Three-Day Summit Draws Over 15,000 Participants
Hong Kong SAR and Italy Foster Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Driven by Curiosity
Switzerland Named as Partner Country for the Coming Year
HONG KONG, Dec. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The three-day Business of Design Week (BODW) 2025 Summit, Asia’s premier annual flagship event on design, innovation and brands, successfully concluded at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 5 December. This year’s Summit, themed “Curiosity Provokes Design Innovation”, partnered with Italy to convene nearly 50 experts and business leaders from leading international brands across diverse fields including eyewear, jewellery, automobiles, yachts, and sporting events such as the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games, and many more. The Summit attracted over 15,000 live participants and a global online viewership, exemplifying Hong Kong’s position as a “Super-Connector” and “Super Value-Adder” in the global design community, and reinforcing its position as a hub for international cultural and artistic dialogue between East and West.
BODW 2025 Summit was sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR. Centred around six key topic pillars — Urban Visions, Mobility Revolution, Crafted Living, Luxury Reimagined, Innovating with AI & Technology, and Cultural Innovation & Creativity, the event featured keynote speeches, panels and fireside chats. To facilitate seamless exchanges, it introduced large-scale, AI-powered live interpretation in 10 languages, alongside live English captioning.
The bodw Future Lab is a concurrent programme that partners with creative consultancy INSTILL to create a new space for experimental, collaborative, and creative exchanges. Global participants shared forward-looking ideas on emerging technologies, and brainstormed new collaborative avenues across design, business, and innovation, with a special focus on generational exchange and collaboration between Hong Kong SAR and Italy. Together with a local illustrator, live sketches were captured in the “bodw Future Lab Report” and “Visual Record”, documenting insights and creative outcomes for the wider industry.
During closing remarks, Mr Carmelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR said “For all the work that we have done together in the past 12 months, I think we have started something important, which is a long-term cooperation. I received a lot of positive feedbacks from participants and speakers who participated in the event this year. Thank you so much for having us. We are very privileged to be your partner this year,and are looking forward to strengthening relations between Italy and Hong Kong SAR. As a last word, I would like to congratulate Switzerland as the next partner country of the Business of Design Week 2026.”
Prof Viveca Chan, Vice Chairman of HKDC, shared, “We’ve worked so closely together over the past year, doing exhibitions, workshops and training together. Participants and designers I talked to were very inspired by the rich heritage, culture and history of Italy, which they blend with modern design and technology. On the other hand, our cross-cultural discipline and cross-sectoral exchange in Hong Kong, dynamism and entrepreneurship also inspired our Italian delegation. Altogether, it has been an extremely fruitful and rewarding experience for both sides.”
Switzerland will succeed Italy as the year-round Partner Country for Business of Design Week in 2026. Renowned for precision craftsmanship and innovative thinking, Switzerland will collaborate with HKDC through the Consulate General of Switzerland in Hong Kong SAR to present the BODW 2026 Summit and a year-round series of cross-disciplinary design initiatives, bringing renowned Swiss design masters, creative leaders, and industry pioneers to the city. This cross-cultural creative dialogue is set to inject fresh inspiration into Hong Kong’s design scene, making it a highly anticipated event.
Mr Daniel Freihofer, Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong SAR, remarked: “It is the very first time Switzerland will be the official partner of BODW, and it was about time, given the long-standing history and expertise Switzerland has in design excellence. We think this collaboration is perfectly complementary, as Hong Kong and Switzerland share many similar traits, characteristics, and are all positive. We are looking forward to spotlighting Swiss excellence in design across multiple disciplines here at the BODW next year, underpinned by Switzerland’s globally recognised characteristics like precision, high quality craftsmanship and reliability.”
Highlighted sessions of the BODW 2025 Summit include:
3 December: Urban Visions, Mobility Revolution
OPENING KEYNOTE: Curiosity. Adaptation. Collaboration
Dr Carlo Ratti, Co-founder of CRA – CARLO RATTI ASSOCIATI, shared the urgent necessity of design thinking, cross-disciplinary solutions, and cross-generational collaboration in addressing the issues of climate crisis and declining population faced all over the world. Challenging “the idea of the Promethean architect or designer”, Dr Ratti emphasised that “Today, at the point when the planet has already changed, [design] still needs to focus on mitigation but also focus on ‘adaptation’.” Dr Ratti provided examples of responsive design in action by sharing details of his team’s works in designing autonomous boats uniquely adapted for the canals of Amsterdam city, and the “Helsinki’s Hot Heart”, a floating, carbon-neutral heating system for the city that harnesses renewable energy.
