What is a LABIC?
A Civic Innovation Lab (LABIC) is a place to experiment, collaborate and accelerate innovative projects that arise from citizens which are transformed into useful solutions to social, cultural, environmental and economic challenges.
LABIC is a methodology developed by the Citizen Innovation Project from SEGIB that has been carried out since 2014 in different Ibero-American countries. It has the ability to adapt to the characteristics of each context where it will work and to the central theme of the laboratory. In 2019, the European Commission selected LABIC as one of the greatest innovations in development cooperation at a global level.
The LABICs are organized every year, generating innovative solutions that have the potencial to be replicated and scaled. Together with national and international partners, in its 7 editions the most important challenges for the Ibero-American region have been worked on.
How is a LABIC? It begins with the international call for projects focused on a specific theme. A maximum of 10 projects are selected and a second call is opened to people who want to collaborate in its development (between 5 and 9 people are selected). From there, multidisciplinary and international teams are formed, which meet for 10 days to carry out intensive work on prototyping solutions with the support of a mentoring team. In this way, what begins as an idea (or an initial project) becomes what we call a “prototype”.
Prototypes are a first version of the project which allow us to test the object, the methodology or the platform in which we are working before starting the production or definitive execution stage. This helps us to detect errors and deficiencies early and to be able to improve them to achieve the goals of the project.
At LABIC, unlike other spaces, work is guided by experimentation, creativity, collaboration and fieldwork together with communities of interest for each project. It is not a competition.
If you would like a #LABIC to be organized in your country and you belong to a public or private institution interested in implementing 21st Century citizen processes, you can mail us at info@innovacionciudadana.com telling us your interest.
Meet the LABIC
LABICMEX. Guanajuato, Mexico, 2021.
- Subject: Accesibility and autonomy for disabled people.
- Incubation and implementation of the 5 most impactful prototypes of all LABICs.
- Partners: Government of the State of Guanajuato, AECID, European Union, AMEXCID, Ingudis, ONCE Social Group.
- Info: 5 projects, 35 participants of 5 countries.
- This was LABICMEX: video.
- Meet the projects here.
LABICCR. Liberia, Costa Rica, 2019.
- Tema: Solutions for the environment and climate change.
- First LABIC that incubated and matured prototypes to turn them into scaled solutions.
- Partners: Government of Costa Rica, Earth University, AECID, European Union.
- Info: 10 projects, 100 participants of 14 countries.
- This was LABICCR: video.
- Meet the projects here.
LABICAR. Rosario, Argentina, 2018.
- Subject: Inclusive and Sustainable Communities.
- First innovation laboratory working within the framework of SDGs.
- Partners: Government of the Province of Santa Fe, Ministry of Modernization of the State of Argentina, AECID, Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue – Norway, Ford Foundation.
- Info: 10 projects, 100 participants of 20 countries.
- This was LABICAR: video.
- Meet the projects here.
LABICXLAPAZ. Narino, Colombia, 2018.
- Subject: Post-conflict and peace.
- First experience at a global level of civic innovation within the framwork of an official post-conflict strategy.
- Partners: High Council for the Post-Conflict – Presidency of Colombia, Governorate of Nariño, AECID, Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue – Norway, Ministry of Culture of Colombia.
- Info: 10 projects, 100 participants of 14 countries.
- This was LABICXLAPAZ: video.
- Meet the projects here.
LABICCO. Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 2016.
- Subject: Inclusion of vulnerable populations.
- Within the framework of the XXV Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government.
- Partners: Ministry of Culture of Colombia, AECID, Ford Foundation, Cartagena City Council.
- Info: 11 projects, 120 participants of 15 countries.
- This was LABICCO: video.
- Meet the projects here.
LABICBR. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 2015.
- Subject: Innovation, culture and technology.
- First innovation laboratory that incorporates work with communities in their territories.
- Partners: Ministry of Culture of Brasil, AECID, Ford Foundation, General Secretariat of the Presidency of Brasil.
- Info: 12 projects, 120 participants of 13 countries.
- This was LABICBR: video.
- Meet the projects here.
LABICMX. Veracruz, Mexico, 2014.
- Subject: Civic Innovation for Ibero-America.
- Primer activity open to the citizenship in the framework of the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government.
- Partners: Digital National Strategy – Presidency of Mexico, Government of the State of Veracruz, AECID, Ford Foundation, Unidos en Red Foundation and City Council of Xalapa.
- Info: 10 projects, 100 participants of 13 countries.
- This was LABICMX: video.
- Meet the projectes here.