Z-LAB INDUSTRY TRANSITION
Instructional goals
Participants learn to participatively design an innovation life cycle with particular reference to the energy and sustainability sectors in compliance with SDGs 4, 11, and 16. They learn a method of valorizing data, empirical evidence and expert testimonies in the life cycle of industrial innovations. They learn to conduct structured interviews with stakeholders and to build communities of practice having a theme/innovation/territory as their core.
Intended learning outcomes
A laboratory project built and discussed together with three representatives / stakeholders of districts / territories chosen with the principle of "mostly dissimilar". A quality protocol of data driven and evidence based design of the governance of industrial innovation cycles.
Course Contents
The course focuses on the innovation life cycle applied to the energy and sustainability sectors, emphasizing participatory design and industrial transition challenges. Students learn how to collect, interpret, and valorize data and expert testimonies to build evidence-based solutions. The course is structured into three phases: data analysis and understanding, co-design with territorial stakeholders, and scaling of innovations in local contexts. Activities include group work, expert testimonies from "mostly dissimilar" industrial districts, case study analysis, and simulations. The goal is to develop innovation governance capabilities aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4, 11, 16).
Reference Books
Daniela Piana, Rules for Trust, Roma, Carocci, 2023. Daniela Piana, People life cycle in the compass of digital cities. Building capacities to act in the digital society as a cross-generational and intertemporal strategy, in "Rivista di Digital Politics" 3/2023, pp. 587-606, doi: 10.53227/113112. World Economic Forum, Global Lighthouse Network: The Mindset Shifts Driving Impact and Scale in Digital Transformation, 14 January, 2025, available online, https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Lighthouse_Network_2025.pdf OECD, Policy Guidance: Enabling Inclusive Governance, policy paper, 20 October 2024, available online https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/06/policy-guidance-enabling-inclusive-governance_f4b8be3a/6d995bed-en.pdf
Teaching Methods
Highly interactive; simulation; project work; focus groups
Assessment Method
Attending Student - Min 70% of attendance and Final presentation of group work. Non-attending students are required to read all the course materials uploaded on the platform and to write an individual paper addressing the questions and checklists related to the course content. The paper should also include three paper reviews. The length of the paper is flexible. During the exam, you will also be asked some questions based on the course materials. The deadline for submission of the papers is 12th December. In addition, you are required to attend the exam session on the scheduled course dates.
Thesis assignment criteria
Based on thematic and dimensional aspects related to the framework on which the laboratory has been organized.
Week 1
Framework. Dimensions and phases of the innovation cycle. Which data for which objectives? Reading Material: 1. Ch. 4.
Week 2
Method for trust in sustainable and inclusive innovation. Dimensions and tools Reading Material: 2.
Week 3
Expert testimony territory 1. A district with a high degree of integration. How to build practice-oriented knowledge?
Week 4
Expert testimony territory 2. A district with a high degree of resilience. How to build comparison between practice-oriented knowledge?
Week 5
Expert testimony territory 3. A district with a high degree of differentiation. How to build a path of participatory planning?
Week 6
Participants will be divided into thematic groups during sessions 6, 7, and 8, each focusing on a specific dimension of innovation. The goal is to design the initial phase of the innovation life cycle. The case study by Schrotter & Hürzeler (2020) on the digital twin of Zurich will serve as a reference, illustrating how digital tools can support early-stage innovation in urban planning and smart city development. Reference: Schrotter, G., & Hürzeler, C. (2020). The digital twin of the city of Zurich for urban planning. PFG – Journal of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science, 88(1), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41064-020-00092-2
Week 7
Design of the second phase of the innovation life cycle. As a reference, the work by Kumar, Verma & Mirza (2024) will be analyzed, which explores artificial intelligence-driven governance systems in smart cities, demonstrating how AI can facilitate intelligent management and the effective implementation of urban innovations. Reference: Kumar, S., Verma, A. K., & Mirza, A. (2024). Artificial Intelligence-Driven Governance Systems: Smart Cities and Smart Governance. In Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Multidisciplinary Applications: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence and Society (pp. 73–90). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-5656-8_5
Week 8
Design of the third phase of the innovation life cycle. The work by Lam et al. (2020) on scaling sustainability initiatives will be discussed, illustrating how amplification processes enable the expansion and embedding of urban innovations for sustainable development. As concrete examples, the City of Melbourne’s Urban Forest Strategy and Singapore’s Smart Nation Initiative will be considered, showing how these cities scale innovative practices to enhance urban sustainability and resilience. References: Lam, D. P. M., Martín-López, B., Bennett, E. M., Frantzeskaki, N., & Lang, D. J. (2020). Scaling the impact of sustainability initiatives: a typology of amplification processes. Urban Transformations, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42854-020-00007-9 City of Melbourne (2021). Urban Forest Strategy 2021–2031. Melbourne City Council. https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/about-council/strategies-plans/urban-forest-strategy Smart Nation Singapore (2023). Smart Nation Initiative. Government of Singapore. https://www.smartnation.gov.sg
Week 9
In this phase, participants will engage with key stakeholders to gather feedback, align objectives, and co-create innovative solutions. Reading material no. 3 will provide the theoretical and practical foundations to understand the dynamics of participation and effective collaboration with the various actors involved.
Week 10
In this phase, participants will engage with key stakeholders to gather feedback, align objectives, and co-create innovative solutions. Reading material no. 4 will provide the theoretical and practical foundations to understand the dynamics of participation and effective collaboration with the various actors involved.
Week 11
Placing innovation in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This session looks at how innovation supports the SDGs by aligning solutions with global sustainability challenges and targets.
Week 12
Restituzione finale del Progetto di laboratorio