As a valorisation manager at the Faculty of Design Sciences, Svetlana Samsonova is the greatest believer in the power of collaboration you’ll find. ‘A designer that designs work clothes for the port personnel? I also thought it was a surprising combination, but everyone was happy with the result.’
In March, Svetlana Samsonova started working for Antwerp Design Factory, the business unit of the Faculty of Design Sciences, as a valorisation manager. It’s no coincidence she’ll mention the Port of Antwerp several times in this interview. After all, she spent seven years working as a coordinator of strategic collaboration between UAntwerp and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a chapter on which she looks back proudly. And yet, she decided to change direction after seven years.
Why the change?
‘In my previous position, I established contact between researchers and port experts to solve specific problems or test concepts. It was fascinating work. But I started to become more and more eager to take those innovative ideas to market and create more impact. And that’s when I heard that the Faculty of Design Sciences was looking for a manager for the recently founded Antwerp Design Factory. That aligned with my ambitions very nicely.’
What exactly does your job entail?
‘Every year, the Product Development programmes generate hundreds of ideas for new products, often already including market research reports and business cases. At Antwerp Design Factory, we want to bring the most promising ones to market. As a valorisation manager, I help set up spin-offs and provide guidance to alumni with start-ups. Our aim is also to collaborate with other multidisciplinary research groups, such as the Urban Studies Institute, REuse Lab and Design Sciences Hub. After all, at Product Development we can provide major added value to many multidisciplinary projects.’
What kind of projects are we talking about?
‘Usually, the challenge is to translate working technology into a usable product. An example of this is the smart docking device that the CoSys-Lab research group developed for the Port of Antwerp. The device monitors the movement of moored container ships and sounds the alarm if safety margins are exceeded. CoSys-Lab developed the right technology for this, but it also needed to be a user-friendly and ergonomic product. This was a nice challenge for Antwerp Design Factory. Together with CoSys-Lab, we made a prototype that turned out to be right on the money. We are currently starting up a spin-off to bring that product to market.’
‘The more a project is approached in a multidisciplinary way, the greater the chance of success. A project that’s built on a single researcher or research group won’t work.’
– Svetlana Samsonova
Who or what else is involved in such big projects?
‘Many parties, actually. To develop a certain technology, for example, you need engineers, software developers, product developers… At a later stage, the business and legal side are added, for which we work together with parties such as Antwerp Management School, the Faculty of Law and Legal Services. The more a project is approached in a multidisciplinary way, the greater the chance of success. A project that’s built on a single researcher or research group won’t work.’
Almost half of your products revolve around care and health.
‘Yes, we have a great partnership with UZA in this area. We try to find solutions for medical needs in collaboration with surgeons, physiotherapists, eye specialists, etc. For example, we teamed up with a physiotherapist to design a sensor setup for bicycle handlebars, which allows you to precisely map the force used while cycling. That information can be useful when drafting a rehabilitation plan, for instance.’
Are any of the collaborations surprising?
‘They are. I my last job, I worked together with Product Development alum Lore Pauwels on designing unisex clothing for port personnel. That clothing is generally tailored to men. With her start-up Project Unbounded, Lore tries to find safe and comfortable alternatives. On the face of it, a designer and a port environment make for a surprising combination. But the result was received very positively.’
What does our university do to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration?
‘We’ve heavily invested in hubs like BlueApp, Vaccinopolis and The Beacon. Within the university itself there’s the Valorisation Office, which brings researchers and companies together. And you have the multidisciplinary organisations, like IMDO (Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development) and the Urban Studies Institute. Our university also partners with Supernova, an event that lasts several days and focuses on technology and innovation. That’s a highlight on the annual calendar, enabling scientists and investors from all over Europe to meet and exchange ideas.’
What do you think is required to create even more interesting joint projects?
‘I think there’s a lot to gain from learning from one another even more. Oftentimes, the technology is there, but you just need to find the right people. To facilitate this, greater transparency is required. Currently, it happens too often that we stay on our own island. By sharing knowledge more often, we’d avoid duplication of work and be able to realise more impactful projects. That’s also necessary to rise to the major challenges of our time, such as energy transition and climate change. There’s no discipline that can solve the wicked problems alone.’
What new forms of collaboration do you dream about?
‘Lots of attention is paid to economic interests, but perhaps we should concern ourselves a bit more with wellbeing. Design can play a big role in this respect as well. Let me go back to the example of the port. With relatively limited resources, you could make that working environment much healthier and more beautiful, with adapted clothing, road markings, better lighting, etc. Why don’t we focus more on technology and products that make life more pleasant? After all, we only live once.’
This article aligns with the line of strength: encouragement for collaboration and interdisciplinarity. The lines of strength are guidelines on how you can shape your work. Now it’s up to you to put the mission in motion.