DC Living Labs

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DC Living Lab is an international student exchange program focused on creativity and innovation, powered by the Districts of Creativity Network. It offers students from all the Districts of Creativity (DC) the opportunity to work in an international team to tackle real challenges within the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs).

The program runs in a hybrid format this year, combining a 5-day online bootcamp from March 18-22, 2024 (online), and an in-person workshop and presentations during the Creativity World Forum (CWF) from April 15-17, 2024 (Bilbao, Basque Country).

The 2024 edition will be coordinated by KSIgune, the Cluster for Cultural and Creative Industries in the Basque Country, and Travelling U/TAZEBAEZ, an educational cooperative that designs international learning experiences based on three main pillars: collaborative learning, human-centered design, and entrepreneurship.

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DC Living Labs 2024 in a nutshell

4 key challenges that connect with the key topics of the forum
24 international students working on the challenges at hand in groups of 6 people
Challenge owners from DC Living Labs districts that bring context and realness to the challenges
Hybrid process of shared workshops and working sessions online, and in person training and presentations during the forum. Online platform and support of digital tools of creation
A coherent process aligned with the CWF and integrated on its development

Challenges

The program is designed to address challenges within the CCIs. The challenges are hosted by four companies and partner organizations from the Basque Country District of Creativity network and are related to the four key thematic areas of the CWF24.

TA1 - Reimagine Urban Space: Collaborative Governance Models powered by Urbanbat

Challenge title:
REIMAGINE URBAN SPACE: COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE MODELS

How might we activate, manage and coordinate an empty first floor public space that would allow us to expand beyond housing to domestic, leisure and social activities?

The aim of the challenge is to design a governance model for the use, management and coexistence of the space, as well as a communication strategy inviting neighbours to participate in it.

The challenge is connected with the thematic area of Governance and CCIs, one of the key topics inside of the Creativity World Forum 2024.

Challenge owner:
URBANBAT

Urbanbat is a social initiative cooperative that designs and coordinates innovative processes of urban regeneration and territorial improvement in collaboration with communities and local administrations. The coop is formed by a transdisciplinary team made up of people from the worlds of architecture, urban planning, social sciences, communication and pedagogy.

Urbanbat has been working with Sestao municipality previously, and the proposed challenge is a continuation for the previous work developed with the goal of promoting the activation of community spaces in the Txabarri neighborhood.

This pilot experience could serve as a model for future activations.

https://urbanbat.org/

TA2 - Future Rides: Exploring Tomorrow's Vehicle Interior powered by Automotive Intelligence Center - AIC

Challenge title:
FUTURE RIDES: EXPLORING TOMORROW’S VEHICLE INTERIOR

How might new technologies change the way people interact with vehicles in the future, and create new services, functionalities and business opportunities as the mobility sector becomes smarter, more connected, and automated?

Analyse different future vehicle/occupant interaction scenarios within the current context of transformation, focus on how new technologies influence the conception of the vehicle interior of the future, and propose opportunities.

The challenge is connected with the thematic area of Innovation in and within the CCI sectors, one of the key topics inside of the Creativity World Forum 2024.

Challenge owner:
AIC-AUTOMOTIVE INTELLIGENCE CENTER

AIC-Automotive Intelligence Center is a European center for the generation of value for the automotive sector based on an open innovation concept where companies improve their positioning through cooperation. Under a market approach, AIC offers services that improve the capacity of the automotive sector globally, integrating training, research, industrial development and new businesses under the same structure. At the moment, 30 organizations, of 9 different nationalities, and more than 950 professionals are located in its facilities.

https://www.aicenter.eu/

TA3 - Sustainable Soundscapes: Building An Authentic Connection With Millennials And Gen Z Through Sustainability powered by Last Tour

Challenge title:
SUSTAINABLE SOUNDSCAPES: BUILDING AN AUTHENTIC CONNECTION WITH MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY

How can BBK Live music festival connect genuinely with Millennials and Generation Z by improving and expanding their positive impact in sustainability? Which are the best forms to do so?

This challenge aims to generate ideas and strategies for integrating environmentally and socially positive content/actions into the festival experience for this specific audience. It also involves aligning these profiles with their environmental and social interests, understanding festival operations, and identifying opportunities and challenges sustainability brings to the festival experience.

The challenge is connected with the thematic area of CCIs Companies and Markets, one of the key topics inside of the Creativity World Forum 2024.

Challenge owner:
LAST TOUR

Last Tour is one of the leading companies in the music industry, covering such business areas as the promoter of tours and festivals of international interest, and agency creating music experiences for brands, a record label, and managing consultancy projects in the sector.

