Categoría News
Collective action, community-based work, and narrative analysis with Carmen van Bruggen
Researcher Carmen van Bruggen of the University of Groningen is conducting her doctoral research on the phenomenon of auzolan (community-based work) in the Frisian region of the Netherlands (known as Mienskip) and is comparing these practices with their counterparts in the Basque Country. Although not widely known, this type of collective and supportive response to community needs is common in traditional cultures and has persisted over time, particularly in rural settings.
The purpose of the meeting with Carmen van Bruggen was to learn more about this research and to explore how it relates to other research projects and programs being carried out by ALC. Since it is not possible to promote transformative innovation processes that do not respond to the social and cultural dynamics of the region, we are interested in examining how we are currently interpreting these types of collaborative strategies and what form they are taking.
From the farmhouse to the Mondragon Cooperativism
In this context, the discussion focused on the historical relationship between the traditional farming community and cooperation, highlighting how its self-sufficiency did not preclude community collaboration for tasks that exceeded individual capacity. An analogy was drawn between this model and the Mondragon cooperative system: autonomous structures interconnected through a network, a balance that has historically fostered greater social resilience.
K Tool and the Guggenheim Case
From a methodological perspective, participants discussed the potential of K Tool, the digital community listening platform developed and used by ALC for large-scale qualitative data processing, referring to the extensive work conducted in connection with the public debate on the expansion of the Guggenheim Museum. During that process, more than 1,000 real-life narratives were collected to identify underlying patterns and conduct comparative analyses. Thanks to this tool, it was possible to structure different levels of interpretation and systematically cross-reference people’s stories with their everyday actions.
Following this first meeting in Bilbao, Carmen van Bruggen will continue her research in Gipuzkoa over the coming days.
Collective intelligence responding to emergency situations
Agirre Lehendakaria Center welcomed Jayne Engle, a Senior Fellow at the center and an adjunct professor at McGill University in Montreal. During the meeting, Jayne Engle shared the experience of Polity, a cooperative that supports efforts to deepen democracy in digital environments.
Among other initiatives, Polity has collaborated with Engaged California through its digital platform, Ethelo. Engaged California is a platform for collaborative response between public institutions and civil society to the emergency situation that arose last year in California due to the wildfires that devastated the state. This tool allows users to visualize the complexity of different perspectives and response suggestions so that participants can prioritize proposals, weigh them, add comments, and see in real time how their opinions influence decision-making by public institutions.
Understanding science, technology, and innovation policies in the Basque Country from the perspective of an experimentation portfolio
This collaboration combines ALC's portfolio-driven approach with the “Relational Infrastructure” approach developed by Kateryna Pereverza to examine how shared narratives and interrelationships are key to understanding how the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem in the Basque Country has evolved over the past 50 years.
ALC continues its research on public policies for science, technology, and innovation in the Basque Country, covering the period from 1980 to 2030, while exploring new methodologies to address systemic transformations. To this end, the team has been working in Bilbao alongside Kateryna Pereverza, a researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm), to delve deeper into how to apply the portfolio approach to the analysis of public policies.
The central goal of this joint effort is to move beyond the traditional view that sees science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies as a collection of isolated initiatives. Instead, the collaboration proposes understanding the “STI ecosystem” as a dynamic and much broader system that integrates interventions at multiple levels, mapping of stakeholders, and, crucially, social narratives.
Relational infrastructure and emerging portfolios
To structure this work, the research incorporates the “Relational Infrastructure” methodological framework developed by Pereverza. Through a longitudinal analysis of the qualitative data collected by ALC, aided by artificial intelligence tools, the study examines the historical evolution of the Basque STI ecosystem from the 1980s to the present.
One of the study’s most innovative findings is the existence of an “emerging portfolio.” Unlike approaches where collaboration and learning are designed in a top-down, corporate manner, the Basque case suggests that mechanisms for transformation emerged organically through informal structures, networks of trust and learning among stakeholders, and a strong culture of cooperation.
From Project to Portfolio: The Evolution of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Public Policies in the Basque Country (1980–2030)
Research shows that the evolution of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in the Basque Country cannot be understood solely through specific programs or policies. Over the course of five decades, the development of the ecosystem has been guided by shared narratives that gave meaning, direction, and legitimacy to collective action.
This perspective offers a complementary view of international debates on mission-oriented policies. While these approaches typically examine how missions are defined and driven by public institutions, the Basque case suggests that strategic direction can also emerge from society, based on a shared vision of the future and a strong capacity for collective action.
The main innovation of this research is that it analyzes the evolution of the Basque Country as a portfolio of interconnected policies, organizations, and initiatives, rather than studying isolated interventions. It also analyzes these elements in relation to the narratives and social dynamics of each historical period. This allows us to understand how collaboration, learning, and co-evolution among the various elements (actors, initiatives, policies, and narratives) have contributed to building a unique innovation ecosystem.
