The Creative Europe Desk Austria, operating under the Austrian Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport, has selected Next Gen Design – Young Designers for Next Generation Europe as one of the Best Practice Projects of the EU Creative Europe programme (2021–2027).
Among all Austrian coordinators and project partners, Next Gen Design was highlighted as an exemplary project for illustrating the programme’s core themes and long-term development. The recognition underlines the project’s strong contribution to European cultural cooperation, sustainability, and the empowerment of emerging creative professionals.
Next Gen Design – Young Designers for Next Generation Europe brings together five leading international design platforms and festivals:
Barcelona Design & Creativity Foundation, What Design Can Do (Amsterdam), Skopje Design Week, Mikser Festival (Belgrade), and designaustria, Austria’s knowledge centre and professional representation for design, based at designforum Wien.
By combining their expertise and networks, the consortium supports young designers across Europe, fostering sustainable design practices, professional collaboration, and meaningful participation of the next generation in shaping a greener and more responsible Europe.
As part of the Creative Europe Desk Austria’s Best Practice initiative, the project is documented on www.creativeeurope.at, contributing to a representative overview of outstanding Creative Europe projects. This highlights the diversity of approaches and themes addressed by the programme, including green and digital transition, design and creativity, audience development, inclusion and gender equality, international cooperation, and capacity building.
The consortium welcomes this recognition as an important milestone and as encouragement to continue strengthening transnational collaboration and the role of young designers in Europe’s future.