Fábrica Santo Thyrso

José Machado and Gabriel Pontes

Fostering eco-innovation and social

responsibility in the T & C sector

University of Southampton, England

Definition

Social responsibility is an ethical theory that a collective or individual entity must act to benefit society at large.

Eco-innovation: we presented before GPs about ICEliteand Eco-foot.

Fábrica de Santo Thyrso

• Created in 1898, Fábrica de

Santo Thyrso was one of the

most representative factoriesin the vale do ave region

• Located very close to the town centre

• The factory is a landmark in the

collective memory of Santo Tirso, of crucial importance to

understand this region’s industrial development.

Fábrica de Santo Thyrso

• the urban and economic growth of the Santo Tirso council was closely related to an industrial activity,

focused on the textile sector.

• Today Fábrica de Santo Thyrso is a symbol for the town’s traditional ties with the textile industry when this

activity stood for progress, economic growth and social development.

Fábrica de Santo Thyrso

This highly emblematic building is currently playing a

crucial role in a dramatic process of urban transformation through a fashion related Cultural and Creative Complex, under the name of Fábrica de Santo

Thyrso

Fábrica de Santo Thyrso

• policies and strategies of urban development and renewal

• harmonic combination of urban renovation and the incentive to local cultural and creative entrepreneurial initiatives.

• multipurpose Complex, including businesses, innovation and culture, as well as entertainment and leisure.

• versatile and diversified supply of services, commercial activities and

restaurants • modern and attractive creative space related to fashion

• new challenges, proactive and sustainable solutions based on human imagination and creativity for society.

The Fashion and Design

Business Incubator • the optimal synergy among incubator partners and faster,

more effective and sustainable responses (including service supply, R&D, consulting, training and cultural programming)

• encourage the conception of new projects• cooperate with the urban renewal programme involving the

Cultural and Creative Complex of Fábrica de Santo Thyrso,

through the creation, promotion and management of the business incubator

• national and international point of reference for fashion and design, entrepreneurship and cultural tourism.

The Fashion and Design

Business Incubator

• institutional networks related to the fields of fashion, innovation and creativity, to promote the work carried out,

and find ways of advancing associated institutions and local businesses.

• To organise events and open a leisure and entertainment

area linked to the dissemination of international initiatives, for the consolidation and promotion of the

project and of the businesses involved.• 3400 sq. m., 9 rooms with around 20 sq.m. for companies

and prototyping laboratories

Technology-based Incubator

In operation since 2009, the Technology-based Incubator has

contributed to the foster of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

and the creation of Qualified Jobs, through the support to

innovative startup businesses leading to the renovation,

modernisation and competitiveness of the regional and national

economy.

Innovation and R&D

Research plays an essential role by using existing resources and research support programmes, which

allow for the incorporation of new human resources at no cost for the Incubator.

Innovation and R&D

1. Qualified responses to the specific challenges posed by

partners2. The creation of research networks leading to higher

investment on the generation of knowledge and solutions

within the scope of the Fábrica’s objectives3. The validation and coordination of the different

projects developed within the ambit of incubation, research, project design, publication and cultural

programming, providing a consulting and assessment structure

4. The involvement of ESAD (post-graduate programmes in

the fields of fashion, design and creative projects).

Training

• Advanced laboratorial activities will be carried out in partnership with ESAD and other institutions.

• a MA on Fashion Design will encourage experimentation

and the development of specific skills, with the aim of training professionals capable of meeting the demands of

the sector’s companies.• A complete structure devoted to practical training will be

developed, in order to meet the needs of the textile and fashion industries.

Coworking

• Work and exchange space catering for freelance

professionals and small businesses.

• fashion’s itinerant nature, owing to travelling collections and

shows.

• Sharing the workplace is a contemporary trend replicating

former collaborative practices.

• Coworking has an inherent strategic configuration favouring

the communication and circulation of the Factory’s

initiatives.

Cultural Hall

A multi-purpose room covering 2,200 sq. m., the Cultural Hall has

great potential for the organisation of all types of events, such

as concerts, festivals, theatre and dance productions,

performances, exhibitions and installations, fairs, social and

technical and scientific events, among others.

Interpretation Centre

Fábrica de Santo Thyrso also encloses a Textile Industry

Interpretation Centre, focusing on cultural and teaching activities.

