One
of the aims of the 22@Barcelona municipal company is to consolidate
Barcelona’s role as an innovative city and to foster innovation in its
business fabric.
BARCELONA URBAN LAB was created under this
framework as a specific line of action to foster use of the city as an
urban laboratory. Through this project, the city is made available to
companies with innovative projects to test their infrastructures and
services for the future in a real environment.
Definition
Urban
Lab is a tool to facilitate the use of public spaces in the city of
Barcelona to carry out tests and pilot programs on products and services
with an urban impact, which are in the pre-market stage and in line
with the Barcelona City Council’s aims, priorities and lines of action. The idea is to use the city as an urban laboratory.
What Urban Lab is and isn’t: Requirements and Process
Facilitate: Urban
Lab acts as a gateway to the City Council and facilitates internal
coordination among the different areas. The form detailing the pilot
proposal is presented to the Urban Lab Board, made up of members that
are directly responsible for different areas of action (such as
urban-planning, mobility, environment, etc.) and this group approves or
rejects implementation of the plan.
Pilot programs: Urban
Lab allows for the creation of pilot programs but is not a tool to sell
products that already exist on the market. In fact, the pilot programs
are funded by the companies themselves and this is not a funding tool
for innovative projects. Furthermore, carrying out a pilot program
doesn’t imply any commitment on behalf of the Barcelona City Council to
implement the solution tested in the long term.
Urban impact:
The pilot programs must demonstrate an express need to use public
spaces, the city streets. Other types of products/services will not be
admitted into this project.
Pre-market:
Urban Lab isn’t a showroom for products or services currently available
on the market or that are being marketed. This project seeks out
innovative solutions to unresolved needs.
Aligned:
The pilot programs must meet the Barcelona City Council’s real needs
and must have a direct impact on the functioning of the city or on the
services provided by the City Council itself, benefiting residents.
Aims
To foster business innovation through 22@Barcelona, the innovation district.
To reduce time to market for
companies through pilot programs and, if these demonstrate their value,
to allow them to then market their product or service on a large scale
in Barcelona or any other city in the world.
To learn and create new products or services than can bring improvements to Barcelona’s residents.
Benefits:
Residents: Better products, better solutions, and better municipal services.
Business fabric: Test space and testing in a real environment to facilitate market access and increase business competitiveness.
Science and Technology: This is a powerful technology-transfer tool on both a local and international scale.
City and Public Administration: A tool to facilitate the introduction of new solutions (ongoing improvement).
