BDI board member and Quadro Design director Phil Gray recently travelled to the USA to give a presentation to an elite audience of medical sector technologists and healthcare specialists at the prestigious MIT Media Lab, Boston.
He joined six other speakers from international companies at the event, which outlined opportunities for US healthcare businesses in the emerging markets. The Chinese and Indian healthcare markets alone represent a $50 billion opportunity for medical and consumer product companies.
Phil Gray's talk on Successful Industrial Design Strategies provided insights into how design can be used as a strategic business tool for entering emerging markets with a focus on China, including advice on how to move towards a 'Designed in China' business culture that captures the unique cultural characteristics of this market.
His presentation also covered the need for immersion in user understanding, best practice in ergonomics and anthropometrics, and the differences in channels to market in China.
Phil was the only designer invited to speak at the event, which was organised by Sagentia, a technology management and product development company located in state-of-the-art facilities in Cambridge, England and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The agenda also included presentations on technology innovation, product development, doing business in China, IP strategies, and the rapidly changing needs in healthcare in these huge markets.