Co-design is a process in which designers create new contexts to have consumers or end users involved in the development of new products or services for value creation. The overall aim of PROUD is to employ design as driver for innovation. economic growth and sustainable development. PROUD partners create cross sectoral partnerships between public authorities. industries & businesses and designers working with new methodologies focused on co designing (with end users)and will turn ideas into competitive products. services and spaces. Partners want to achieve that design thinking is taken up broadly by public authorities and businesses/SMEs to enhance NWES capacity for solving complex societal challenges in a valuable and sustainable way. Partners will: - Execute pioneering work to develop models for large-scale deployment of co-design in NWE -Provide hands-on demonstration of the added-value of design for public and private sector - Provide well equipped and newly developed design innovation hubs with viable business concepts extending after the project lifetime ; - Provide open source innovative knowledge on (new) materials -Engage public workers. business and industries. intermediairies. knowledge workers and designers around themes of common interest to create improved concepts for services. products and public spaces The PROUD-partners (NL.DE.BE.FR.L.SF.UK) are regions with industrial roots and design tradition. PROUD brings them inclusive (co)design innovation. Partner Helsinki brings an extra boost seen their even longer tradition in the field of design. being a pioneer in social design. Helsinki will be World Design Capital 2012. which will give PROUD a strong platform for dissemination and exchange. PROUD resubmits after a constructive review of JTS. improvements can be found in section Main Actions and output. actions marked IMP. Achievements: Since the start of PROUD we made big steps to deploy design as the driver for innovation, economic growth and sustainable development.