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InnoMatNet project launched !!!

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InnoMatNet is a new project funded under the NMP (Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies) theme of the EC 7th Framework Programme.
InnoMatNet aims to advance the goal of an innovation society by developing a flexible approach that establishes teams of innovators, which link materials labs with industry (particularly the creative industry), as well as other innovation actors, providing support to help them bring new products and processes to market.
The project will identify the key stakeholders in the area of materials research in Europe, the gap between their needs and the existing offer of initiatives and tools that support their product or process innovation. Best practice case studies of collaboration between materials researchers and industrial entrepreneurs will be developed, aiming at identifying best-performing business models to bring “communities” together.
This will provide the basis for determining the priority focus of the flexible approach to train and network the key stakeholders.
A project website will be created as the focal information and networking platform for European material researchers and industrial entrepreneurs, as well as other relevant actors, in order to constitute teams of innovators able to close the loop from the labs to a product or a novel industrial process, using innovative and environmentally sustainable materials (low carbon, energy saving, recyclable, “green”).
Networking and training events will be organized in different European countries, aiming at bringing together all the right actors for new alliances and brokering collaboration between materials research and industrial entrepreneurs. Summer schools will also be organized to educate interested students and train young researchers and engineers active in the field.
The networking activities and interactive approach will allow the creation of the new alliances required for improving the coordination of high quality research.
To achieve these goals the project has gathered organizations that allow it access to different actors in the innovation process.

Transplant is official partner of the European founded project InnoMatNet.

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The 1st of January 2012, Ralston & Bau design studio, Nordic Materials and Transplant merged into one company. From now on, all our creative energies are empowered under one flag: Transplant.

One phone number: +47 57735200
One email contact: about@transplant.nu
One creative team: the Transplanteurs at your service.

In March 2012 you will hear more from us.

Until then, we go and do some designing!

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For the fifth consecutive year, Les Procédés Chénel International, specialized in the development and distribution of products and techniques for exhibitions and short term presentation, will organize on the 08.12.11 a festive event at their 600 m2 showroom at Vanves in Paris around the subject of exhibitions, events and creations – the PaperNight 2011. Les Procédés Chénel International launches the “HoverWall” designed by Transplant, during the Paper Night.

The “Hover Wall” plays with an optical illusion. The paper wall gives the impression of a floating wall or being in a floating room. The effect is created by a graphic design applied on the paper wall “Pipe and Drop”. The paper wall can be used to shape small rooms or to separate a room in different parts. “Hover Wall” is part of the Chénel VIP collection.

You can download the invitation to the “Paper Night 2011″ by clicking here …

”We are building on the ruins of the future”.

Dramatic opening for dramatic times. The weather changes, metaphorically and literally speaking. In the northern hemisphere the winter weather is slowly crawling upon us. We are unpacking the thicker clothes and preparing for the colder season. Living creatures reacts to the weather, human beings are no exception. We are more than ever facing the infuriated forces of nature, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes are roaming the globe. In what world do we seek to live, and under what circumstances?

Buildings and cities constructed on canvas, slowly and carefully, step by step.
With a precise hand, Gerry Judah^[1] spends hours detailing his architecture, floor by floor, window by window.When all pieces are put together, and the detailing is done, Gerry Juadh gets a broom. Within seconds the buildings that once stretched proudly up from the canvas, are now laid in ruins. The painting has not only faced a consequence from the broom in the artists hands, but also a man-made consequence far bigger than the concrete destruction on the canvas. In describing the artist’s work, Jenny Blyth says,  “Gerry Judah’s paintings are a direct response to conflict across the globe, and the impact of that violence, whether it is the consequence of war or natural disaster.“ He acknowledges the dangers of man’s impact on a finely balanced global ecology, and the decimation that unravels as we exploit the planet with an ever growing appetite. “
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© 2011 Kyoto Protocol Participation.

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As more tangible echo to global ecology, the Kyoto Protocol were agreed upon in 1997 and brought into action in 2005. As reminder, The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
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© 2011 President Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, United Nations/Durban Conference.

The goal, a legally binding agreement, were made between the participants and an average reduction of 5.2 % of greenhouse gases from the 1990 levels by the year of 2012 were decided. As the Kyoto Protocol is set to end in January 2012, all eyes are now turned to Durban in South Africa where, as we speak, the Durban Climate Change Conference is being held.

