Design as a key driver

The journey begins: The press conference at Deka-Bank in the FOUR high-rise district marked the launch of the World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine-Main 2026 programme – a socio-political project for democratic change that aims to offer new perspectives beyond the year itself.

by Anna Moldenhauer | 1/16/2026

On what are currently Germany's highest office floors, the WDC team provided insights into the status quo – flanked by high-ranking representatives of the World Design Organisation (WDO)® as well as local politics, culture and business. The multifaceted programme will be continuously developed throughout the year. The ideas from the open call, collaborations with various stakeholders and the WDC team's own events form the structure. Around 2,000 events, comprising 450 projects, are to take place in the city of Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region by the end of the year. Around 300 projects originate from the numerous proposals submitted by initiatives, artists and communities.

Five thematic priorities form the focus of activities in each month: February, March and May will focus on ‘Shaping living spaces together’, April and July on ‘Rethinking learning, exploring design’, June on ‘Cycles of the future: design, craftsmanship and industry’, August and September on ‘With all the senses’ and October, November and December on ‘Design in dialogue – in politics and society’. The latter includes the World Design Policy Days from 11 to 14 November 2026 in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Offenbach. These constitute the official World Design Policy Conference of the WDO for the World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine-Main 2026, at which international players from politics, design, science and civil society will discuss the role of design as a strategic tool for social and political transformation. The results of the WDC year and the Design Action Plan Frankfurt Rhine-Main, a catalogue of measures for the sustainable anchoring of design in politics, administration and society, will be presented on 14 November 2026. The keynote speech will be given by transformation scientist Maja Göpel.

WDC Hub & WDC Campus at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt am Main
Photo: Ben Kuhlmann

The central point of contact in Frankfurt am Main is the Museum Angewandte Kunst with the WDC Hub and WDC Campus, which brings together the creative energy of young talent from universities and industry to develop interdisciplinary solutions to current challenges. At the same time, numerous other museums and institutions in the city and region are offering exhibitions and events related to the theme ‘Let's design together’. These include many indoor and outdoor events that are free of charge, freely accessible and can be enjoyed without any obligation to purchase.

The diverse programme of the World Design Capital thrives on the participation of everyone, from large organisations to small studios. It is primarily financed with a budget of approximately €14.3 million from public funds provided by the state of Hesse, the city of Frankfurt, all participating cities and municipalities, and the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Cultural Fund. In addition, there are subsidies and sponsorships from private and public funding bodies amounting to approximately €1.7 million via Design FRM gGmbH, the contractual partner of the World Design Organization (WDO)®. According to Carolina Romahn, Managing Director of World Design Capital 2026 Frankfurt Rhine-Main, the individual projects will receive grants of between €500 and €50,000. A total of around €4.5 million is to be invested in these projects to improve living spaces, strengthen social participation and actively develop change in the region.

"For the past two decades, the World Design Organisation has been working to build a global network of cities that leverage design as a tool for urban transformation. Frankfurt RheinMain has now joined hundreds of thousands of designers in this global movement that promotes design for social impact. The World Design Capital aims to show that design is not a luxury, but a necessity. It is a strategic force that shapes the growth of a city and cares for its people," says Andrea Springer, Acting Managing Director of the World Design Organisation (WDO)®, an international non-governmental organisation and the international voice for industrial design.

Every two years, the WDO awards the title of World Design Capital® (WDC) to cities or regions for their commitment to promoting design in economic, social, cultural and environmental areas. For one year, the award-winning city presents examples of fair, sustainable and innovative design solutions that can improve the quality of life. Past WDCs include Seoul (South Korea), Helsinki (Finland) and San Diego (USA)/Tijuana (Mexico). With the theme ‘Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life’ developed by Prof. Matthias Wagner K, Director of the Museum Angewandte Kunst, the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region has successfully applied for the title of World Design Capital 2026. The application is based on an initiative by the Werkbundakademie Darmstadt from 2014 to 2020. Design FRM gGmbH was founded for this application phase from 2021 to 2023 and is now leading the project. This is the first time the title has been awarded to a German region.

Participants at the WDC 2026 kick-off press conference, from left to right: State Secretary Benedikt Kuhn, Head of the Hessian State Chancellery, State Secretary Umut Sönmez, Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Affairs, Kai Rosenstein, Director of WDC 2026, City Councillor Stephanie Wüst, Head of the Department of Economics, Law and City Marketing of the City of Frankfurt am Main, Andréa Springer, Acting Managing Director World Design Organisation, Prof. Dr. Felix Kosok, Head of Design Discourse WDC 2026, Carolina Romahn, Managing Director World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine-Main 2026, Dr Philipp Gutbrod, Director of the Mathildenhöhe Institute Darmstadt, Cultural Officer of the Science City Darmstadt, Prof. Roland Lambrette, Partner at Design FRM gGmbH, Ulrich Caspar, President of the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce, City Councillor Dr Ina Hartwig, Head of the Department of Culture and Science of the City of Frankfurt am Main, Nicola Stattmann, designer, entrepreneur and member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Susanne Völker, Managing Director of Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, Barbara Lersch, Director of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 programme, Prof. Matthias Wagner K, partner at Design FRM gGmbH, Director of the Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, moderator Cécile Schortmann.
Photo: Ben Kuhlmann

A long-term goal is to further expand the structures, networks and momentum created during World Design Capital 2026 for Frankfurt Rhine-Main. The collaborative dynamic should make it possible to establish design as a strategic factor for innovation, the economy and social development. The WDC 2026 team is working with Acker Impact and Leonardo Impact on an impact study that records the medium and long-term changes that have occurred in a project's target group and beyond in society. "Design is more than aesthetic design. We understand it as a method and as a fundamentally political and social practice. To find answers to the central challenges of our present, the vulnerability of our democracy, the climate-adapted change in our lifestyles and our economic activities in view of the limited resources of our planet and the livelihoods of our children and parents," says Carolina Romahn. She adds: ‘Designers build bridges between individual perspectives and specialist disciplines. They are driven by the desire to make processes and results better and more sustainable on the basis of empirical research. The coming year will show the power of design for change. So let's get started. Together.’

Tip: Today, 16 January 2026, marks the grand opening of WDC 2026 at Darmstadt Central Station. In the presence of Hesse's Minister President Boris Rhein, the programmatic and symbolic launch of World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine-Main 2026 will be celebrated. Artistic performances and speeches will be rounded off by a project parcours and a party with the DJ team Crémant. Cava. Booty Bounce.