In April 2009, a new sustainable design brand based on cork – a Mediterranean, sustainable and eco-efficient proved material – was internationally launched during the Milan Design Week. The brand was baptized as Corque Design (Mestre, 2006). The originality of Corque Design remains for being the first–ever launched brand exclusively dedicated to cork and to its application in eco-design products. Hence, it offers a range of high quality furnishing products and accessories carefully designed by prestigious Portuguese designers for people who most value creativity, quality and eco-efficient design (Corque, 2009). The brand has already accomplished several small series production, which have been exhibited and commercialized in the European, American and Asian Markets. Corque Design brand resulted from an applied design research project – Design Cork (Mestre, 2008, 2013) – with a focus on the search for new applications and design solutions based on cork materials and technologies and on strategies and processes that championed the use of creativity and conceptual development towards sustainable product design innovation.