One of the greenhouse gases we ought to minimise is carbon dioxide, CO2. To make it easier and more approachable we need to make it tangible. Concrete seems like an innocent construction material in itself, solid, stone looking and durable. It is the most used man-made material in the world, the amount produced each year resembles  more than one cubic meter for every person walking this earth!
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© 2011 Novacem.

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It is estimated that about 7.5 billion cubic meters of concrete is produced each year. Concrete consists, as we know, among others of cement. In our speaches about global warming we should make a space for cement, the production of cement accounts for an estimated 5% of the global carbon emissions. That makes concrete one of the largest sources of man-made carbon -dioxide. What if somebody claimed that they could take away this fact about cement, and even better make it carbon-negative? Novacem, a London based company, has brought the new solution on the table. Expected to be on the market in 2014.

1. Gerry Judah (born 30 July 1951) is a British artist and designer who has created settings for theatre, film, television, museums and public spaces. He has recently returned to his fine art roots with highly acclaimed contemporary paintings exploring the effects of war and environmental catastrophes on the urban landscape which have entered a number of international private and public collections.

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We have the pleasure to present Transplants newly elected chairwoman and chairman.
Liv Clelia Sommerstedt presides the board of Transplant AS, the design competence company includes (from the 1st of January 2012) the Ralston & Bau designers and Nordic Materials. Vidar Grønnevik presides the board of Transplant Eigendom AS, the company running the Transplant building and owned by Ralston & Bau and the Fjaler Municipality.

Vidar has followed Transplant, as the representant for Kunnskapsparken Sogn og Fjordane for, from 2009.

Vidar says; ”I find the Transplant business-environment extremely qualified and highly creative within its fields of operation. Their knowledge, know-how and formal design-background creates a strong possibility of building an international stronghold in Dale that represents a great business-potential and a valuable contribution to the Norwegian design- and material-business.

Transplant Eiendom AS shall focus on the premises as a necessary tool to conduct, develop and extend the core business of Transplant, as the arena for creative sessions of multi-skilled individuals with global references and a common objective to create high quality solutions for demanding customers.”

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Liv Clelia Sommerstedt, originally a master goldsmith/jeweller, founded the “Juvelen” chain of retail stores in 1990. During nearly 16 years with “Juvelen”, she has been through the  challenging first years of a company, aspects of management and board as well as development of jewellery collections and the shop concept, all the way to a well functioning grown-up business. After selling the stores in 2006, she changed direction into the field of fine arts with 5 years of fine arts CFA studies, she then started working as a painter and studying art history at the University of Oslo.

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Vidar Grønnevik, born in 1957, graduated from Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in 1980. He worked for Statoil from 1980 to 1991 in different positions in Stavanger, Oslo and Copenhagen, he then became Vice president in Fylkesbaatane from 1992 to 1996. From 1996 – 1999 Vidar worked as a Management for hire and boardpositions in different companies, before becoming the Finance director in INC Invest AS from 1999 -2001 and then Managing director in the same company from 2001 – 2008. From 2008 Vidar has worked in board-positions combined with different projects and real estate, employed in his own company.

Description

The Ideal Lab´ is an experimental program that relocates the meaning of design in a mutated social environment. In collaboration with knowledge and creative fields, art, science, sociology, material innovation and industrial sustainability, the Ideal Lab´ goal is to define future needs, provide human results and future scenarios through tangible products and processes ready to be produced and used. By cycles of two years, the program will contribute in four major themes. Selected designers, artists, architects, industrials and researchers are invited to exchange visions, thoughts and co-produce meaningful projects. We call them “Cell Agents”.

The program will explore four themes from 2010 to 2013.

Longer Participation: January 2010 to December 2010
Precious Food: May 2011 to May 2012
Empathic House: June 2012 to December 2012
Replanted Identity: January 2013 to December 2013
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© Transplant 2011 / Ideal Lab´ Precious Food/ Ola Hovland, Julien Dossier, Bertrand Duplat
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Council

The council is Transplants organizational and conceptual workgroup. The members have various creative and professional positions which are complementary among each other.

