Abstract

SCHIAVO, Ester; DOS SANTOS NOGUEIRA, Camilla  and  VERA, Paula. Halfway between the dissemination of digital culture and the emergence of public laboratories: The case of Argentina within the Latin American context. Rev. iberoam. cienc. tecnol. soc. [online]. 2013, vol.8, n.23, pp.179-199. ISSN 1850-0013.

Citizens’ laboratories bring to the table unprecedented methodologies for the promotion of social and technological innovation, and have contributed to the reduction of various asymmetries and inequities. In Latin America, thanks to the use of open innovation methodologies, several experiences have been identified as citizens’ laboratories, but not all of them started through technological innovation: in many cases, they arose from social innovation proposals. This article aims at addressing the case of citizens’ laboratories in Argentina: right now there are seven new experiments underway. The analysis -based on the origins of the initiatives, their territorial scope, the objectives they seek, the stakeholders involved and their forms of financing- led us to present an initial proposal for classification. This proposal allowed us to make a comparative and more profound analysis of two experiences that can be considered as perfect examples of citizens’ empowerment. The first of them is a long-standing experience, the Community Technology Center (CTC) in Nono, province of Córdoba, an experience that started as a proposed technological innovation. The second experience is more recent. It was called GIROS and was powered through a social innovation initiative in one of the most populous Argentine cities: Rosario, province of Santa Fe

Keywords : Citizens' laboratories; Social innovation; Technological innovation; Argentina.

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