Colab, the material library, located in Dubai Design District (d3) has announced the launch of a series of talks titled – Home Grown, to celebrate local and regional success stories from the creative and design industries, with a particular focus on locally produced materials.
Supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA), Colab will curate concepts from around the region and open up its space to throw the spotlight on these innovations. The monthly talks will aim to share knowledge and industry expertise and serve to inspire creativity.
“We welcome local and international partnerships that ensure innovative synergies, knowledge advancement and opportunities to support the creative industry, and talented individuals and position Dubai on the global stage,” said Khulood Iqbal Khoory, director of the projects & events department at Dubai Culture. “The initiative is key to highlighting innovative material developments that utilise inherent local resources in the UAE and will contribute to ensuring sustainable sourcing and production in the creative industries aligned with sustainable development goals.”
The talks will follow more of an informal story-telling format and will focus on locally produced materials. The talks will focus on the story and inspiration behind each material, with the first session set to take place on Tuesday, May 31.
Home Grown by Colab
Home Grown is also supported by INDEX, which is taking place from 24-26 May at the Dubai World Trade Center. “We are delighted to be partnering with Colab and Home Grown on this exciting launch,” said Katie McBride, event director at INDEX. “For over 30 years, INDEX has been the leading platform for the Middle East Interiors community to source products and materials from across the globe. Now, we want to celebrate and promote the amazing locally produced materials that are now available in the UAE.”
The first Home Grown talk will feature Alhaan Ahmed and Nikhilesh Mohan, Co-founders of DATEFORM, a UAE-based material innovation startup specialising in date seed-based solid surface materials. The episode will look into the need for more sustainable solutions in the design industry. Consequently, DATEFORM has developed over 5 different bio-composite materials for interior and architectural use.
“Within the UAE, there’s great appreciation for sustainable materials; we saw the opportunity to create an environmentally conscious solution by upcycling discarded date seeds to create materials for the local design industry,” stated the co-founders of DATEFORM. “We’re excited to be a part of Home Grown as the first-of-its-kind material innovation startup in the region. We thank Colab for their support and for identifying our pioneering solutions, developed and made in the UAE. We look forward to sharing our story with the local community.”
The development of materials and investment in materials science is in line with the UAE’s National Innovation Strategy. “Whilst the majority of materials have originated from outside of the region, we’re now seeing an emergence of locally produced materials that can offer a viable alternative,” said Richard Wilson, creative director and founder of Colab. “Home Grown aims to throw the spotlight on these material innovators and potentially inspire the next generation of creatives in line with the UAE Government’s drive towards building a knowledge-based economy.”
