Puglia Smart Lab Technology Venture Learning Journey

The 30 day in-residence Learning Journey for the Puglia Smart Lab Delegation for the ‘Technology Venture’ was designed to provide a meaningful and dynamic month-long program that gave the participants a broad exposure to the ‘Innovation Ecosystem’ of the San Francisco Bay Area, including deeper encounters with its representative component parts and institutions. The delegation participated in a series of meetings, seminars, and mini-workshops for a complete immersion in the Bay Area innovation culture, exposing the researchers to emblematic best practices and introducing them to the thought leaders who are driving new methods of civic engagement, enlightened policy development, and emerging models of public-private partnerships for sustainable economic development.

The program was structured as a professional research project with a particular focus on the City of San Leandro, CA, which is home to a set of existing conditions and resources that make it an ideal candidate for the implementation of new development policies. Working with the City’s dynamic Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), Debbie Acosta, the Delegation was challenged to synthesize the lessons learned during the Technology Venture period into a series of strategic guidelines and initiatives specific to the further development of the Innovation Ecosystem already being cultivated through the City Manager’s Office of Innovation. The 30 day in-residency period was roughly divided into:

• Period 1 (first 10 days) – Background research & existing conditions analysis; Exposure to models for implementing civic innovation in the formulation and growth of sustainable development initiatives for Green Cities, Smart Cities, and Social Innovation ventures.
• Period 2 (2^nd 10 days) – Synthesis of background information and materials; Contextualization of problems and opportunities in the City of San Leandro in the larger context of the regional, national, and global ecosystems of technology, social innovation, and trends in sustainable development
• Period 3 (final 10 days) – Strategic Guidelines preparation and presentation; Consolidation of lessons-learned and formulation of strategic guidelines and initiatives for the City of San Leandro, to be presented to the Chief Innovation Officer and selected City Officials and Stakeholders. During this period there will be fewer events and meetings schedules to accommodate the preparation of the final presentation to the City.