Identity & Design

Design is a strategic element in terms of business success, and in fact, many businesses set up as OEMs, Original Equipment Manufacturers, therefore, as third-party manufacturers focus on brands and new identities, identifying new business opportunities. In Asia, new generations of entrepreneurs understand the importance of investing in design to highlight the value of their own company.

Today, thanks to their experience acquired over the years, OEMs aim to establish their own brands, extending their business to the end market. From simple suppliers of “pieces” they become able to offer new solutions, adding to their third-party work, another part dedicated to research, developing departments orientated towards innovation and sensitive to both design and to the market.

The focus is no longer on making a component; these companies focus more on new business models that are closer to consumers, creating projects in line with customer needs or even anticipating them at times. Many companies are gradually changing from OEMs to ODMs (Original Design Manufacturers).

It has been shown that an investment of 100 dollars in R&D corresponds to an increase in brand value of 8.1%. The forecast is for notable growth in the global market of EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) and ODMs, from 588.7 billion dollars in 2020 to 958.6 billion dollars by 2026, increasing to a CAGR of 8.5 %.

It has been estimated that the ODM market will pass from 3 billion dollars in 2020 to 10 billion in 2028, thanks to investments in R&D, design, and innovation.

Important examples of brand focus can be seen among components manufacturers. Often relegated to an “anonymous” position and part of a larger project, today, components are genuine after-market products of specific interest.

The sector exceeded 560 billion dollars in 2021, with a growth rate forecast of over 6.4% CAGR from 2022 to 2028. One such example are brakes by Shimano and Brembo, companies for which design is one of the cornerstones.

By 2025, the Internet of Things industry will guarantee 4.6 trillion opportunities in the world’s industrial sector and OEMs will make use of the digital world. It will be essential to put in place a strategic approach that places the consumer and consumer expectations at the centre of the value chain.

Strategic Design plays an essential role in highlighting the value of companies and in identifying new business opportunities for products and services.

Once again, design, understood not only as an exercise in style but as the bearer of a new identity, will be what decrees success for these new companies that are entering a highly competitive marketplace.