PANEL: Curiosity Beyond Boundaries: Redefining Architecture and Urban Futures
Dr Carlo Ratti, Michele De Lucchi, Founder of AMDL CIRCLE, Ma Yansong, Architect, Artist, Founder & Principal Partner of MAD architects, Patricia Viel, Architect & Co-founder of ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, and Ole Scheeren, Founder & Chief Designer of Büro Ole Scheeren, spoke on a panel about architecture and urban futures in a session moderated by Walter Mariotti, Editorial Executive Director of Editoriale Domus
Speaking on equipping individuals for the future, De Lucchi believes that “Education is really the key. Not just to share knowledge, but to use imagination, curiosity, and to be conscious about our choices. This is something that has to grow more in the human mentality.”
Scheeren echoed the essence of diligence in knowledge acquisition, saying: “I think this methodology of disruption is very important. Because suddenly, knowledge is easily available. You have access to all knowledge on the planet, but that doesn’t mean you really know it. What you really know you can subsume in your consciousness. It is the only way that it fuels your true curiosity and creativity.”
Viel stated, “Luxury is quality, and the power to live your time how you need it. This is something that is happening more after COVID, because life has been changing a lot, time and space are not the same as before. This is very much impacting the sense of luxury and the sense of power attached to it.”
KEYNOTE: When Curiosity Designs the Future
Matteo Fioravanti, Senior Vice President Design of Pininfarina, showcased iconic case studies from Pininfarina – spanning classic cars, architecture, and yachts, and a fusion of art, technology and emotion that gave rise to a timeless vision for design. He stated “The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of the past were product-focused. The OEM in the future will be a service provider, a system with a strong DNA. Defined with strategy, and then selling services such as mobility, living, insurance and holidays under the umbrella of one brand. If we want to keep our Italianity alive, we have to look very forward.”
KEYNOTE: The Culture of Curiosity
David Imai, Chief Designer at Arc and Former Design Director at Tesla, drew from his experience at Tesla and shared: “The biggest difference at Telsa compared to other places I’ve worked at, is that curiosity is an explicit cultural value that is promoted from top to bottom. They truly believe that great ideas can come from anywhere. Failure is understood to be a crucial part of experimentation. And what that means in practice is that you’d have broad cross-pollination between teams regularly working outside of their wheelhouse,”
4 December: Crafted Living, Luxury Reimagined
KEYNOTE: Update Tradition
Min Chen, Industrial Designer & Founder of Chen Min office, spoke of his identity and creative practice as a bridge connecting past to present, and carrying tradition into the future. “I’m a big fan of Hong Kong because Hong Kong is and has always been the place where East meets West. It will still keep its own identity. So Hong Kong also inspires me a lot in searching for more meeting points for different cultures to come together. I also find a lot of modernity in our tradition. So although it’s called ‘tradition’, it doesn’t necessarily to look outdated.”
FIRESIDE CHAT: Reimagining Everyday Design: Material Intelligence and Living Form
Prof Ron Arad, Founder & Director of Ron Arad Studio, was joined by his long-term collaborator Patrizia Moroso, Art Director of Moroso S.p.A., in a fire side chat moderated by Sean Dix, Founder of dix design+architecture. They shared an open conversation about how pieces are realised, whether they begin in the art studio or as an industrial product. Prof Arad said: “I have pieces that started off as an industrial piece and then was dragged into the art pieces [and vice versa]. It’s not one direction or the other.” Moroso, said, “To me the subject is never to make one thing. I try to work with a designer to imagine their world, to realise something that is as close as possible to the designer’s imagination. Ron is a very big talent, and that gives me a great satisfaction to work with him and to realise not one just thing, but [an entire] collection.“
FIRESIDE CHAT: FERRAGAMO: Our Heritage
From the luxury house FERRAGAMO, Dr Stefania Ricci, Director of Museo Ferragamo & Fondazione Ferragamo and Angelica Visconti, Vice Chairman, told the story of the brand’s heritage, evolution and future through the art of shoemaking. Visconti, speaking of the brand’s future, shared: “We give the utmost importance to the creativity, design, and style, but also the perfect construction of the shoe. Our shoe philosophy is based on supporting the arch of the feet, having studied for a long time the anatomy of the foot, to discover that the weight really falls on the arch.” This has guided the brand’s unwavering principles across design, material and craftsmanship decisions across the years.