The councils mission is to find:
– the programs mission and theme
– concepts, values and goals for each theme
– participants who will realize the projects
– partner

The council members are:

Béatrice Josse/ France/ Curator/ FRAC Lorraine/ the french contemporary art collection
Ambra Trotto/ Italy/ Designer, Teacher research department industrial design/
University of Florence, PhD can.
Stoffel Kuenen/ The Netherlands/ Designer, Teacher/ Eindhoven University of Technology
Charlotte Grum/ Denmark/ Artist, Teacher/ Roskilde University
Elisabet Gustavsson/ Sweden/ Director Women in Film and Television
Lars Sture/ Norway, UK/ artist, curator
Birgitta Ralston/ Sweden/ Designer, head of program at Transplant
Alexandre Bau/ Norway/ Designer, project leader of Nordic Materials

external peer group:

Arild Bergstrøm/ Norway/ artist, project coordinator
Cathy Cat- Rastler/ France/ artist

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Process

The participant group is choosen by the council and is invited to take part in the project
There is specific knowledges within the group.

The participant will work together, find ideas and work out guide lines
In this phase meetings and workshops will be held. The process will focus on the finding of maximum ideas which will involve non-professional participants.

The next step is to choose various ideas which can be scenarios on which can continued to work
The scenarios will be developed to define projects.The first ideas will be visualized with scetches which will be exhibited in Transplant. The visitors will have the oportunity to visit Transplant and take part so part in the development of the project.

The participants will be so involved in a phase of research and development
In this phase of the process, Transplant will provide to the participants all its tools and knowledge.

Results

At the end of this period, the Agents will have produced a series of products/processes answering to the theme problematics. The series will be developed as design product, a space design (interior/exterior), a graphic design, a creation of organization, a service, a process…Different events, such as exhibitions, gathering, workshops, where most of the time the public could take part, will be organised to enrich the project. Stemming products like books or videos will be edited to keep track of the experiences and make the research available to the public.

Post project

The result of the Ideal Lab will be taken further into industrial production

Birgitta Ralston/ Sweden/ Designer, head of program at Transplant
Jan Brauer/ Germany/ Designer, Coordinator

© Transplant 2011/ Ideal Lab´Process
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You can read the catalogue of Ideal Lab´- Longer Participation online here:

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You can download the catalogue of Ideal Lab´- Longer Participation as pdf here:

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Ideal Lab` is supported by:

Last month, Jean-Noël Lafargue, teaching at the School of Art and Design of Le Havre (Fr) invited Alexandre Bau to make a lecture during a “the End of the World” workshop^[1]. What surprised us was that the recurrent concepts emitted by the students displayed apocalyptic and collapsing scenarios more then reconstructed realities. 

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© 2011 Simon Dale / 4000€ Off-the-Grid House.

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Regular echoes claim that we are entering “the End of our World” as we know it. Not only concepts, but sustainable off grid strategies, are reaching our emails, homes, lives. In reaction to this, communities and individuals are proposing alternative living scenarios. It seems like the desire to be OTG^[2] is becoming plausible, like this private project imagined by Simon Dale.
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It is demonstrating that a very affordable house could exist; of course, regulations and scalability are issues here, but this project could bring part of the answer to the global “rebooting” process. For the majority of the inhabitants in the developed world, being “off the grid” appears to be incompatible in an urban economy. However, it is not only possible, but a real option that functions. Over one million of persons are living willingly “off-the-grid” in USA today.

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 © 2011 Dan Nocera / MIT Lab.
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Soon, off-the-grid energy production could become a real global solution, thanks to one main discovery: Dan Nocera^[3] researching the theme of storing energy out of the sun, even when it does not shine. And the best is that it just need water, and not even clean water: waste waters works. Some serious new advances has been identified from the MIT, and the giant industrial Tata Group ($652 billions of annual turn over) recently invested into Professor Nocera’s technology, so we assume the hypothese that a resulting product might reach the market soon. 

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© 2011 Concrete Canevas.

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Without being alarmist (just a bit emblematic), or sound like “survivalists”^[4], Concrete Canevas structures sounds like a very good alternative for fast Off-The-Grid storage and living solutions as it requiers very low knowledge and maintenance when no reclaimed materials are available in situ. This unplugged future is actually representing an ocean of innovation, occasion alike to rethink our societies, and reconsider all our ways to interact, work, and live. During a common lecture in Oslo, we met Michael Weinstock^[5] who talked about three futures that Nature would create when an eco-system is collapsing: Nature disappear (everybody dies/ not an option), Nature simplify (eliminating partially elements or system/body parts), Nature increase complexity (within its communication systems for example, to slow down the fall).

