What does Product Design Mean Tomorrow? Example Middle East

The Industry in the Middle East doesn’t have a strong background of design driven Innovation, moreover, production follows mainly outdated systems. For this reason there can be the attempt that new technologies like rapid prototyping might transform fast into low manufacturing practices rather than only visualization of ideas. Today designs of products in the region are often copied and the main goal is to produce in a cheaper way. With the recent devaluation of the Egyptian pound, a major economy in the region suffers import restrictions and relies on local products of companies that do hardly invest in research or innovation. Hope appears in Start Ups and SME, which are trying to impose themselves by evaluating different business models in order to grow and survive. A possible answer, given the situation, could be a regional network of small entities of innovation and production, using digital platforms and dislocated manufacturing anticipating a regional Industry 4.0.