Famous innovator to head new Ucol degree course

After several years of planning Whanganui Ucol will launch a Bachelor of Creative Industries (BCI) degree next month headed by globally renowned David Walker co-founder of Giraffe Innovation Consultants. The degree, first mooted by the polytechnic's former director Professor Peter Harwood, will enable students to develop their area of specialty as a major within the Creative Industries, currently combining elements of Wanganui Ucol's Fine Arts, Computer Graphic Design and Fashion Design degrees.
Mr Walker, who has been based the UK, will be chair of the new degree. He is an architect, designer and specialist in innovation and new product development.
A powhiri is planned for him tomorrow at the Whanganui Ucol sited Rangahaua.
As Chair of Creative Industries his main focus would be on research, academic leadership and teaching, Whanganui Ucol principal Suzanne Frecklington said. Mr Walker lived in New Zealand during 2000-01, and gave a special seminar to Ucol staff and design students when he visited New Zealand in October last year.
In 2001 he founded Giraffe Innovation Consultants with Robert Holdway, which specialises in new product development with ecological and ethical frameworks. Their clients include a number of large international companies including Glaxo-Smith-Kline, Masterfoods, Design Council, Boots the Chemist and Roche.
Mr Walker said in a press he was committed to fostering New Zealand capabilities overseas through new ventures, new products and the export of goods and services. "I am very happy to come back to New Zealand, not just because it is a stunningly beautiful country but because it has so much untapped potential.
"I write a great deal about the external forces which act upon design and business. "There is a growing need for pragmatic models of innovation which encompass the emergent creative industries and cover a spectrum of products, services and systems. "The emergence of new forms of creative industry is central to the health of the New Zealand economy".
A recent project by his company Giraffe is the WEEE Man, a large robotic figure made of scrap on one of the most visible tourist sites in the world ? just opposite the Tower of London and next to Tower Bridge.
The huge, three-tonne figure stands seven metres high and is composed of WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) ? from washing machines to mobile phones and electronic toys.
"This represents the amount of e-waste that a single person in the UK is likely to produce in a lifetime ? only 10 percent of which goes to landfill or is incinerated. "The WEEE Man installation is supported by a programme of educational activities and a very through website- see www.weee-man.org.
Designed by artist Paul Bonomini, the sculpture is designed to raise environmental awareness and forms part of the Royal Society of Arts challenge of moving towards a zero waste society. Mr Walker has lived and worked abroad for extended periods in Boston, Toulon, Hong Kong, Sydney, Shanghai, and Auckland.
Giraffe launched a PG programme on Innovation for Tongji University.
"China is now the manufacturing workshop of the world. We are also seeing the rise of a new educated middle class of consumers in China.
"Remarkably, more people speak English in China than in the USA," Mr Walker said.