On 29 October, at Hibridalab, the Foundation will present its new channel for accessing spaces, infrastructure, data and support to pilot solutions in the territory, together with the first two Challenges, set by Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council and the Provincial Council of Álava.
■ Innovation Lab gives companies, start-ups, technology centres and universities access to eight experimentation spaces where they can test solutions under real conditions, with support from Mobility Lab from the application stage through to the close of the pilot.
■ The first Challenges will be unveiled at the event and will open up new opportunities for companies and innovative organisations to address real needs in the territory through pilot projects.
■ The event will bring together Álava’s public institutions, experts in public innovation and organisations that will share their experience of experimenting in the territory.
The Vitoria-Gasteiz Araba Mobility Lab Foundation will present Innovation Lab on 29 October. The initiative gives companies and innovative organisations easier access to spaces and resources to develop and test new mobility and logistics solutions in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava. The launch event, which will take place from 10:30 to 14:30 at Hibridalab (Álava University Campus), will explain how Innovation Lab works, the ways to take part and the first two Challenges. Attendees will also hear first-hand from projects that have already made the leap to experimentation.
Innovation Lab operates as a living lab and as a single access channel to the territory’s spaces, infrastructure, equipment, data and services. Through a permanently open application window, any public or private organisation, either individually or as part of a consortium, can propose a pilot, demonstration or validation in real environments or in environments that reproduce real conditions of use.
Mobility Lab’s support covers the entire process, from preparing the application and defining the tests to carrying them out, monitoring them and evaluating the results. The aim is to help organisations shape their projects, access the resources they need and obtain results that allow them to assess whether to continue or scale up their solutions.
Eight spaces for testing under real conditions
Innovation Lab is organised into eight experimentation spaces linked to the territory’s mobility and logistics challenges:
| 01 – Autonomous, connected and clean vehicles | 05 – Smart public transport |
| 02 – Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles | 06 – Active mobility and micromobility |
| 03 – Last-mile urban distribution | 07 – Road safety and accessibility |
| 04 – Intermodal logistics | 08 – High-capacity roads |
In addition to the experimentation spaces, Mobility Lab has a project support pavilion and technical equipment for preparing prototypes and carrying out tests, such as 3D printers, sensors, autonomous platforms and drones.
These resources are complemented by MOVDATA, Mobility Lab’s mobility and logistics data space, which facilitates access to and sharing of data in a trusted environment.
The first Challenges: from public challenge to real-world test
The Challenges complement Innovation Lab’s permanent channel with specific calls that aim to connect the needs of public administrations with innovative solutions that can be developed and tested in the territory. The first edition will include two challenges set by Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council and the Provincial Council of Álava, aimed at companies and organisations with the capacity to develop and validate new solutions.
The challenges and the opportunities for interested organisations to take part will be presented in detail at the event.
A programme featuring institutions, experts and pilots already under way
The event will open with an institutional welcome and the presentation of the new phase of the Mobility Lab Vitoria-Gasteiz Foundation.
The programme will include the round table “The territory as an innovation infrastructure”, bringing together representatives of public administrations and organisations from the innovation ecosystem. They will discuss the role of experimentation in public and business innovation, and how it helps to reduce uncertainty and generate evidence for decision-making.
The Mobility Lab team will walk through Innovation Lab step by step, using a sample case and a tour of the new website, showing interested organisations how to submit their projects and what resources are available.
The presentation of the Challenges will feature Mobility Lab and the technical departments of the administrations behind the challenges, who will explain the needs identified, the solutions being sought and the participation process.
Finally, the “Voices of experimentation” panel will bring together companies and organisations developing innovative mobility and logistics projects to share their experiences, barriers and lessons learned, as well as the prospects for continuing and scaling up their projects.
Free admission, registration required
Attendance is free of charge, but prior registration is required and places are limited. Those interested can book their place using the following form.