Their flagship event, Bilbao BBK Live, has become a significant cultural project in Europe over 16 years, attracting thousands of music enthusiasts to Kobetamendi, near Bilbao. The company aims to be a sustainable and independent organization, contributing to societal well-being and development through cultural and social initiatives.

https://lasttour.org/es/
https://bilbaobbklive.com/

TA4 - The Future Of Fashion Education: Can We Create Cutting-Edge Biomaterials For The Fashion Industry Using Virtual Tools And Resources From Nearby Businesses? powered by Elisa Palomino and BIAAF

Challenge title:
THE FUTURE OF FASHION EDUCATION: CAN WE CREATE CUTTING-EDGE BIOMATERIALS FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY USING VIRTUAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES FROM NEARBY BUSINESSES?

What strategies can be employed to actively engage students in hands-on projects transforming waste from local industries, offering practical experience in sustainable material innovation while simultaneously empowering them with the virtual skills required to actively contribute to the ongoing transformation of the fashion industry towards sustainability ?

How can we effectively address the shift towards sustainability in the global fashion industry by developing innovative educational programs that equip the next generation of fashion professionals with the necessary skills for this transformative journey?

The challenge is connected with the thematic area of Education and Research in CCIs, one of the key topics inside of the Creativity World Forum 2024.

Challenge owner:
BIAAF & ELISA PALOMINO

Bilbao International Art & Fashion (BIAAF) is a nonprofit organization focused on showcasing talented, innovative, and radically creative young fashion designers from around the world.

Consistently staying connected with emerging designers, renowned fashion schools, and experts in the global fashion industry, BIAAF goes beyond its primary fashion contest function by organizing various initiatives. These include forums, conferences, and training activities held in prestigious institutions. https://biaaf.com/

Elisa Palomino, with 25 years of experience designing for luxury brands such as John Galliano and Christian Dior, bridges fashion, education and anthropology. With a PhD in Anthropology and Sustainable Fashion from the London College of Fashion, she is an international lecturer and has held the position of Director of Fashion Print at Central Saint Martins, leading sustainable innovations.

She has led EU funded projects like FishSkin and earned prestigious fellowships. As a Research Associate at the Smithsonian, she specializes in Arctic Indigenous Fashion. Elisa actively contributes to BIAAF.

http://www.fishskinlab.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-palomino-7040a110/

A different timeline adapted to the academic calendar

DC living labs have a different working methodology and timeline aligned with the academic calendar.

The launching phase and selection to attract both challenge owners and students will be done by January 2024. In February 2024 they will start working remotely to culminate the process in person in the CWF24.

Big picture of the process

The process combines an hybrid working methodology, as follows:

5 days online bootcamp
The process culminates in an in-person workshop inside the CWF as well as in person presentations for industry professionals for quality feedback and collaboration opportunities
The process is accompanied by process owners and facilitators from TZBZ-Travelling U that lead all the teams through the leading methodology.
The small teams are also accompanied by voices from the industry/ Challenge Owners by at least 3 designed and planned interactions.
Challenge Owners will play a key role in bringing insights of the industry and helping the teams to land the challenge in a concrete context.
The process is supported by digital tools to enable quality work both in sessions and asynchronous.

Main methodology

A specific methodology has been designed for the DC Living Lab, and all teams will follow it throughout the process, both online and in person. The collaborative sessions ensure that all the teams move forward coherently and have all the tools necessary to keep advancing and present good-quality solutions during the CWF24.

Online Bootcamp
March 18-22, 2024
5 days, 4h working sessions

Five days, four-hour working sessions, supported by Challenge Owners, experts, and facilitators.

These sessions go through five key phases:

Understanding and diving deeper into the topic, context, and research into what already exists and may be relevant to the challenge at hand.
Combining the participants’ knowledge with new knowledge found through research and connecting with experts and challenge owners.
Creating solutions to the challenges through design thinking processes and future thinking tools.
Contrasting the designed solutions with industry representatives and preparing the final deliverable.
Presenting the outcomes and creating a roadmap for the CWF24.

Creativity World Forum 2024
Bilbao, Basque Country
April 15-17, 2024

DC Living Lab’s final highlight invites the participants to join the Creative World Forum in person. In the forum, the participants will:

Participate in the conference and the activities the Basque Country Creative District organizes.
Take part in one last in-person training session that culminates with pitching their final presentation to industry professionals for quality feedback and future collaboration opportunities.

Thematic Areas