ddp design fair

The DDP Design Fair of 2021 is the epitome of the great design sensibility of designers and makers. The results of collaborations unveiled through this year’s DDP Design Fair are innovative products that have never existed before and have been developed and produced by makers who were looking for design ideas and designers who were seeking manufacturing support. I believe the products hold great significance and value. The DDP Design Fair is a meaningful project that strengthens the design competitiveness of small businesses who are considered as the veins of local economies, provides job opportunities to young design graduates and creates a healthy and virtuous cycle in the design industry by offering a career ladder to climb. I hope this event serves as a stepping stone towards coexistence and great strides of progress to support the growth of small businesses and enhance the competitiveness of the design industry in Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will offer full support and commitment to make this happen.

Recently, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced “Seoul Vision 2030”, the master plan of the city government's policy direction over the next decade for getting Seoul up and running again. Based on the vision of “Seoul, up and running again for fairness”, the city government is planning to make Seoul the city of coexistence, a future emotional city, a global leader and a safe city. In particular, our goal is to make Seoul an attractive future emotional city that everyone around the world wants to visit, live, and invest in, and the DDP will play a central role in these efforts.

The DDP is a design landmark and one of the most attractive assets of Seoul that was built under the vision of “World Design Capital” about ten years ago. To strengthen its role as a platform for the design industry, the DDP will be developed into a Larchiveum (a combination of the words library, archives and museum) that specializes in design and supports technology development, the cultivation of talented personnel and the marketing of young startups and small business owners. Please show some love and support. Congratulations on the opening of the DDP Best Design Awards 2021. I would like to sincerely congratulate the winners of the DDP Design Fair’s Best Design Awards. I would also like to thank all participants for their creative ideas and wonderful works, as well as the experts and citizens who participated in the process for selecting the winners.