Categoría Knowledge
EmPACT i3 Workshop: Employability with Impact
On February 13 in Irún, ALC participated in the EmPACT i3 Workshop, part of the second workshop of the 2025–2026 academic year of the Employability Itinerary of this cross-border inter-university project.
Employability with Impact is a project run by the EmPACT i3 program that brings together students from diverse backgrounds, teachers, and public and private sector representatives to develop knowledge and skills in future professionals, with the aim of enabling them to have a real impact on the transition challenges facing the Nouvelle-Aquitaine–Euskadi cross-border region.
This initiative, co-financed by the POCTEFA Program 2021–2027, seeks to bring the university closer to the region through practical and collaborative projects focused on the social, ecological, and economic challenges facing the region.
The project is led by Euskampus Fundazioa as coordinating partner, together with the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux, within the framework of the Euskampus-Bordeaux cross-border campus.
During the workshop, teams made up of students, teachers, and organizations from both sides of the border shared progress, exchanged ideas, and worked together on real challenges facing the region. The day combined practical learning, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the development of solutions with tangible impact.
Democracy Lab Bilbao. Democratic engagement of youth and children
From February 10 to 12, 2026, Bilbao hosted Democracy Lab, a space for experimenting with new forms of citizen participation and collaborative governance, focusing on children and young people.
The event was organized by the City of Bilbao and Arantzazulab, together with a broad Basque ecosystem.
For three days, various agents will work together in teams on real challenges presented by participating cities. With the help of experienced facilitators, including Julia Martínez from ALC, and mentors such as experts from the Nets4Dem network, Arantzazulab, and other local actors, they will design concrete democratic interventions ready to be implemented in their administrations. In addition, they will conduct study visits to learn about innovative practices in Bilbao and the Basque Country, promoting the exchange of experiences and perspectives.
Democracy Lab is an opportunity to learn, experiment, and co-create tools that make democracy more participatory and inclusive for new generations.
The Swedish European Social Fund Council visits ALC
On January 20, the Swedish European Social Fund Council (Swedish ESF Council) visited ALC to learn more about its work in social innovation. The ESF, which reports to the Swedish Ministry of Labor, manages European funds in the country and promotes projects that boost employment, skills development, and social integration.
During the visit, the delegation exchanged experiences and best practices on how social innovation is supported at the local, regional, and national levels, as well as the role of transnational cooperation in this area. The topics discussed were:
- The work and functions of ALC.
- How the social innovation ecosystem works in the region.
- Strategies and support from local and regional policies.
- Success stories that demonstrate systematic approaches to projects and policies.
- The role of ALC with the national support structure for social innovation.
In addition, the delegation met with representatives from the Basque Country Region (Office of European Affairs) to learn about projects funded by EaSI. The visit helped to strengthen European cooperation and the exchange of ideas to promote innovative solutions to social challenges.
Third meeting of the Transis Lab project
From November 19 to 21, 2025, ALC participated in the third meeting of the Transis Lab project, held at FICOBA, in Irun, bringing together all the consortium partners to evaluate progress and strengthen cross-border cooperation in social innovation for longevity.
On November 19, the First Transis Lab Transfer Seminar took place, where the project's objectives and interim results were presented, as well as FRAGILAB pilot experiences. Transfer workshops were held to explore opportunities for adopting these initiatives in urban and rural environments.
On November 20 and 21, the third meeting of the Transis Lab consortium took place, bringing together all the partners to take stock of the project's progress and coordinate the next steps of this cross-border initiative.
Itziar Moreno, from ALC, explained the methodology to develop the TransisLab Agenda. This methodology combines literature review, interviews with social policy managers, and workshops with cross-border entities, with the aim of designing a cooperation framework that promotes innovative solutions, a cross-border ecosystem of social innovation, and a shared training and experimentation infrastructure. The agenda will serve to implement six pilot projects that connect family and local social and health systems, improving the lives of 400 frail elderly people in rural areas.
We participated in the 13th European Forum on Experiences and Trends in Innovation for Inclusion
On Wednesday, November 26, ALC participated in the 13th European Forum on Experiences and Trends in Innovation for Inclusion, organized by the European Network for Innovation for Inclusion and led by Acción contra el Hambre in Madrid.
Gorka Espiau participated in the session “The goal of systemic change,” sharing how ALC works in open social innovation and community transformation, and how collaboration between citizens, institutions, and other actors can generate more inclusive and sustainable solutions.
In this edition, the forum showed how to connect evidence with political decision-making, combining theory with concrete experiences. It highlighted initiatives that, thanks to the joint work of public institutions, companies, and social organizations, are driving systemic change, transforming communities, and promoting inclusive employment and entrepreneurship.
The event, which was broadcast live on YouTube and LinkedIn, established itself as a key space for inspiring more inclusive and resilient policies across Europe.
ALC presents K-Tool at the 2nd Catalan Citizen Science Congress
ALC presented K-Tool, its digital tool for promoting systemic and collaborative innovation processes, at the 2nd Catalan Citizen Science Congress, held on November 18 at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB).
In the 37th Microtalk, entitled “K-Tool (Digital Tool). From a systemic vision to shared innovation to address complex challenges,” Beth Espinalt (DOER) and Raimon Mirada (Bestiario) showed how this platform facilitates the observation of complex social realities, the identification of narratives and opportunities for transformation, and the shared management of knowledge.
K-Tool reflects the ALC's experience in open social innovation and community transformation processes, integrating qualitative data, multiple perspectives, and advanced visualizations to support decision-making and the co-creation of solutions.
