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future_fabulators:research_institutes [2014-02-03 05:03] – created majafuture_fabulators:research_institutes [2021-04-14 09:09] (current) – [Macro Trends] maja
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-==== Why should Research Institutes exist? ====+==== Scenario Building at M-ITI ==== 
 + 
 +A scenario building workshop with nine researchers from [[http://www.m-iti.org/|Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute]], 20140116-17. 
 + 
 +==== Why should a research institute exist? ==== 
 + 
 +In this two-day workshop the participants asked themselves what are possible futures for an academic institution such as M-ITI and what might be their "raison d'être" in the years to come. At present, research institutions are stretched between fierce competition, bureaucratic inertia, job (in)security and a strong desire to create a culture of sharing and innovation - a culture from which transformative experiences can emerge, enabling people to live the best possible lives in harmony with their environments. What is M-ITI like in this context, how will European Research Area (ERA) develop and what impact will its future have on M-ITI? What is the profile of the  person who could become the interface between M-ITI and ERA? How would this person  work in the existing M-ITI context and team?  
 + 
 +[[http://www.m-iti.org/|M-ITI website]]\\ 
 +[[http://erachair.m-iti.org|EraChair website]] 
 + 
 + 
 +The core question for the participants of the workshop was **"Why should M-ITI exist?"** 
 + 
 + 
 +{{:future_fabulators:duration-at-miti.jpg?direct|}} 
 +//Sociometric spread: How long have you been working at M-ITI? Left (longest) -> right (Shortest)// 
 + 
 + 
 +==== Key Factors ==== 
 + 
 +  * Availability of resources (financial, infrastructure...) 
 +  * Attractive environment for top people committed to M-ITI culture 
 +  * Clarity of research scope 
 +  * Close & fertile relationships with wider networks (partners, university, publishing in top conferences) 
 +  * Public outreach (communication, relevance, perception...) 
 + 
 +==== Macro Trends ==== 
 + 
 +A selection from identified macro trends related to the scoping question "why should research institutes exist?": 
 +  * Globalisation & international collaboration (diversity / inequality) 
 +  * Sustainability and challenging degradation of environment, pollution and energy security 
 +  * Innovation outside of academia, citizen science  
 +  * Behavioural change towards more sustainable lifestyles, through technology 
 +  * Growing communities of practice around emerging technologies (maker cultures, DIY-tech dev...) 
 +  * Social isolation (including aging) 
 +  * Political inertia and the rise of e-democracy 
 +  * Permanent economic crisis 
 +  * Innovation in Sensing technologies 
 + 
 +<html><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/12282260586/" title="Social &amp; political macro trends by _foam, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7356/12282260586_55abafc056_c.jpg" width="800" height="627" alt="Social &amp; political macro trends"></a></html> 
 + 
 +==== Critical Uncertainties ==== 
 + 
 +The participants found the following trends and factors extremely important for the core question: 
 + 
 +  * Commitment to M-ITI Culture 
 +  * Relationships with wider networks 
 +  * Globalisation (both positive and negative aspects, such as diversity and inequality) 
 +  * Publishing in top HCI conferences 
 +  * Providing an attractive environment for top people 
 +  * Innovation outside of academia 
 +  * Emerging communities of practice around technology 
 +  * Sustainability and behavioural change 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Scenarios ==== 
 + 
 +Two scenario axes (critical uncertainties):  
 +  * Is the research institute an attractive environment for top researchers? 
 +  * How committed are these researchers to (developing) the organisational culture of the institute?  
 + 
 +When plotted as the two scenario axes, the following possible futures were revealed: 
 +    * [[particle accelerator]]  
 +    * [[further]]  
 +    * [[zombie swamp]]  
 +    * [[beer club]] 
  
-A scenario building workshop with researchers from Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute. 
  
 <html><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/12281720935/" title="4scenarios by _foam, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7392/12281720935_8f9ef6e39c_c.jpg" width="620" height="800" alt="4scenarios"></a></html> <html><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/12281720935/" title="4scenarios by _foam, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7392/12281720935_8f9ef6e39c_c.jpg" width="620" height="800" alt="4scenarios"></a></html>
 +
 +
 +//NOTE: The workshop focused specifically on M-ITI, but the scenarios have been written as possible futures for research institutes in general.//
 +
 +
 +==== Debrief ====
 +
 +As part of this workshop we planned a formal debrief at the M-ITI all hands meeting five days after the workshop. The meeting began with the [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/ofwi3b8frufho6w/summary%20miti%20erachair%20workshop%20-%20x3.pdf|summary of the workshop]] and continued with a discussion about the next steps (creating a cafe, a twitter stream, physical exercises, research seminars, a retreat at the end of the semester, sharing the process with ERAChair candidates, etc.)
 +
 +At FoAM we had a more informal [[Erachair debrief]] about the [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/mu2yqlzy0lxjulh/EraChair-flow-notes.pdf|process]]
 +
 +{{:future_fabulators:who_do_you_know.jpg?direct|}}
 +//Sociometric exercise: touch the person with whom you work most closely//
 +
 +----
 +
 +Back to [[scenarios]]
 +
 +
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  • Last modified: 2014-02-03 05:03
  • by maja