Presentation at EuSPRI 2026: International Conference on Transformative Innovation Policies
ALC and Kateryna Pereverza will present the findings of this study at the EuSPRI 2026 international conference, to be held on June 10, 11, and 12 in Valencia. There, they will share with the scientific community on transformative innovation policies (TIP) how the use of social narratives can transform the evaluation of innovation policies. In addition, they will demonstrate the potential of the K Tool, the digital platform developed by ALC to analyze and visualize portfolios based on community listening; a key tool in this research for managing innovation policies more dynamically and projecting them into the future.
The European Initiative: The New Center of Excellence in Social Innovation
This commitment to working with portfolios rather than isolated projects coincides with the launch of the New Center of Competence in Social Innovation (NCCS), a European initiative in which ALC participates alongside six ministries of the Spanish government, the CDTI, and the CSIC.
The best practical example of this approach is the VIDAS Portfolio. With an investment of 156 million euros, this ecosystem—in whose design and evaluation ALC is involved—connects 95 innovations from 143 organizations in real time to transform the community care system. It proves that coordinating and integrating initiatives generates far greater impact than launching projects separately.
A Consolidated and Scalable Approach
This collaboration with researcher Kateryna Pereverza reinforces a methodological approach that ALC already applies on a large scale in various national and international projects. The portfolio approach currently underpins large-scale initiatives such as those developed in partnership with Acción Contra el Hambre (ACH) to create four experimentation portfolios on child malnutrition in different regions of Spain, the Work for Progress ecosystem promoted by the “la Caixa” Foundation, and the European COPOLAD program, which launched five laboratories for the design of public policies more closely aligned with social dynamics. Likewise, at the local level, this model forms the basis of the care experimentation portfolio in the Basque Country, which features active social innovation processes in municipalities such as Galdakao (Galdako Zeugaz), Getxo (Getxo Zurekin), and Gasteiz (Lakua Arriaga).
Results of the Urdaibai Listening Process, what now?
Urdaibai has everything it needs to become an advanced learning space for the sustainable human development of Basque society. In addition to the characteristics of the environment, institutional and social efforts to promote a new transformation of the territory and, above all, the commitment of its citizens, make it possible to attract talent and investment to test a set of specific initiatives that can subsequently be scaled up to the entire Basque Country.
This report compiles the findings of the listening process in Busturialdea-Urdaibai on the possible expansion of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in the region and complements the previous report published in July 2025. During the 10 months of this process, 1,002 individual narratives were collected and verified through seven collective interpretation sessions. All this information was verified and enriched at the international seminar held at Ekoetxea on December 1 and 2, 2025.
Now that Basque institutions have decided not to proceed with the museum expansion project in Urdaibai, this document remains valid for enriching the debate on how Basque society can tackle the necessary socio-ecological transition in the region.
During the listening process, five narrative patterns emerged that reflect the different ways of positioning oneself in relation to the initiative and the future of the region. As we have pointed out, it is not possible to speak of majorities or minorities, but rather of prevalences, understood as trends with greater presence, density, argumentative maturity, or repetition over time. The interpretation of prevalences has been possible thanks to the volume, frequency, and intensity of narratives and the seven contrast sessions held during 2025, as reflected in the preliminary report on narrative patterns. The narratives identified reveal cross-cutting effects between conservation, tourism, housing, employment, and mobility. Therefore, the narratives have reflected that the debate is not only about the expansion of the museum, but also about how to address the socio-ecological transition of the region and what role each agent in the region can play.
There are differences, but also broad consensus on the development of the region. Based on the narratives gathered, no one questions the need to combine environmental protection with the socio-economic development of Busturialdea-Urdaibai, or the framework of the biosphere reserve. As was evident at the international seminar, there are not many similar conflicts in which such broad consensus exists. This consensus provides a unique foundation for building a shared future in the region based on diversity.
Regardless of whether participants rejected the project, supported it, or had doubts, they agreed that the region needs to act, move forward, and make strategic decisions as a pioneer of green development in a biosphere reserve. The initial Not In My Back Yard attitude (in which many people who rejected the project viewed it favorably in other places) has evolved into a more nuanced position focused on the future of Urdaibai. The process itself has made it possible to highlight and compare different ways of viewing the project and the development of the region. Thanks to this exercise in public dialogue, all positions have introduced nuances that did not previously exist in their discourse, and common elements have been made explicit.
Once the decision was made not to proceed with the museum expansion project, the concerns and suggestions of those organizations that opposed it were acknowledged. At the same time, the institutions that facilitated this process, taking political and electoral risks that are normally considered excessive, were able to see how their commitment to the development of the region was enriched by very specific contributions. All the efforts of these social and institutional actors should be recognized. Instead of a win-lose confrontation, the listening process has made it possible to envision a future scenario in which the entire region can win.
What now?
The challenge from now on is not to close the debate, but to restart the discussion and give it new content, preventing the void that has been created from turning into paralysis or disaffection. Instead of proposing new specific solutions, the narratives collected call for strengthening the current strategic plan with new initiatives that complement the necessary investments in infrastructure that have already been committed to. These initiatives should address the different topics gathered during the listening process (Housing, Transportation, Culture, Employment, Tourism, Culture, and Ecology) rather than focusing all efforts on a specific area. In this context, it is suggested that we explore what other specific contributions the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao could make to the region, now that the decision has been made not to continue with the expansion project.
