Mapping industrial intangible heritage: a design-based approach

This research, which is part of the iNEST – Interconnected North-East Innovation Ecosystem, aims to formalise a design-based framework for mapping territorial entrepreneurial ecosystems starting from the intangible body of knowledge expressed by local companies in their interactions with design culture. The final objective of the project is to collect, disseminate and foster the reuse of knowledge, capabilities and good practices which are still largely unstudied and often unperceived. Our research methodology incorporates field research activities, including interviews and workshops, which led to the development of a glossary of design-based indicators, which enabled the measurement of intangible heritage awareness and presence within a pilot group of companies operating in the Italian North-East territory through both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Collected data and information will converge into a digital platform functioning as a collaborative ecosystem, in order to enhance the accessibility of industrial intangible heritage, reflecting its evolving and dynamic nature, as well as its connections with design practices.