The Zero World is the name chosen by the students of the Master of Strategic Design Labs for Danish society, following their trip to Copenhagen. Although it is a fact that the Danish capital is among the top smart cities, our students were witness to the real innovation leadership it exudes. Significantly, almost half the population uses a bike in Denmark, in what is a firm commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2025. Inspiration, originality and evolution define this unusual Scandinavian country.

During their stay in the city they visited places such as 5te, the start-up incubator of Copenhagen IT University; DesignIT, a strategic design multinational, which boasts the contributions of two of our former MA students; as well as ReD Associates and Danish Design Center Research, where they explored possible future scenarios and new uses for sustainable materials.

Likewise, at the Workz agency a number of games and routines were demonstrated, to improve the involvement of employees in innovation processes and to implement easy-to-assimilate changes in companies. They got to see Kontrapunkt, one of the branding agencies that offer solutions to brands in need of a new image; Attention and CIID, the Centre for Interaction Design Research, emphasised the relevance of designing products which pay special attention to user experience and usability.

All of these examples turn Copenhagen into the result of the combination of design and new technologies, business strategies that interact with one another, and communications in the widest sense of the word, without forgetting about social responsibility, shared with its politicians: mayor Frank Jensen is committed to the city as an engine for growth and for the power of these values to drive the economy. The capacity of adaptation of its inhabitants proves that it is an essential destination for anyone interested in these disciplines. It was undoubtedly a trip which left no one indifferent.

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