Following Michael Weinstock thinking:

1) Our system might not die as it is. Or if we do, the Off-The-Grid will not be an option but the status.
2) We have a huge problem to simplify our societies and Off-The-Grid might help us to do so, followed by composites sustainable materials that embrace simplification essence. Find the right balance within our expansion (10 billions earth population is expected by 2050) is the challenge. Simplify and rethink the grids, networks are ones of the main issues.
3) Increasing complexity within our communication system, I think with all our emails, phones, app, websites and others, we did increase complexity.

The question is: does it slow down the falling process?
You are very welcome to leave your comments below.

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1. the School is focusing on graphic design and art. www.esadhar.fr
2. “Off The Grid” is a concept of living in an independent matter towards supplying systems and networks, mainly energy and water suppliers.
3. In 2010 “Let the sun shine” Material Update was updating our readers on the topic of solar energy and its new discoveries.
4. Survivalists or “Preppers” are individuals that prepares their life expecting a global shift within the world, and organizing a life relying on nothing else than their own structures
5. Michael Weinstock is Academic Head of the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Here is one of his last lecture in California.

The last of three steps in the Precious Food program, Eat was the departure point of a workshop on eating scenarios emphasizing the the preciosity of the food. Together with Constance Gaard Kristiansen, design manager at Figgjo porcelain and the chef Christel Eide, Ralston & Bau explored scenarios of eating standing up in a social setting. The results of the workshop will be a real life scenography within the Ideal Lab’ / Precious Food. Keep posted!

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What material to use in what situation? To select the perfect material for different projects can be hard.

It has to respond to the environment you are going to put it in, it has to have the right properties for its use, preferably be sustainable and the last but not least; fit into your concept. The building’s visual identity. Have the right appearance.

Searching for a material might sometimes become a very time consuming activity. Narrow your search and save some of that valuable time and confide in specialists who can help you making choices.
Let us help you take care of your headache – Nordic Materials is all about materials!

Whether you are looking for sustainable facade materials, soft indoor flooring or an innovate acoustic roof covering let us give you the opportunity to choose. We can help you to find materials for all types of projects, from concept development and preliminary sketches to the design and realisation fase. We are keen to stay ahead of developments in order to offer our customers assistance so that the process from idea to finished construction is the fastest, friendliest and most accurate manner possible.

Nordic Materials has extensive experience in materials and materials research. In order to offer our customers the best and latest information on the market we work continuously to expand our own expertise in our own material library which today contains over 750 different physical material samples and a database with 1.700 references.

Nordic Materials is packed with innovation and sustainable materials. We want to promote innovation in this area and help to influence and contribute to the sustainable development both locally and globally.

Examples of focus areas include; acoustics, sustainability and energy, as well as resources for facades, transport, health and safety.

We work both for the private and public sector.

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© 2011 Transplant / Hannu Turunen (right), Nordic Materials Project Manager Finland & the Material and Design Students.

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Nordic Materials just organized a Material Day and a Material Spot in Finland. The research delivered was divided into three parts: listening, passing and carrying, all three strongly embedded with the topic of acoustics.

The Material Day was organized at and with our Finnish partner Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. The Polytechnic students within the field of material technology and industrial design were given the challenge of prototyping the “Material Spot” exhibition table. They made a great job and it will from now on host the Material Selections in Mikkeli. For this event the Material Spot displayed a sustainable Material Selection called “More Good”.

© 2011 Transplant / Seppo Koponen (right), Mentor & Students introducing the Material Spot.

© 2011 Transplant / Timo Aavakallio (left), Nordic Materials Leader for Finland & Kai Hannonen.

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The main material knowledge, expertise and focus of the University lie within the field of wood and bio composite. They have a great range of tools to help them develop this knowledge and giving it substance. This expertise is greatly appreciated not only by the students enrolled in the course but also of outside businesses such as local companies within the industry of wood.

© 2011 Transplant / The all Design Student Team discovering the Material Selection “More Good”

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After the lecture, Nordic Materials and students had a workshop with a local company within the industry of, yes, wood. This is both a great experience for the students to be in touch with the “real” world, but also a genuine opportunity for the companies to take part in the constant evolving knowledge of the students to help advance their own products.
Today, 4500 students are enrolled at the Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences.