Community driven renovation through techno-creative labs

Marginalized communities are stuck in survival, doomed to unemployment, due to the skills demanded by the fourth industrial revolution. The emergence of techno-creative labs (FabLabs, Makerspaces) allows access to communities to develop 21st-century skills but is almost nonexistent in marginated zones. Activating new labs in such contexts may allow people to develop competencies and skills that will help them to solve local problems, and to become independent. We propose to enable techno-creative labs in existent public spaces, in connection with the local industry, to allow the community to co-solve local problems and to develop lifelong skills. The initial challenge will be to improve their community landscape, by learning a mosaic design technique to improve their home facades using digital fabrication tools. The empowerment of marginalized communities in Latin America allows tackling problems from the bottom up, developing non-formal education as an alternative to their limited access to institutional education.

The study "Ten Years of Multidimensional Poverty Measurement in Mexico", by the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy, indicates that in 2018 there were two million 337 thousand 643 people in vulnerable conditions in Jalisco, Mexico (28.4%), making it the fifth city with the most poor communities in Mexico.

We are facing important social, urban and political transformation of the territory which reflect on social interactions. These changes are happening mainly within the contexts of growing cities. The neoliberal market in Latin America has self-regulated the growth of cities, with all the externalities on the vulnerable populations. In 2003 a third of the urban population lived in poor and vulnerable communities and during 2014 30%.

The democratization of innovation through the techno-creative labs approach is an expression of the willingness to access and develop  low-cost solutions in a context of citizen-based innovation. The project-based methodology behind the labs, takes advantage of affordable open-source software and items, as well as recycled materials, that are framed on sustainability. Non-formal education in such spaces is based on self-directed experiential learning. This project can foster problem solving, tolerance to ambiguity, and risk tolerance in contexts of complex and socially relevant problems. 

The marginated communities of Jalisco are a population that lives on low salaries and have no chance to attend formal education due to their need for working. In order to address their needs the group of researchers will develop workshops,  implementing design thinking tools to understand their context, skills to be improved and community engagement. This also will allow the participants to understand how creativity and technologies help.Having spaces like will have impact for their quality of live, intellect and a promising future.

The project will involve to identify the potential industries in a marginated zone of Jalisco, and to provide assessment to develop a techno-creative space in an existent public space. 

It will integrate a dynamical configuration of furniture, working tools, gallery of materials and devices to support presentations and demonstrations. The model is based on the digital fabrication laboratories, which include 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines and most important access to electronics, sensors and actuators that can be used to develop functional prototypes.

The methodologies behind the proposal include the use of art & technology based mosaic creation, and the didactic approach known as the Gradual Immersion Method (Sanabria, 2015).

The project explores the integration of the community to serve their own communities by empowering them on 21st century competencies (collaboration, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking). Though this sort of lab initiatives exist, they are often found in average locations and not in marginalized regions. Our team has experience in studying and participating in the launching of limited techno-creative labs in such regions.

The initiative looks at including stakeholders from the local industries to participate in developing the region. Moreover, the project involves the expertise of professional industrial designers and artists to develop new methodologies and techniques that can be easily transferred by non-formal education between the community members.

The model will be focused on a sustainable approach, where the place can be maintained by the community, since it will be inserted in an existent public place.

This approach allows people to be confident in using the space, and take care of it, as it has been seen in the limited techno-creative labs that exist in such marginalized places.

By involving researchers and artists in the project, the structure of the proposal will be develop with an strategic view for its future development and scaling.

The proposal is based on ongoing research which our team has been working on through the QUEBEC-JALISCO RESEARCH TEAM since 2018, focused on studying the learning and design processes that ocurre in techno-creative environments in Quebec, Canada, and Jalisco, Mexico. https://revistas.um.es/red/article/view/398381/280591. Also, the study of labs in marginalized regions brings useful data that is taken in account for the project. https://medium.com/@Sanabria_Z/el-significado-de-la-cultura-maker-en-la-educaci%C3%B3n-para-los-entornos-rurales-y-los-barrios-3e54f27239f7

Our team has been involved in launching a first techno-creative lab in a marginalized region of Jalisco. http://www.udg.mx/es/noticia/udgvirtual-apoya-creacion-espacios-maker-colonias-vulnerables  However, it is necessary to replicate the model and improved it by linking it to the local industry, so it can transcend from being focused on learning only and better having a direct bridge to access the employment arena of the region.

