Join Product Foundry to learn how to make truly sustainable physical products, and build a design-led business that thrives in a new circular economy.
Product Foundry is an intensive 3-day programme for SMEs working in the design, manufacture, or distribution of physical products – from food to fashion, energy to electronics, homewares to healthcare and more.
Working with a group of 8-10 peers and invited experts in sustainable design, regenerative materials, and circular economy business, you’ll learn how your products function as they flow through systems of manufacture, use, and waste; and how you can take action to ensure they are valuable to people and planet throughout.
Product Foundry is an ideal programme for you, if you’d like to:
- Understand how your business can make truly sustainable products
- Learn about the tools you can use to assess the impact of your supply chain, manufacturing, use and post-use life of your products
- Create new products, or reimagine existing ones using regenerative best practice: with zero waste, a long-life and a positive impact on the environment
Product Foundry consists of:
- 3 day-long sessions, once a week for 3 weeks
- Access to experts and design technicians from Plus X Innovation hub and the University of Brighton, who will help you with developing innovative regenerative products in a supportive environment with peers
- Free access to the Plus X Brighton workshop to work on your product - no membership or fee required
What we’ll cover:
- How to reimagine your products as part of a regenerative system that helps people and planet thrive
- How to structure your business to enable you to make the right decisions about your products
- Key regenerative design strategies like designing out waste, design for adaptability and disassembly, and appropriate material choices
- How to use tools like lifecycle analysis to assess the impact of your products from supply chain through to disposal or remanufacturing
Current Schedule (subject to change):
- Week 1 - Thursday 9th March, 10am-5pm
- Week 2 - Thursday 16th March, 10am-5pm
- Week 3 - Thursday 23rd March, 10am-5pm
If you are an established company looking to develop a sustainable product, or improve the sustainability of your existing products, packaging, manufacturing or business model, then this programme could be for you.
Hear from the experts:
Product Foundry has been created by Plus X Innovation Hubs in collaboration with the University of Brighton as part of the Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange (BRITE) project. The Product Foundry is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and fully funded for eligible SMEs.
Register your interest here or book a tour with the BRITE team to find out more.
Plus X Brighton - Expert
Andrew Sleigh, Plus X innovation hubs, Workshop Manager
Andrew runs the prototyping space and workshop programmes at Plus X. With a background in digital design, the grassroots maker movement, and design education, he works to support Plus X’s community of makers and innovators to learn new skills, and realise their product ideas.
University of Brighton - Expert
James Tooze, University of Brighton, Course Leader of Product Design with Professional Experience BSc
James Tooze is a designer, maker and researcher whose work focuses on the interconnected areas of digital manufacturing, open data, urban production and future cities. His work is centred on the realisation that to transition to an economy that is regenerative by design, almost everything needs to be re-evaluated, reimagined and redesigned.
The Plus X workshop is a great place to work, not just for the facilities: the team and other workshop users means that it is an inspiring and creative place, a great environment to develop prototypes, and get deep into production.
Gareth James, Founder Tidey.co
