Jozef Olsavsky, Creative Director at FUTURESEARCH STUDIO is a graduated architect. He acquired his experience while working at Rem Koolhaas’s OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) in Rotterdam and at Bogle Architects and Building Designs in London and Prague. His work ethos is based on continuous testing and designing in a broader context. He considers himself an open and logical thinker with a progressive approach.
FUTURESEARCH STUDIO has been transformed from more than two decades of working, from projects AUAOAY to LIMINAAL, focusing on experimental architecture, design and research. We believe that ARCHitecture, constant SEARCH and permanent RESEARCH will lead us into the new FUTUREs.
FUTURESEARCH STUDIO is at the moment curating the research project X UTOPIA – a project devoted to the theme of the peripheral utopia – focused on a specific site but aims to transcend the urban/rural and local/global divides. We believe that when faced with rapid change and challenging questions, we should not stand still like a deer in the headlights.
Bringing together creatives and experts from around the world, project X explores and questions the concepts of the human, nature and technology, proposing experimental designs for parallel futures: a utopian mix of biotopia, artificial intelligence, technology and sociological coherence: a provocative desire for the (parallel) future. Creating a parallel future through parallel connections: an infinite number of Xs blending into a virtual centerfree network future.
Unlike projects that create designs for more and more new utopias, we propose a new way of thinking about utopias. Where social sciences and creative disciplines take part in day to day participation on the creation and adaptability of urban environments. As an interdisciplinary team, we want to keep the project clear and accessible to everyone in all its aspects.
We all have an X, a place we love and connect to, thanks to its poetics, histories and cultural connections, childhood, memories and dreams. X is everywhere and X is everyone.
This interview is part of the EIT Culture & Creativity series “Creative Capital” with European Thought Leaders about the challenges and opportunities their organisation and Europe faces.
What is your company’s strategy to navigate the multiple crises currently afflicting Europe? How is your company leveraging innovation to do so?
“We take crises as a challenge, a call for greater vigilance. Our philosophy is to actively discover and invent innovation, not wait for it to come to us. Crises are a time of intense difficulties, and should not be used to facilitate our work or make it more interesting. Instead, we should understand crises as a liminal period and use it to identify those issues and direct innovations towards its dysfunctional elements.”
How do you invest in innovation? (e.g. in incremental steps close to markets, in disruptive innovation with long term returns, or a mixture?) Are you investing more or less than before?
Briefly describe your front runner innovation coming to market next year – and why it is likely to succeed.
“We invest more and more in human capital: curiosity and networking – new forms of cooperation across disciplines. Innovation in the creative industry does not start only in new technologies – tools and their usage, but in their blend with traditional disciplines. Innovation in the creative industry is a new way of abstract thinking!”
What is your outlook for the future of your market next year, and in 5 years? Please specify market opportunities and challenges.
“Our goal is to define a new program, a summary of natural and technological processes, through the combination of the philosophies of nature, human and technology – their fluid and fluctuating borders and inter-influences. We see potential in the wider coalitions of experts with the public in the creation of strategic designs – to use (as much as possible) the potential of collective intelligence.”
Which policy agendas and legal frameworks would support your global competitiveness? Please specify policies or administrative bureaucracies which can be reduced – or even abolished – without neglecting the needs for a more sustainable economy.
“A certain form of definition of the new EU platform, subject, company ID number, or simply the status. The hallmark of the market leaders in the field of innovation, for instance (similar to the EU domain) could be helpful. If it doesn’t exist yet, let’s think about it!”
What resource would most help your company to reach its financial or other performance targets next year, and/or in 5 years?
“The utilisation of the existing, but unfriendly infrastructure may help the entire creative industry – e.g. unused offices and commercial spaces. Additionally, the transformation of the existing forms (structures) of partnerships, sponsorships and investments in creativity, in an effort of finding and experimenting with the next level of art and architecture – similar as it is in the research of science.”
About EIT Culture & Creativity
EIT Culture & Creativity is the ninth Innovation Community by the European Institute of Innovation and Technfology (EIT), a body of the European Union. It is designed to strengthen and transform Europe’s Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) by connecting creatives and organisations to Europe’s largest innovation network. It takes a holistic and open approach to innovation – from tech to artistic driven innovations, from business to citizen driven – and reinforces the appreciation and anchoring of European values and identities. EIT Culture & Creativity will unlock latent value from a multitude of small CCSI stakeholders through technology transfer, improved cross-sectoral collaboration and their effective integration in production value networks. EIT Culture & Creativity will support technology and business innovation; artistic innovation and social innovation. It will also harness the unique position of the CCSI to facilitate the Triple Transitions in Europe – green, digital and social.
About The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
The EIT is Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem bringing together close to 3,000 partners from top business, research and education organisations across Europe in over 80 innovation hubs. The EIT strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, composed of leading companies, research labs and universities each dedicated to solving a pressing global challenge, from climate change to health, to renewable energy.
