Description：

The Research Lab of Sustainable Business & Cultural Bridge, led by Assoc. Prof. Avril Accolla, is dedicated to driving Design-Driven Social Innovation for a sustainable future. By integrating tradition, modernity, and innovation, the lab focuses on fostering ethical businesses and cultural excellence through interdisciplinary research and cross-cultural exchange.

The lab emphasizes a Design for All (DfA) approach, addressing diverse human needs and aspirations while promoting local culture and global trends. Through collaboration with academic, industrial, and cultural partners, we aim to create impactful innovations and bridge cultural and professional boundaries.

Head of the Lab: Assoc. Prof. Avril Accolla

Research Areas：Healthcare, Food Value Chain, Textile Value Chain, Culture Value Chain 

Research Design approaches：PSSD, Industrial Design, Strategic Design, Branding

Our Research Lab Partnerships：

Among governments and institutions: Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, Italian Institute of Culture in Shanghai MAECI, Ganzi Prefecture Economic Cooperation Bureau, Italian Trade Agency (ITA), China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, etc.

Among industrial sector: Goglio, IVECO, Aden Group, Santoni, Itema, FMMG, Vaporesso, Silver Heights Winery, Alba Chiara, Global Brewery, etc.

Vision：

Design Driven Social Innovation helps satisfactory and sustainable development for All,

contributing to the creation of flourishing ethical businesses through both social and environmental sustainability where tradition, modernity and innovation meet in culture and excellence.

Mission：

To better serve the community through:

• research on systems, methods and tools to cater for Sustainable Business,

• the creation of implementation/testing opportunities,

• a DfA (Design for All) approach strategically addressing Human Diverse Abilities, Necessities, and Aspirations (A.N.A.)

• innovation, tech & non-tech, through local culture and g-local trends,

• interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-culture bridging as at the core of the activities.

Tag：Social Innovation is excellence, and revenues

Projects：

1. Design for All: Design approach and practice catering for the real individual

The book explores the core concept of Design for All (DfA), aiming to promote social harmony and sustainable development through inclusive and integrative design approaches. It emphasizes that DfA effectively addresses the challenges posed by human diversity, transforming them into positive design opportunities across design strategy, production, and commercial operations. The author introduces concepts such as "functional accessible social discrimination" and "limited experiencers," providing diverse perspectives on "residual abilities," thus transcending traditional notions of accessible design.

Beyond aesthetics and user experience, this book discusses design-driven social innovation for sustainable development, offering practical case studies and flowcharts from various disciplines. It emphasizes that design should be viewed as a tool for problem-solving rather than an end goal, encouraging individuals and communities to collaborate toward their objectives. Suitable for policymakers, entrepreneurs, designers, and students, the book includes both domestic and international case studies, illustrating the significance of DfA in practical applications. 

Thanks to: Libing GU and Guannan XU for Chinese translation

( The cover of the Design for All）

2. the Temporary Museum "Italian Design: Champions and Hidden Champions" and conference event in WDCC 2024

The project stems from an ongoing research on Value Chain Partnerships within industrial Supply Chains through a cross sector approach, and the potential impact of Design Science in both its strategic and implementative roles.

The research results shapes the curatorship of both Museum and Conference.

The temporary museum showcases from a Strategic Design perspective a unique collection of products by 35 Italian companies, from globally renowned B2C brands to the lesser-known "Hidden Champions" of B2B sectors, whose cutting-edge technology powers the global economy.

Within the dedicated conference, the panel discussion highlighted the curatorial thesis and collected the companies’Leaders insights on it.

Among the results, it is being found that Italian excellence integrates innovation, tradition, and design to create processes, products and solutions that shape industries and elevate everyday life.

Thanks to:

China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC), arch. Monica Bonini

ResLab team: SHAN Xinyang, LONG Aosha and REN Yuhang

(Pic: Exhibition Site）

(Pic: Conference Site in WDCC2024）

3. ARTE for All KIDS: The kids have an exhibition at the art museum

The project was launched by the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai and the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai on the occasion of the XXII Week of the Italian Language in the World (17-23 October 2022), in collaboration with the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The activities took place at the Bund One Art Museum, host of two exhibitions: "Self-Portraits, Masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence" and "100 Years of Modern Art, Masterpieces of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome."

The project is based on a propaedeutic concept aimed at developing and implementing creative thinking in the understanding and experience of artistic dialogue, based on a Design for All (DfA) approach to the Munari Method©.

The research project integrated an interactive analysis of Italian artistic excellence, from the Renaissance to contemporary art, with critical storytelling of selected masterpieces, and creative workshops with mineral-based paste modeling.

The objectives of the activities are to make the understanding and experience of artpersonal, spontaneous, enjoyable, and accessible to all, and to give children the opportunity to develop their own modus operandi so that they act with confidence and serenity, both in personal dialogue with art and in the creative process.

Thanks to: Bund One Art Museum, Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, Rodari Italian School , Xunyang Road Elementary School, Tongji-huangpu School of Design and innovation,etc.

(The Itlian and Chinese organizers of the project）

（The kids from different schools are having the class）

4. Food Value Chain Project with Shambala village

(The project is cooperated with Shambala village in Sichuan. The research team investigated the local Food Value Chain system based on the 3 pillars: environmental, social/culture/tradition, and economical level, which contributed to a true sustainability in a new vegan-vegetarian synergic offer.

Thanks to: Brian Tan, Chuan Fan, Yang Zongqiang, Dr. Sara Laudani, Bakery Kitchen

（PSSD for a 3legs Sustainable Food Value Chian in China）

5. Supply Industrial Chain Project

In the past few years, our research focused on the non-disruptive innovation in day-to-day ME B2B industrial sector. We collaborate with various partners to achieve the sustainability through co-innovation as a synergetic value-chain offer.