meeting of global business leaders, leading designers and Government on 23rd June 2011.

David Willetts said:

“Design forms an integral part of the Government’s plans for innovation and growth and it will be a prominent feature in our upcoming Research and Innovation strategy.

“Good design can help business to thrive and improve public services and with over 230,000 people employed in our design industry it makes a significant contribution to our economic wealth with £15 billion spent on UK design in 2009.”

“Design for Growth” brings together leaders in design, business, policy and education to discuss measures to stimulate growth in the economy. Among the guest speakers at the Summit is Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple. He is joined by Ian Callum and Gerry McGovern, Design Directors at Jaguar and Land Rover and Kevin McCloud, author, broadcaster and designer.

The Summit comes within the first 100 days of the Design Council having merged with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) to become an independent charity which is the voice for design and the built environment, and the Government’s advisor on design.

The Design Council will refocus its design mentoring product, Designing Demand, on manufacturing firms and particularly those with advanced manufacturing capability.

Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Mark Prisk said:

“We will shortly be launching a new network of business mentors which will help SMEs get free advice from those who know best.”

The Government famously angered the UK’s design community by endorsing Start-Up Britain, which advised would-be entrepreneurs to have their design done at an American crowd-sourcing website rather than a home-grown alternative. Whether this move will ingratiate Cameron & Co. with the UK’s designers is yet to be seen.