Vienna Design Week announces new sponsor and urban design initiatives

Vienna Design Week is expanding its programming and partnerships. The Austrian design festival has secured paper republic, a Viennese manufacturer specializing in sustainable leather goods, as a new sponsor for the 2026 event scheduled from September 25 to October 4. As part of the festival, paper republic will host workshops at its flagship store, 'la maison,' focusing on analog photography and handcrafted leather journal making.

Additionally, the festival continues to explore the intersection of design and urban systems through the 'Urban Food & Design' format, organized alongside the Vienna Business Agency. This initiative examines how design can transform urban food systems, covering topics such as urban farming, local production, and the circular economy. Previous iterations have featured projects like 'Future Chips' and 'Amino Feast,' which explored the relationship between consumption and global dependencies, as well as the conversion of carbon dioxide into amino acids.