KEYNOTE: Curiosity Meets Passion: Buccellati’s Innovation and Timeless Artistry
Nicolas François Luchsinger, CEO of Buccellati Holding Italia S.p.A., explained how the brand is upholding craftsmanship at its academy, with rigorous standards of material selection, and fostering new visions of luxury through an ongoing dialogue with art. Luchsinger noted, “Craftmanship is very important to Buccellati jewellery. Our distinctive techniques are what make the brand so special and unique. Rather than adding value through stones and gold, we enhance our pieces through specialised engraving—a signature of our artistry.”
5 December: Innovating with AI & Technology, Cultural Innovation & Creativity
KEYNOTE: What if? – Reinventing Heritage, Crafting the Future
Matteo Battiston, Chief Design Officer at EssilorLuxottica, explored the core principles of Italian design and how they guide innovation, especially in the face of modern technological change. He shared, “This is our future, a future where technology is not going to replace presence, but it’s going to amplify it… we don’t design to impress people. We design to let people be themselves. We are not chasing what is coming next. We are just creating for what is timeless, which is us and the story we are able to tell.”
PANEL DISCUSSION: A New Blueprint: Cultural Curation and Memorable Moments
Presented by MGM China, and featuring Patti Wong, Co-Founder & Partner of Patti Wong & Associates, Dr Iwan R Dietschi, Senior Vice President of Hospitality at MGM, Kevin Bethune, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams • design + life, and moderated by Nicholas Gordon, Asia Editor, FORTUNE, this session featured MGM as a case study on how the hospitality industry can innovate upon tradition. Speaking on the curatorial and customer engagement strategy at the POLY MGM MUSEUM, Wong said “In MGM, we have showcases that are state-of-the-art that audiences can participate in. We want people to react to the piece and have an emotional engagement. It’s not what you see in the first instance, it’s how you feel afterwards.” Dr Dietschi described a certain rigour necessary in achieving a memorable experience for MGM guests during their stays, saying: “All our employees are part of the experience that we want to create. We learn from customers – the customer has changed and is continuously changing. Personalised and curated for the customers – that’s where service comes in.”
PANEL DISCUSSION: Curiosity Engines: Rewiring Museums for the Future of Design
Tim Marlow, Chief Executive & Director of the Design Museum, joined Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design of MoMA and Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director of M+, compared their diverse perspectives on stewarding the brand identity and market positionings of museums today. Raffel set the scene with a picture of M+’s guiding vision, saying, “M+ is the only institution that has this cross disciplinary interest in Asia. A lot of thinking [went into] building an institution with a vision for visual culture. When we think about what is visual culture – design, architecture, moving image and art, and our root in Hong Kong informs this.” Antonelli responded on the importance of museums having differentiated curatorial angles: “Museums are an ecosystem right now, there are many museums covering the same topics. But it’s great when museums cover them from a very personal viewpoint, knowing their own personality.” Marlow, speaking on the museum’s role in fostering community, shared that “The idea of letting the public design the use of public spaces is really interesting. Architects and designers obviously have a major role to play, and they can help frame public spaces. I think that’s an interesting model for museums, because we want to not author things all the time. Museums need to learn to give the public the chance to see how they respond.”
KEYNOTE: Designing the Spirit of a Nation: The Creative Journey Behind Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic
Raffaella Paniè, Director of Brand, Identity and Look of the Games at Milano Cortina 2026, shared: “It goes back to our brand personality at the beginning that has really guided us through this project. And that concept of talent is something that we have represented – through the gesture of the Italian talent. We feel that there is a lot of talent to be represented in our graphic design, and when you think about talent and athletes and their gestures, that also matches very well with this whole concept. We’ve created a language – we call them vibes – called energy, creativity, imagination, style, passion.” Follow BODW on social media for the latest updates: Facebook (bodw+), Instagram (@bodwplus), X (@bodwplus), LinkedIn (bodw+), and YouTube (bodw+).
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