Jorge GarcÍa Vabuena works in the field of User-Driven Innovation and Digital Culture within Digital Innovation Lab in Tecnalia. With an academic background in the field of Information Science and Human-Computer Interaction, his current interests focus on the intersection of technology and society as well as ethical issues and societal impact arising from the use of technology.
He is currently managing Regional and Europeans projects related to Digital Culture (Makers and Open Industry, Urban manufacturing, Digital Social Innovation) and User-Driven Innovation (Living Lab deployment and managing, User Experience, user-centred design and e-participation) and represents tecnalia in the EIT Culture & Creativity.
Tecnalia is a member of the EIT Culture & Creativity. This interview is part of an interview series with EIT Culture & Creativity members about their innovations and ambitions.
We at tecnalia work with a strategic business relationship model based on trust, collaboration, and a shared technological approach, whereby our main scopes of action are: smart manufacturing, digital transformation, energy transition, sustainable mobility, Personalised health, urban ecosystem and circular economy. We truly believe that CCSIs have a transformative potential to facilitate the path towards a just transition, a more sustainable world and a prosperous future.
What inspired your organisation to become part of EIT Culture & Creativity? Moreover, what expectations do you hold for this collaboration?
Should you pinpoint a single groundbreaking innovation to make Europe a better place, what would it be and how is your organisation contributing to it?
We truly believe that the principles of the New European Bauhaus perfectly encapsulate the core innovation needed to make Europe a better place, responding to needs beyond functionality, sustainable, caring for our planet and leaving no one behind. Tecnalia fully embraces these principles by making them its own in the projects it develops.
What unique products, services, or initiatives does your organisation offer that set you apart from others in your industry?
The fact that we have more than 1,500 researchers working in fields as diverse as health, energy transition, smart manufacturing and the urban ecosystem gives us a global and systemic vision to face the challenges of the future. In addition, our active participation in 7 of the 9 EIT KICs gives us a deep understanding of social and industrial needs as well as a magnificent capacity for cross-innovation.
Share a recent success story or project that exemplifies the positive impact of your organisation’s work in the CCSI
We have been able to demonstrate the transformative potential of grassroots initiatives from the CCSIs in the city of Bilbao (Zorrotzaurre Island) by prototyping bottom-up solutions to solve urban challenges and design the city of the future in terms of circular economy, climate change and social inclusion. https://zorrotzaurre.t-factor.eu/
What are some key future initiatives, projects, or innovations your organisation has in the pipeline that our audience should look forward to?
Everything related to AI (especially generative AI) both from the perspective of opportunities and benefits as well as socio-ethical implications is something we are currently working on intensively. In all sectors and fields but especially in the CCSIs.
If your organisation had a soundtrack, which one would it be and why?
“What a wonderful world”
Louis Armstrong
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.
