Business of Design Week 2025: “Curiosity Provokes Design Innovation”

Global Creative and Business Leaders Converge in Hong Kong, the Super-Connector

HONG KONG, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Amidst great anticipation from the global design community, the Business of Design Week (BODW) 2025 Summit, sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Asia’s premier design, innovation, and branding event, officially opened yesterday (3 Dec) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under the theme “Curiosity Provokes Design Innovation”, and with Italy as the year-long Partner Country the Summit brings together leading designers and business visionaries from Italy and around the world for three days of in-depth dialogue and inspirational exchange.

Coinciding with the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union and the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, the BODW 2025 Summit highlights the wisdom of Italy’s design heritage. It explores how curiosity has long been served as a driving source of creativity, fueling cross-disciplinary innovation across diverse fields. The Summit also showcases Hong Kong’s design and creativity West and exemplifying the city’s role as a “Super Connector” and “Super Value-Adder” in bridging the East and West, and reinforcing its position as a hub for international cultural exchange.

The opening session yesterday was officiated by Miss Rosanna Law Shuk Pui, JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government; H.E. Massimo Ambrosetti, The Ambassador of Italy to the People’s Republic of China; Mr Joseph Lo, MH, Chairman of the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), the organizing body of BODW 2025; and Ms Sophia Chong, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the co-organizing body.

In her opening remarks, Miss Rosanna Law Shuk Pui, JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, stated: ‘[At BODW], masters from various design disciplines will guide us on a journey to rediscover how good design enhances our quality of life, and reimagine how it can help shape a better tomorrow. This year, we have the privilege to welcome Italy once again as our Partner Country. Building on our successful collaborations in 2007 and 2017, and as 2025 also marks the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and Italy, this reunion at BODW is both timely and meaningful. It also reaffirms Hong Kong’s role as an East-West centre for international cultural exchange.’

H.E. Massimo Ambrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to the People’s Republic of China, stated, ‘BODW is a very important point of reference for the world of design in Asia. We would like to express our gratitude for the partnership between ourselves and the Hong Kong Design Centre. Today’s event underlines how Italy is not only an innovative country, but a country with a vision. And this vision is shared with an incredibly dynamic counterpart which is Hong Kong – it is really deeply rooted, because there is what I am glad to call a cultural friendship between the Chinese world and the Italian world.’ 

This year’s Summit boasts an impressive lineup of creative leaders from Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Czech Republic, Singapore, the Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong. Nearly 50 thematic keynotes, creative dialogues, and forums will explore how design has shaped diverse sectors, from major sporting events and tech headquarters to future mobility trends and high end brands. Selected programming is specially presented by MGM China and M+ museum. To ensure global participants can fully engage in this international creative gathering, for the first time the three-day Summit offers real-time English captions and AI-powered live interpretation services in 10 languages, including Italian, English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Korean, Spanish, German, and Arabic.

Dr Carlo Ratti, the renowned Founding Partner of CRA – CARLO RATTI ASSOCIATI and curator of the Venice Biennale Architettura 2025, who also designed the torch for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games, opened the Summit with a thought-provoking keynote that set the tone for the event’s thematic discussions.

Day one centred on the pillars of Urban Visions and Mobility Revolution. Architect Patricia Viel, Co-founder of ACPV ARCHITECTS Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, shared the architectural philosophy of the Milanese school, exploring how technology, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and architecture beyond a purely human-centric perspective can shape the smart cities of tomorrow. Brett Wightman, Senior Principal & Director of Populous APAC, shared his design philosophy through projects such as Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park, Tokyo’s Tsukiji district development, and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. His work reflects local culture while aligning with the commercial visions of his clients. Other day one highlights included Ole Scheeren, Founder & Chief Designer of Büro Ole Scheeren, renowned for landmark projects such as the CCTV and TVCC Towers in Beijing; Michele De Lucchi, Founder of AMDL CIRCLE and designer of the Nordic Pavilion for Osaka World Expo 2025; and Dr. Walter Mariotti, Editorial Executive Director of Editoriale Domus.

Afternoon sessions emphasised the courage required to translate curiosity into practice. David Imai, Chief Designer of Arc and former Design Director of Tesla, discussed cultivating environments that encourage bold experimentation and collective curiosity to overcome industry roadblocks and innovate for breakthroughs and progress. Additional speakers included Matteo Fioravanti, Senior Vice President Design of Pininfarina; Luca Santella, Founder & Head of Product Strategy of Bluegame; Tony Ip, Partner of SIXECO TECHNOLOGY; and Ben Chen, Vice Chairman of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei New Energy Vehicle Collaborative Development Promotion Association, sharing their perspectives from diverse angles within the field of mobility technology.

