David Cotte-Birgé is a French Maker living in Belgium in an organic farm. He is specialized in prototyping bio and agri tech for sustainable production of food and bio-based materials. His last works include an automatic small-scale mushroom growing system, a peristaltic pump for microbiology works, a solar irrigation system for vegetable farming and micro-algae bioreactors.

Project Name: Spirulina Solar Bioreactor (SSB)

This projects aims to develop a prototype of a solar based spirulina bioreactor. Micro-algae media will be pumped through a flexible transparent tube installed in a box with a transparent surface. By installing this panel-like structure outside facing the sun, the media will at the same time be heated (like a solar water heating system) and the micro-algae will be able to do some photosynthesis and multiply. This eliminates the need for electric heating and lighting, which are the largest energy use and carbon footprint of a classic closed-loop micro-algae production system. This project will use 3D printing, small-scale electronics and easy to source materials like an aquarium pump, a plexiglass panel and some flexible transparent tubing. This project aims to prove it is possible to produce low carbon footprint food directly inside cities without using land as algae panels could be installed on roofs, walls, etc.

Navid Lari was born and raised in Brussels, from Iranian parents and both artists. He studied filmmaking, but by the end of his studies he switched to something that had been more appealing to him for a while: interactive storytelling. He started creating escape rooms and treasure hunts, as a continuity of what had him into filmmaking: telling a story, creating an atmosphere, from scenario to set and prop building, but with the main difference that the spectators would get engaged into the process of the storytelling, becoming somewhat of a spect’actor. Nowadays, escape rooms are mostly used in a commercial goal, for entertainment, but Navid believe that it can be used as a full artistic medium, as cinema itself, to tell any kind of story, to educate, to sensibilize, to touch people and impact society.

Project Name: ARCTIC MISSION: be part of the expedition

Development of an Interactive Storytelling experience that will engage citizens in a quest, to learn, to sensibilize, to impact them. Interactive Storytelling can have many forms: from an object that people have to manipulate, to an exhibition/installation where people have to get through, the possibilities are vast and flexible, but they all share a common point - they need interaction. They need an engagement from the "viewer" in order to unravel the plot, discover the story.

Susana Silvestre is a developer of urban labs as well as a practitioner of citizen engagement and democratic participative processes in public libraries. Focuses mainly on inclusive and sustainable programmes that will bring about greater equity and empowerment among people, through design thinking, visual thinking and storytelling training. Co-author with Public Libraries 2030 of a toolkit on civic engagement in public libraries, currently awaiting publication in the European Commission. Susana holds a Degree in Social and Cultural Communication and a Master’s Degree in Libraries. She is Currently Head Division of Monitoring, Communication and Public Participation in the Urban Planning Department in the Lisbon City Council. Susana took on a leadership position in the Lisbon Libraries Network between 2010-2022. Throughout the years she has been working intensely co-creatively with stakeholders, nationally and internationally, to push development, networking and innovation in the library sector.

Project Name: Desire Lines - Improving urban walkability

Implementation of a Design Thinking Workshop model about urban walkability. This model of workshop (a walkshop with a making event) aims to search for innovative participatory solutions to improve urban walkability taking into consideration the desirable pathways exploring the question: how do people experience and interact with the world around them and how they take decisions about their pathways? Based on the analysis of different perspectives of a group of participants of different ages, genders, education, physical condition, ethnicity and socioeconomic background, the experiment and study will try to respond to this question. This will be done through specific stages. Ultimately, the expert will conceptualise such walkshop combined with a making event as a model to address other complexities in cities.