Considering the above, the listening process could be kept active (integrating other existing participation processes) as a stable space for public debate and feedback, reinforcing its educational nature and its role in generating advanced knowledge. This would involve continuing to incorporate new voices—especially young people, migrants, and residents of small municipalities—promoting intergenerational and territorial dialogue, and exploring tools capable of simulating new development scenarios. Far from being exhausted in a specific discussion, the listening process could be transformed into a strategic tool for managing tensions between protection and development, articulating a collective project that combines identity, sustainability, and well-being.
Based on this experience, we can affirm that Urdaibai meets all the conditions to become an advanced learning space for the sustainable human development of Basque society. In addition to the characteristics of the environment, institutional and social efforts to promote a new transformation of the territory and, above all, the commitment of its citizens, make it possible to attract talent and investment to test a set of specific initiatives that can subsequently be scaled up to the whole of the Basque Country.
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 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.
K-Tool 2.0: AI to support social transitions
K-Tool is evolving in two dimensions: on the one hand, it is improving its management, information loading, comprehension, and usability; on the other, it is incorporating Artificial Intelligence to enhance narrative analysis, automate processes, and support decision-making in complex social ecosystems.
In recent months, K-Tool has entered a new phase of development as a platform for addressing complex social challenges from a collaborative approach. Designed to facilitate ecosystem mapping, deep listening, narrative analysis, and experimentation portfolio management, the tool is progressively integrating Artificial Intelligence capabilities into all its modules.
The incorporation of AI has two main objectives: to automate information loading and organization tasks, and to enhance the deep and segmented narrative analysis that until now was applied manually. This translates into functional improvements such as automatic audio transcription, analysis of relevant images, videos, and texts to better understand existing social dynamics, extraction of significant quotes and detection of narrative patterns, generation of profiles (different positions on the same reality), and the possibility of prompting the dataset using an intelligent assistant, the K-Pilot.
Following the methodological criteria developed by the Agirre Lehendakaria Center and AC4-Columbia University over more than 10 years of experience in narrative analysis and the inclusion of the cultural dimension of social innovation processes - tested in more than 20 countries and at different scales-, it will include a developmental evaluation panel that shows how perceptions evolve over time and whether or not the project portfolio responds (or partially responds, or contradicts) to the different narratives and perceptions.
K-Tool will also make it easier to integrate relevant agents and suggest automatic connections between projects and actors, facilitating the detection of synergies and gaps in ecosystems. All these functionalities will have real-time validation and verification options, constantly feeding the model to ensure that automation acts as a support and not as a substitute for the work carried out so far. Alongside these functions, we are working on improving accessibility and use, with a new, clearer landing page nd more accessible to different audiences and the incorporation of explanatory guides.
These new features, whose development will continue in the coming months, will reinforce the cultural and anticipatory dimension of K-Tool, increasing its usefulness for decision-making in complex contexts. The qualitative datasets identified and generated for the different projects will allow us to capture nuances, diversity, and social changes, enriching the data with socio-cultural context and temporal tracking, necessary for effective narrative analysis.
Looking ahead, the data generated in the various processes will enable us to model and simulate potential impact scenarios: from direct project effects to adjacent impacts (e.g., rising housing prices) or narrative transformations. This will open the door to large-scale assessments of more significant changes in social perceptions.
To support this qualitative leap and explore new technological frontiers, ALC works closely with the HITZ research group at the University of the Basque Country (EHU). This collaboration connects two complementary doctoral lines of research: on the one hand, the thesis by Itziar Moreno, co-director of ALC, focused on Social Digital Twins as tools for analyzing complex social conflicts, integrating citizen narratives, simulating scenarios, and strengthening processes of collective intelligence and inclusive democracy; and, on the other hand, a more technical thesis developed at HITZ by Telmo Briones, aimed at studying the extent to which language models can support qualitative social research processes, such as quote extraction, pattern identification, and the construction of sociological profiles. The shared interest is to advance a more robust Ktool for working with qualitative data, social narratives, and future scenarios, while always maintaining a critical eye on the ethical, methodological, and epistemological limits of AI. In this regard, the collaboration with HITZ allows ALC to test new functionalities, strengthen the tool’s scientific foundation, and explore how digital technologies can contribute to processes of social innovation, adaptive governance, and impact assessment in the face of complex challenges.
Lokarriak: Learning Community at Fundación Argia
On September 16, Argia Fundazioa hosted the first session of the Lokarriak Learning Community, in which ALC conducted a workshop aimed at strengthening the role of people who act as a link between the community and social organizations.
This first session focused on sharing community experiences and introducing the basics of systemic mapping, a key tool for understanding the complexity of local contexts and visualizing possible connections between actors, initiatives, and needs.
The learning itinerary will continue with a second session focused on systemic mapping and an introduction to community listening, and will conclude with a third session working on community listening and collective interpretation.
Lokarriak play a fundamental role in promoting local transformation processes, as they facilitate the creation of bridges between individuals, groups, and institutions. Their role not only helps to identify needs and opportunities in the area, but also contributes to building trust, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the sense of belonging within the community.