Over the next two days, the Summit will unveil four further pillars: Crafted Living, Luxury Reimagined, Innovating with AI & Technology, and Cultural Innovation & Creativity. Prominent speakers include: Czech Architect Tereza Šváchová, who designed the Czech Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo 2025; Angelica Visconti, Vice Chairman of FERRAGAMO who drives the brand’s curiosity-led research into new materials and technologies; Nicolas François Luchsinger, CEO of Buccellati, steering the century-old jewellery brand to innovate while staying rooted in tradition; Will Shi, General Manager – Hong Kong & Macau of Baidu AI Cloud, who was formerly involved in the development of the military application for the BeiDou satellite system; Tim Marlow, Chief Executive & Director of the Design Museum, a world-class institution of design; Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Architecture & Design of The Museum of Modern Art in New York,  recognised by Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential design thinkers; and Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director of M+, leading the team in building one of the world’s foremost museums of contemporary visual culture.

A new highlight this year is the bodw Future Lab, introduced in partnership with INSTILL, the creative consultancy founded by internationally renowned designer and Professor Rama Gheerawo. Designed as a space for experimentation collaboration and creative exchange, the Future Lab brings together designers, technologists, business leaders and creative leaders from Hong Kong and the world to jointly explore forward-thinking concepts and emerging technologies, and foster inter-disciplinary dialogue across design, business, and innovation. Emphasising interactive participation, the bodw Future Lab encourages attendees for active contribution, collaborating to shape the future together.

The bodw Future Lab features a total of three sessions. The first was conducted in yesterday afternoon with the theme “Urban Visions: Designing the Future City”, highlighting urban planning and innovative building design. Participants collaborated to brainstorm how Hong Kong’s cultural and natural resources can be integrated to co-create a future-inclusive city that balances social cohesion with sustainability, developing actionable design principles that benefit both the community and the economy. The remaining two Future Lab sessions unfolded on day two of the Summit, guiding participants to explore how art and design can revitalise urban spaces; and learn to apply a creative leadership framework to navigate technology in the AI era for greater impact. 

The full Summit programme is streamed live on bodw+ and social media platforms, with curated highlights broadcast locally on ViuTVsix (channel 96) from 18 to 20 December, between 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM.

Beyond the Summit, BODW 2025 presents a rich calendar of concurrent programmes, including exhibitions, lectures and networking events. Other design  events this month include BODW In the City and the DFA Awards Presentation 2025 organised by HKDC; as well as the international creative design exhibition, DesignInspire*, and the Business of IP Asia Forum, hosted by HKTDC, and DesignInspire is Maison&Objet Intérieurs Hong Kong 2025 jointly presented by HKTDC and France’s Maison&Objet. Together, these events infuse Hong Kong’s winter with a creative atmosphere.

For live updates on BODW 2025,  follow bodw+ on the following social media channels: Facebook (bodw+), Instagram (@bodwplus), X (@bodwplus), LinkedIn (bodw+) and YouTube (bodw+).

About Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) (www.hkdesigncentre.org) 

Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in leveraging the city’s East-meets-West advantage to create value from design.

The major programmes include Business of Design Week, DFA Awards, bodw+ Series, Fashion Asia Hong Kong and BODW In the City. Since 2024, we have also been operating the DX design hub in Sham Shui Po, dedicated to fostering emerging design talents and facilitating collaborations and exchanges in the design industry, as well as providing visitors an immersive experience through innovative exhibitions, fashion showcases and cultural events.

To achieve our goals, we:

• Cultivate a culture of design
• Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the power of design
• Promote excellence in various design disciplines 

About Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao (conshongkong.esteri.it)  

The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao represents Italy and the Italian Government in the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao. The activity of the Consulate General focuses on consular services provided to the Italian nationals formally resident in Hong Kong or in Macao as well as to the local and international community (mainly for visa services). The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao contribute to the implementation of the initiatives to promote Italy in Hong Kong and Macao, especially cultural activities, together with the Italian Cultural Institute, and business and trade promotion together with the Italian Trade Commission. From 1st of September 2022, the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao is Mr. Carmelo Ficarra. More information on the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao and its activities are available on the website https://conshongkong.esteri.it/it/ and on social profiles IG (@italyinhongkong), X (@italyinhongkong) and FB (@italyinhongkong).

About Business of Design Week (BODW) (https://2025.bodw.com/en)

Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands since 2002, is organised by Hong Kong Design Centre and gathers some of the world’s foremost design masters, brand leaders and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong as well as overseas, driving discourse on the value of design and innovation to inspire global audiences and explore new business opportunities. 

About DesignInspire (designinspire.hktdc.com)

DesignInspire, organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is a Business-to-All exchange and inspiring platform that gathers global design and creative elites, trend-setting brands, associations and institutes. Through a series of interactive exhibits, design masterpieces, award-winning projects and creative workshops, participants will explore the limitless potential of design and promote top-tier creativity. As a unique B2A platform for Hong Kong’s creative industry, DesignInspire aims to establish a gateway for connecting Hong Kong with the international design community, fostering interaction and collaboration.

About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDAHK) (www.ccidahk.gov.hk) 

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. 

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