The days 25th-26th September Húsavík will once again become a centre for innovation and design when Design Thing // Design Thing is taking place for the fourth time. In recent years, the festival has established itself as a platform where creative and solution-oriented thinking, innovation and initiative meet, leading to new connections, ideas and opportunities. This year, the festival's theme is one of the biggest issues of our time: energy.
The theme of energy spans everything from renewable energy sources, technological solutions and resources to the human energy that drives communities, businesses, creativity and collaboration forward. Energy will be explored from the diverse perspectives of designers, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and business leaders, with a focus on how creative thinking can help us tackle the challenges of our time and shape the future. How do we harness creative energy and ingenuity across the country?
,The programme will include heat, joy, product design, energy entrepreneurs, community projects related to sustainability, innovation in resource utilisation, crocodiles, students and lecturers from LHÍ, dance, funding, sea bathing, surprise events and much more. The programme and further details will be announced closer to the time, but it's going to be brilliant. If anyone has a suggestion for something exciting, please feel free to drop me a line at stefan@hac.is. What matters now is to set aside the time, book your accommodation, and enjoy the summer, looking forward to taking part in Design Conference 2026!"” says Stefán Pétur at Hraðinn, a centre for innovation in Húsavík.
Stefán Pétur is an educated product designer and the Innovation Manager of Hraðinn, the innovation division of Þekkingarnetið. He is also the initiator of HönnunarÞings. The festival is organised by Hraðinn and SSNE in collaboration with numerous partners from business, culture, innovation and academia. SSNE plays a key role in strengthening the region's innovation scene and is one of the event's main partners.
,For the Knowledge Network, the Design Conference is a particularly interesting event. Here, all areas of the institution come together in a dynamic event. Innovation, lifelong learning, higher education, research and the creative industries all share a foundation of curiosity and a desire to learn, develop and communicate. Events like the Design Conference create an important platform for dialogue between industry, educational institutions, entrepreneurs and the wider community. It is a platform to provide inspiration, spark ideas and create connections between people. I encourage people to save the dates straight away and to look forward to attending and enjoying it," says Hildur, director of the Þingeyingja Knowledge Network.
Further information about the programme and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, you can take a look at the windows at Hraidi.is. Until then, it's worth saving the date and looking forward to two energetic days in Húsavík this autumn.
Here you can find Facebook event for DesignThing // DesignThing 2026