The collections contained in this Centre shows the Factory within

the context of the Vale do Ave region, at the time when it was in

full operation, as well as its future prospects in the Fábrica de

Santo Thyrso complex.

Stakeholders Involved

• The “Câmara Municipal de Santo Tirso” is the

promotional entity, which owns and manages the project, which works closely with the Santo Thyrso foundation.

• Partnerships with ESAD - School of Art & Design,

through either the training offer of the institution, either through project / cultural and scientific domain interfaces.

• Strong support from ATP, industry association and a partner of the initial design, besides the association

Selective Fashion, responsible for supporting the international promotion of the Portuguese industry.

Financial Framework

FASHION AND DESIGN INCUBATOR: Northern Region Operational Programme - ON2 under the Support of Creative Industries Cluster System - Infrastructure (SACIC-IF) , with a total eligible investment of €4,121,010, one FEDER contribution of €3,296,808 .

TECNOLOGY-BASED INCUBATOR: Measure 5.1 - Stimulation of Technological Systems, Training and Quality - Creating new Infrastructures of PRIME, with a total investment of € 1,725,925 eligible an FEDER contribution of € 1,294,444, with the consideration by the promoter (Foundation of St. Thyrso) of € 431,481.

CULTURAL HALL, Interpretive Centre and Commercial Spaces: Projects funded in the framework of ON2 Partnerships for Urban Regeneration, with an investment of € 2,472,249 and FEDER contribution of 90 % .

PLUSTEX policy priority area?

• Partnership for Urban Regeneration - Revitalization and qualification of the banks of the river Ave in the city

of Santo Tirso - PRU Margins Ave – 2008• Application for funding under the ON.2 - North Regional

Operational Programme 2007-2013, consolidating some

of the objectives and projects already outlined above, in particular, in the framework of the PUMA - Urban Plan of the Margins Ave.

• The Fabrica de Santo Thyrso is an important framework

in the topic of social responsibilities but it is also related with some important goals in eco-innovation.

• Increased difficulty fostering more effective collaboration between creative agencies and industry, with the

corresponding affirmation and evolution in the value chain by incorporating innovation and design, giving the sector

adequate responsiveness to competitiveness challenges of a globalized market.

• The mobilization and involvement of the industry sectorin this project is assumed as the biggest challenge, because it is a traditional economic sector, with a culture often less

amenable to diversification, innovation and involvement in collaborative networks.

Difficulties

• A model of collaborative basis, linking all of its conventional functions with the activities of established

firms and their strategic partners.• Development project of the Cultural Quarter, and investing

heavily in the affirmation of a brand and an event of

national and international projection.• The internationalization strategy of the project is

oriented towards cooperation with other similar structures • Promoting relationships between the textile business

sector and other foreign centres of business incubation and creative projects in the area of fashion

design.

Remarks on durability

• Pretension to focus on the promotion of creative entities incubated abroad, supporting their presence at fairs or

favouring relationships with customers and foreign markets

• Creation of fashion, such as fashion design students, or

emerging entrepreneurial projects or other creative entities that are open to come to know the Portuguese fashion.

• In the future it is the intention of the Camara Municipal de Santo Tirso to extend the rehabilitation process to the remaining factory area where the bet is focussed on creating spaces for establishing other business activities.

Remarks on durability

Added Value• Encourage and support the establishment and launch of

new businesses and growth of existing businesses resulting from creative entrepreneurship;

• Train and develop competencies in young creative and talented people;

• Foster innovation and applied research associated with the Fashion industry;

• Promote cooperation and development of transversal projects.

GPs should be relevant to any appropriate organization

There is an important relationship in the GP between the municipality, the region and the industry.

Conditions and requirements of GPs transferability

All economic activities, to progress, need for innovation,

adapting to the times and the current and future challenges.

Results and Conclusions

• The GP is based in multipurpose spaces, services and programming.

• Important contribution to the generation of a regular set of practices, and consumption dynamics with important

consequences in the quality of life of the host community,

activities and services, the consolidation of an attractive urban image.

• New urban spaces of conviviality, sociability and consumption;

• access to innovative products and services, quality and cutting edge, mainly in the field of Fashion;

• opportunity to develop cultural and creative practices and

accessibility in general artistic, cultural creation and events.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION

José Machado & Gabriel Pontes & António Quintão

University of Minho & AMAVE

Guimarães, PORTUGAL