A number of selected international experts and speakers presented their views on “EcoDesign – Form follows Sustainability” at the 7th Volvo SportsDesign Forum during the 2008 edition of sports trade fair ispo. The sporting goods industry is discovering sustainability and environmental concerns as a growing trend in the product design and production of sports equipment.  
Sustainability is no longer a mere trend – it is a force too strong to ignore. Sweeping the fields of automotive design, furniture, food production and fashion, sustainability has grown from an alternative idea into an avant-garde movement in its own right. And now it is taking over the sports industry, with clothing made from re-usable and environment-friendly materials leading the way as only one major new impulse to the business. At the 7th annual Volvo SportsDesign Forum, visitors could get the full lowdown on sustainability in sports by attending a number of expert presentations, panel discussions, workshops and exhibitions. The Forum provided the perfect setting to catch up on the latest trends in designs and materials, marketing strategies and visions for the future of sporting goods and fashion produced according to sustainable and environmentally conscious standards. Visitor response exceeded the wildest expectations – several hundred interested guests attended the Forum on 29 January 2008 during the ispo winter trade fair on the Munich Fair Grounds. Keynote speeches and expert presentations attracted throngs of visitors. The same goes for workshops and exhibitions.

The German Federal Minister of the Environment, Sigmar Gabriel, together with the Bavarian Minister of the Environment, Dr. Otmar Bernhard, praised the efforts and environmental commitment of the organizers during their keynote address. The two ministers were also delighted by this year’s theme of sustainability in product design within the sporting goods industry.

In her opening address, the forum’s presenter Mathilda Tham, a distinguished expert for fashion and EcoDesign, gave a clear definition of sustainable product design: „The highest degree of functionality, outstanding design, and sustainable quality at an affordable price are the main challenges right now for manufacturers and designers alike.” She also added that, “these challenges can only be mastered with the utmost in relevant knowledge and expertise. For the sports and fashion industry, this is an important beginning along a path in the right direction.” In her speech on the ethical and cultural challenges posed by sustainability.

Simonetta Carbonaro, Professor for Design Management and Humanistic Marketing mainly pointed out the increasing loss of cultural behavior in society.

Stefan Jansson and Jonathan Disley – both designers at Volvo – and Niklas Gustavsson, Volvo’s expert for sustainability and the environment, are an experienced team that brought exciting insights into their ideas and visions for the future of product design to the stage.

L. Hunter Lovins, founder of NGO Natural Capital Solutions and alternative Nobel Prize winner, introduced her theory of sustainable capitalism based on her book “Natural Capitalism.”

Andrej Kupetz, Managing Director of the German Design Council and jury member at the Volvo SportsDesign Awards, gave an insight into his current design guidelines, which he had recently re-stated based on emerging cultural and economic demands as well as the principles of environmentally sustainable design.

Dr. Georg Bauer of Atomic / Amer Sports recounted the development of the company’s “We Care” initiative from the original intent for taking on environmental responsibility and reducing the carbon footprint of all products, all the way to the final analysis of results of challenges mastered in terms of profitability, ethics of production and benefits for the environment.

Rosi Mittermaier and Christian Neureuther – both championship-winning world-class ski athletes – introduced their plans to create a new company for the sustainable production of completely recyclable ski clothing.

Dr. Michael Braungart, a known visionary and expert on materials and the environment, explained his vision along the principle of “Cradle to Cradle,” with which he developed a system for intelligent products with highly ecological, social and economic aspects.

During the ecodesign lab show, Peter Waeber, bluesign, Jill Dumain, Patagonia, Dr. Ali Ansari, Dean of the AMD academy together with environmental expert Ursula Tischner, econcept, gave a live presentation of how the analysis of production sequences can lead towards the manufacturing of environmentally sound sports attire. During the presentation, bluesign for the first time ever revealed bluefinder™, an innovative new data bank application guiding the textile industry in their research of environmentally safe components and materials.