had been founded by Riko Sibbe in 1999 as a platform for debate addressing the possible mutual benefits of transdisciplinary research in the crossover of Sciences and Design practice and the commercial exploitation through development companies who in return would fund this transdisciplinary design research.

This model of cooperative design research funding has until today been widely adopted and academic research (and teaching) oriented designers have benefited from drastically improved economic conditions.

Subsequently, the question that springs to mind is about risk that corporate funding might make governmental research funding obsolete and if corporately funded research could lose its ability to be intellectually independent and unbiased by funders interests when ultimately fully dependant on corporate funding.