The Theory of Change will include: 1) The analysis of the available industries that could be further linked to the techno-creative lab and developed by their members; 2) By identifying the industries that could be leveraged by members of techno-creative labs, new aligned projects could be developed to satisfy local needs of the community; 3) The launching of a first challenge based on the improvement of the facades with mosaic industrial design, a proof of concept that will attract the attention of stakeholders and the community members; 4) The research participants of the project will document and help the members and stakeholders to understand how the initiative has help the community, how the 21st century competencies have been develop and how to scale the project further.

At present there is only one project in Jalisco that is in a proof of concept stage, it is set insisde a public cultural center in the center of a marginalized region. There are 50 -70 persons attending workshops and been active in the techno-creative lab.

By extending the project to one more space, a year later, we are looking at involving a similar population in another region, which could help promoting the initiative to have a higher impact on the community since for the present project the focus will be in involving the industry and having a showcase of improved landscape in the facades of the community houses.

Five years after the project was launched, the scale up of the techno-creative labs is possible to increase to at least 10 locations, by launching in average 2 labs per year, once the proof of concept has been validated. This translates in ideally 700 active members that are trained and can be training other people to learn skills for digital fabrication and problem-solving skills.

Moreover, the community landscape and further projects that will be implemented year by year will be noticed and will help promote the initiative to solve more crucial problems of the community.

Developing a network that could replicate the project in Latin America and the Caribbean is an important step to work for. The techno-creative spaces exist in almost every country, thought the way there are structured does not include the aesthetic vision and fine manufacturing approach that can be given by an industrial design team, like is the case of this project.

Local communities in Mexico will be the first to be taken in account so that the model can be replicated in pilots throughout the country, considering that public centers exist in marginalized regions in every city.

The project will be open to the media so that it can be followed by researchers and stakeholders in other Latin American countries and the Caribbean. This exposure will push the research team to constantly exhibit results and development of the project, in a structured manner, so that others can properly replicated and receive guidance from our team.

The barriers for the project exist in different levels. 1) Identifying potential industries to be link to the project that are willing to participate and maintain their collaboration for the long-term. 2) The development of the techno-creative spaces in public spaces, which are willing to open a space to provide the community with access to co-creation. 3) Financial support to equip the techno-creative labs and providing a business model that help members maintaining the resources. 4) Implementing the art & technology first project by involving the community, provided that the community members allow the possibility to change their facades for the best of the aesthetics of the place. 5) Maintaining the community engaged in using the space and helping eachother by developing new projects.

As for the future 5 years, the members of the project should focused on following-up any possibility of replicating the project in other locations or countries. This demands time and dedication of the team, in order to provide guidance. It is important to properly document each step of the process so that other stakeholders can develop the proposal by themselves with minimum involvement of the team.

1) Identifying potential industries to be link to the project that are willing to participate and maintain their collaboration for the long-term. The analysis made by the team should include students that are interested in developing the area, for instance, from architecture and design backgrounds. 2) The development of the techno-creative spaces in public spaces, which are willing to open a space to provide the community with access to co-creation. There has to be a well developed protocol research project that can be presented to the public spaces, based on ongoing project results, so they can fully understand the potential of their participation. 3) Financial support to equip the techno-creative labs and providing a business model that help members maintaining the resources.Vigilance of open calls to fund the project have to be constantly performed in order to provide on time the necessary equipment to the labs. 4) Implementing the art & technology first project by involving the community, provided that the community members allow the possibility to change their facades for the best of the aesthetics of the place. The social innovation first project has to take in account the community opinion with empathy to their situation, building confidence by co-creating the solucions. 5) Maintaining the community engaged in using the space and helping each other by developing new projects. Reporting results and letting the community been part of the outcomes is a most, so that they can see the benefit of being involved in the projects.

The project of developing techno-creative labs in Jalisco, has been active by our research teams since 2015. It includes the launching of 7 labs in a high school system and collaborating in the launching of a community based lab in a marginalized public space. However, the proposal of this project is an improvement of the model approached before. The intention is to consolidate a project-based approach that helps developing the community, starging by the landscape in this first step. Further, the project could be implemented in other cities of Latin America, since they corresponde in the need to develop 21 century skills, and the potential of digital fabrication and other recent technologies can be easily transferred among maker communities and the like. We also hope to connect with local stakeholders, such as community groups, non-profit organizations and industry of several regions.

Our team is part of the Tecnológico de  Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara.

