On September 18 the itdUPM was the scene of a new (im)probable Dialogue. On this occasion, Marcos García, independent cultural manager and former director of Medialab Prado, spoke to us about the creation of citizen laboratories as social infrastructures and collaborative spaces.
“What I will talk about here is a combination of many conversations we have had with different actors, including itdUPM and its team,” he commented, placing his intervention in a broad context that encompassed both theory and practice in the management of citizen labs.
Our guest began by explaining the theoretical approach underpinning his presentation, mentioning authors such as Elinor Ostrom and Mariana Mazzucato, and emphasized the importance of the commons and the ability of communities to organize and manage their own resources in a sustainable manner. According to García, citizen laboratories represent a model of institution that allows people to actively contribute to the creation of collective solutions to the challenges facing their communities.
He then described how citizen labs work, as spaces where anyone is invited to propose ideas or collaborate on collective projects. These spaces not only generate prototypes, but build communities of practice and learning. “Collaboration can generate prototypes and the construction of communities of practice and learning,” he explained, underlining the potential of these laboratories to transform life together.
The methodology for implementation includes an initial exploratory phase, followed by an open call, where selected projects are developed in prototyping workshops. emphasized that collaboration is not only limited to the local: “We don’t just want collaboration on a local scale, but at a distance, and this allows these initiatives to be networked.”
One of the most important themes of the presentation was the development of citizen lab networks as a fundamental structure to enhance collaboration. Marcos García highlighted how the creation of these networks, both locally and internationally, allows synergies to be generated between different nodes, making it easier for projects to multiply and have a greater impact.
As an example of this approach, he mentioned the Library Labs, implemented simultaneously in various libraries in Spain since 2017 to boost innovation and maximize collaboration between institutions. In these labs, all phases of the process, from call to implementation, were coordinated in a network, allowing for greater connection and cooperation between diverse projects. “Citizen labs are an Ibero-American innovation, this idea that has been replicated in different contexts proposes us how this structure could be, but networked,” he explained.
In addition, he stressed that digital infrastructure plays a fundamental role in this process, as it facilitates the documentation of local projects, allowing them to be replicated and adapted in other contexts.
He then illustrated his presentation with examples of projects that emerged in citizen labs, highlighting the design of prostheses for children in Medialab Prado, a collaborative project that brought together designers, engineers and families. He also mentioned the case of the wind turbine in the Adelfas orchard, which, despite failing to meet his expectations, generated valuable learnings. “Although failed, it generated learnings. Mistakes are not only accepted, they become opportunities to continue moving in other directions,” he commented.
Another example was the Dehesa de la Villa Citizen Laboratory, where projects such as soil health analysis and an oral memory program were carried out. These laboratories, García explained, are spaces that promote community participation and allow specific problems to be addressed collaboratively.
He concluded his remarks by stressing the potential of citizen labs as social infrastructures capable of fostering collaboration and innovation. “The goal is to continue to intensify the levels of experimentation and social collaboration, both locally and remotely,” he said, inviting attendees to participate in the expansion and consolidation of these spaces.
On September 18 the itdUPM was the scene of a new (im)probable Dialogue. On this occasion, Marcos García, independent cultural manager and former director of Medialab Prado, spoke to us about the creation of citizen laboratories as social infrastructures and collaborative spaces.
“What I will talk about here is a combination of many conversations we have had with different actors, including itdUPM and its team,” he commented, placing his intervention in a broad context that encompassed both theory and practice in the management of citizen labs.
Our guest began by explaining the theoretical approach underpinning his presentation, mentioning authors such as Elinor Ostrom and Mariana Mazzucato, and emphasized the importance of the commons and the ability of communities to organize and manage their own resources in a sustainable manner. According to García, citizen laboratories represent a model of institution that allows people to actively contribute to the creation of collective solutions to the challenges facing their communities.
He then described how citizen labs work, as spaces where anyone is invited to propose ideas or collaborate on collective projects. These spaces not only generate prototypes, but build communities of practice and learning. “Collaboration can generate prototypes and the construction of communities of practice and learning,” he explained, underlining the potential of these laboratories to transform life together.
The methodology for implementation includes an initial exploratory phase, followed by an open call, where selected projects are developed in prototyping workshops. emphasized that collaboration is not only limited to the local: “We don’t just want collaboration on a local scale, but at a distance, and this allows these initiatives to be networked.”
One of the most important themes of the presentation was the development of citizen lab networks as a fundamental structure to enhance collaboration. Marcos García highlighted how the creation of these networks, both locally and internationally, allows synergies to be generated between different nodes, making it easier for projects to multiply and have a greater impact.
As an example of this approach, he mentioned the Library Labs, implemented simultaneously in various libraries in Spain since 2017 to boost innovation and maximize collaboration between institutions. In these labs, all phases of the process, from call to implementation, were coordinated in a network, allowing for greater connection and cooperation between diverse projects. “Citizen labs are an Ibero-American innovation, this idea that has been replicated in different contexts proposes us how this structure could be, but networked,” he explained.
In addition, he stressed that digital infrastructure plays a fundamental role in this process, as it facilitates the documentation of local projects, allowing them to be replicated and adapted in other contexts.
He then illustrated his presentation with examples of projects that emerged in citizen labs, highlighting the design of prostheses for children in Medialab Prado, a collaborative project that brought together designers, engineers and families. He also mentioned the case of the wind turbine in the Adelfas orchard, which, despite failing to meet his expectations, generated valuable learnings. “Although failed, it generated learnings. Mistakes are not only accepted, they become opportunities to continue moving in other directions,” he commented.
Another example was the Dehesa de la Villa Citizen Laboratory, where projects such as soil health analysis and an oral memory program were carried out. These laboratories, García explained, are spaces that promote community participation and allow specific problems to be addressed collaboratively.
He concluded his remarks by stressing the potential of citizen labs as social infrastructures capable of fostering collaboration and innovation. “The goal is to continue to intensify the levels of experimentation and social collaboration, both locally and remotely,” he said, inviting attendees to participate in the expansion and consolidation of these spaces.
+34 910 67 13 97 | itd@upm.es
Av.Complutense s/n. Ciudad
Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (España)
© itdUPM 2024 | Centro de Innovación en Tecnología para el Desarrollo Humano. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. | by Marmarru Studio
+34 910 67 13 97 | itd@upm.es
Av.Complutense s/n. Ciudad
Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (España)
© itdUPM 2024 | Centro de Innovación en Tecnología para el Desarrollo Humano. | by Marmarru Studio