The 2025 Citizen Science Congress left a clear conclusion: the country is undergoing a paradigm shift. Research is no longer conceived solely in laboratories, but through collaboration between institutions, citizens, schools, businesses, and administrations. It is a path that requires time, stability, and strategic vision, but one that is already generating a new collective imaginary, in which citizens not only observe science, but actively construct it.
ALC presents K-tool at UNDP Knowledge Summit in Dubai
Agirre Lehendakaria Center presented its K-tool at the UNDP Knowledge Summit, held on 19–20 November in Dubai. The session, organized by UNDP, brought together public officials, development professionals, think tanks, and academics to explore how development intelligence can enhance policy design and decision-making in an increasingly complex world.
Gorka Espiau participated as a speaker in the roundtable “Development Intelligence as the ‘Operating System’ for More Effective Policy & Decision Making.” Other speakers included Dr. Justin Lane, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of CulturePulse; Mohammed Salih, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Libya; Pedro Conceição, Director of the Human Development Report Office, UNDP; and Sibel Saylan, Partnerships Specialist, UNDP ICPSD. The session was chaired by Jennifer Colville, Innovation Team Leader, UNDP Regional Hub in Amman.
During his intervention, Espiau demonstrated how K-tool integrates data, citizen knowledge, and narratives to support continuous learning and real-time decision-making. The tool was presented as an example of an application within the new approach to development intelligence, promoting more anticipatory, co-created, and connected systems.
Galdakao holds its first co-creation session to strengthen the community and rethink the local health and welfare system
On 27 October, Galdakao hosted the first co-creation session facilitated by ALC, as part of the Galdakao Zeugaz programme and the community transformation process currently underway in the municipality. More than 40 people participated in the meeting, including representatives from the Town Council, Osakidetza, Bihar cooperative, Agintzari, Elkarbizi senior citizens' association, AMPA, Farmamundi and Erabide, among other organisations, as well as individual citizens.
This collaboration seeks to promote a renewed local strategy that rethinks Galdakao's health and welfare system from a comprehensive and community-based perspective. The aim of this session was to advance the collective development of solutions to challenges such as unwanted loneliness and the need to strengthen community connections.
The implementation group, which has already conducted more than 70 interviews, compared the ethnographic profiles and updated local narratives with the attendees, allowing them to validate and enrich the information collected so far. These profiles paint a vivid picture of the municipality, with key ideas such as the importance of strengthening local networks and neighbourhood businesses, recognising existing diversity and understanding that vulnerability is shared among different social groups.
Among the most powerful narratives that emerged was the collective recognition as a vulnerable community, understanding that all people—regardless of their age, condition, or situation—have needs and can offer support. This vision of mutual care and support was consolidated as one of the foundations of the process in Galdakao.
After comparing profiles, participants worked in small groups to advance three prioritised areas of co-creation:
-New community role or profile, aimed at strengthening collective capacities and support links.
-Housing from a community perspective, exploring how to generate connection and companionship among neighbours, in stairwells or apartment blocks.
-Communication, information and accessibility, with the challenge of improving existing channels to ensure that everyone can learn about and participate in the life of the municipality.
-Housing from a community perspective, exploring how to generate connection and support among neighbours, in stairwells or apartment blocks.
-Communication, information and accessibility, with the challenge of improving existing channels to ensure that everyone can learn about and participate in the life of the municipality.
The day ended with a shared closing session in which it was agreed to follow up on the ideas worked on and continue the listening process, incorporating feedback and contributions from participants.
ALC took part in the Master’s Degree in Design for Change at Kunsthal Bilbao
As part of the Master's Degree in Design for Change at Kunsthal Bilbao, ALC gave a session entitled ‘Social innovation approach to tackling complex challenges’.
It was led by Julen Larrañaga, Mikel Álvarez and Beñat Oiartzabal, project coordinators at ALC, who shared with the students the fundamentals and tools of the systemic social innovation approach promoted by the centre.
The aim of the training was to introduce students to methodologies that enable them to understand and transform complex ecosystems through collective intelligence, deep listening, shared interpretation and co-creation. Through participatory dynamics, ways of generating sustainable change in line with the needs of communities and organisations were explored.
During the workshop, participants used K-Tool, a digital tool developed by ALC and Bestiario that helps organise and visualise complex information about social innovation ecosystems. This tool provides a better understanding of the connections between actors and projects, identifies the factors that drive or hinder change, and assesses the impact of actions in real time.
Students were able to experiment directly with the tool, reflecting on its potential to improve collaboration, strengthen decision-making, and foster a culture of continuous innovation.
ALC moderated the conference on Digital Innovation and International Cooperation at the Palau Macaya
Yesterday, October 8, 2025, the conference “Can digital innovation stimulate more transformative development cooperation? Emerging technologies to respond to complex challenges” took place at the Palau Macaya in Barcelona, organized by the “la Caixa” Foundation and UNESCO as part of the annual Work4Progress program conference.
The session brought together professionals from the public, private, and academic sectors to reflect on the role of emerging technologies in international cooperation, exploring ethical, inclusive, and collaborative approaches capable of responding to major global challenges through digital transformation.
The meeting was attended by José Moisés Martín Carretero, director of the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI); Mercè Crosas, director of Social Sciences and Computational Humanities at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; Kasia Odrozek, coordinator of the Business Council for Ethics of AI, Bioethics and Ethics of Science in the Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO; and Shrashtant Patara, executive director of Development Alternatives and executive vice president of DA Group (Delhi, India). It was moderated by Gorka Espiau, director of the Agirre Lehendakaria Center.