We are 4 full members that are part of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, and a contractor (artist) that works independently.

Internationally, there are 4 members in Quebec, Canada, and 1 more member in Nice, France.

The team has experience in architecture, design and education initiatives, which complement well for applied projects.

Jorge Sanabria has a PhD in Kansei Engineering, he has 5 year experience in launching techno-creative labs, developing maker curricula and studying learning process and design process in such environments.

David Sánchez has a PhD in Sustainable Design, and has experience in community based projects.

Ruth León has a PhD in Systemic Design, and has experience in industry involvement for product development.

Carlos Cobreros has a master degree in energy and environment architecture, he has experience in rural community development projects through industrial design.

Helen Rossi, is a french artist living in Guadalajara, Mexico, and expert in the technique of mosaic for developing landscapes.

The colleagues abroad, Ann-Louise Davidson, Séverine Parent, Olivier Michaud, and Sylvie Barma, are active researchers in Quebec, Canada, with whom we have published research regarding techno-creative labs.

Margarida Romero in France, with whom we have published a book regarding techno-creative labs in the South of France.

https://lel.crires.ulaval.ca/oeuvre/lecosysteme-techno-creatif-de-la-metropole-nice-cote-dazur-des-acteurs-et-des-tiers-lieux

The group have enough experience in building projects in related topics to the project, and documenting the research. There is a limited number of researchers that is following closely the developments of techno-creative labs and development of 21st century competencies in Mexico and Latin America. This team can provide unique insights to the further development of the regions through a well structured research.

We have been collaborating with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology of the state of Jalisco, by co-designing a 1000-student ideaton event: 

https://revistas.um.es/red/article/view/398381/280591

There is partnership with the Red Late an education technology national network to develop initiatives for training in digital fabrication:

We have worked with the industry from Canada (Robot in a Can) and Mexico (ATI Tecnología Integrada, through training projects:

The reference project that was launched by one of our partners in which we collaborated, is set in a public space, in a marginalized zone, a cultural space run by a church. Though the project was originally launched using funds from the local government, the techno-creative lab is now run by the community. The business model is design to empower the community so they are able to train other members of the community and get incomes to maintain the place in operation, a non-profit organization.

In a similar manner, the project presented looks to replicate this project and improve it so it can be even more stable, by involving the local industry stakeholders and opening the application of the skills to the improvement of the landscape.

The Value proposition of the project is that a techno-creative lab will be provided for the community, where they can develop their skills and their territory, in a co-creative manner.

The segment of members that will collaborate are low-income population in marginalized regions.

The clients will be the local industries and the local community themselves.

Partnerships will be addressed with local industries and also technology corporations, manufacturing corporations, universities and local government, as well as international research teams.

The revenue will come from providing trainings and from sponsorships from the local industry and government.

1) The project will be financed by instructing the usage of digital fabrication tools to the community. Delivering courses open to the community, where the skills of the members that participate are polished, is a common way to maintain techno-creative labs.

2) Designing and selling low-cost products made in the techno-creative lab. Through this process, the members become professional designers and develop skills for managing as well.

3) Raising capital from the local industries and the government. By interacting with the local industries and involving them in the project to provide services or maintenance of the lab is a typical approach.

4) Applying to calls to fund social innovation initiatives. Through funds provided by the local or national government the space can be equipped and maintain updated.

As a member of a research team, we are always looking forward to applying our methodologies and ideas in real scenarios. Having already developed a base of documented projects, we believe that a structured initiative as TPrize will allow us to further consolidate our project with international impact.

Though there is interest from many stakeholders regarding our theme (developing 21st century skills in marginalized communities through techno-creative labs and art & tech projects), there is a lack of support to see this projects remain updated in the long term. We believe that TPrize challenge will see the value of our proposal and that support will help us improve it to a higher level of development.

The network that can be provided by TPrize through the showcase of the project could be a very powerful benefit from being selected.

We would like to partnership with organizations in different layers:

The UN and the Ministry of Innovation of Jalisco and MInistry of Culture, in order to design a global and local framework;

MIT initiatives linked to digital fabrication and maker communities in social innovation environments;

Non-formal educational institutions, such as Museums and Urban Parks, involved in developing the architectural landscapes.

We also hope to attract Government bodies such as Ministry of Social Development and its family development programs for youth and elderly programmes.  NGOs, creative clusters and related collectives interested in will be also welcomed.