A workshop on innovation will be held at Tach Space at 20 Hai Bà Trưng Street in Hà Nội. — Photo courtesy of Hanoi Grapevine

HÀ NỘI — A March 14 workshop with the theme 'Innovation' will focus on new perspectives at the intersection of design and technology, as well as dynamics between contemporary and traditional elements in design and materials creation.

The workshop is a part of the EU - Việt Nam Sustainable Design Award (EVSDA) project initiated by the country's EU Delegation to promote sustainable design practices in Việt Nam.

The EVSDA project consists of four main thematic pillars, which correspond to the four categories of the awards: architecture, product design, communication design and innovation.

Through the cultural and creative dimensions brought about by these pillars, the project aims to highlight how sustainable and innovative design practices can engender concrete and positive experiences in daily life.

Implemented in partnership with ELLE Decoration Vietnam, the first phase of the EVSDA project consists of a series of events and activities that started in September 2024 and has continued into this spring, culminating in the inauguration of the awards in mid-2025.

Thereafter, the second phase of the project will be the long-term organising of the EVSDA prizes on an annual basis.

This workshop will be an opportunity for participants to connect, exchange ideas and explore fresh trends in the field of sustainable materials, with presentations from designers Koen Meerkerk and Hugo De Boon, Tim Van Der Loo and Vũ Thảo.

Meerkerk and Boon, co-founders of Fruitleather Rotterdam in the Netherlands, will share their experiences in creating leather alternatives from fruit waste. Loo, from Germany's A New Kind of Blue, will speak about sustainable material solutions, with a focus on the circular economy.

Thảo, the founder and creative director of Việt Nam's Kilomet109, will present her ideas on combining traditional craftmanship with modern designs.

The workshop will be held from 2pm to 4.30pm at Tach Spaces, 20 Hai Bà Trưng, Hoàn Kiếm. Entry is free but guests are asked to register in advance by 4.30pm on March 10 via https://forms.gle/G5co6EQPkQK4m3LHA. — VNS