The Residencies are temporary stays at Espai BETA for young people in Sant Boi de Llobregat between 18 and 35 years old with an innovative and curious spirit. During the 2024-2025 academic year, 18 young residents and 13 individual and collective projects have found a favorable environment to grow professionally, acquire new knowledge and work on challenges. What began as a workspace has ended up becoming a community.
The Residencies aim to foster and promote the talent of young female entrepreneurs in the city . At the same time, they create an environment where residents can develop their initiatives, gain knowledge and practical experience during their stay, and connect with other collaborators and projects in the municipality.
The project objectives are:
The Residencies were born as a response to the need to retain young entrepreneurial talent and to foster local innovation. The project incorporates the learnings and methods of the first pilot call (2019-2020 academic year) , carried out at Coboi lab before the pandemic.
In this new edition, the challenge was clear: to find out what value proposition young women really need to actively engage with a public residence. It was necessary to overcome the classic vision of presence control and mandatory hours to move to relationships of mutual commitment .
To do this, Coboi lab has opted for a methodology based on fertile observation , the activation of assemblies and activities, the self-organization of residents and co-creation spaces.
The Residencies have welcomed 18 young residents and 13 active projects throughout the year. Among the first projects accepted were:
The call had a great impact: 25 creatives designed by Coboi lab generated more than 9,800 views , with a prominent presence on Instagram and LinkedIn and the reinforcement of WhatsApp and Ràdio Sant Boi.
The course has been built around key milestones: the co-ideation day (May 2024), the open call , the inauguration event (October 2024), the individual interviews , the monthly assemblies , the BETApills , the Elevator Pitch at BETAfest and the evaluation sessions with the Motor Group. The next step is the creation of a BETA Space Innovative Community where these residents will continue to participate.
The value of emptiness: when doing nothing says a lot. Leaving space for spontaneous initiative allows real needs and dynamics to emerge. Not intervening is a powerful tool for change, but only if there is trust and a safe space. The value of the residency is not the physical space, but the connections that are born between the young women .
From assistance to co-responsibility. Traditional time control generates hierarchical relationships and feelings of guilt. We need to move from compliance to commitment , with horizontal relationships. The City Council does not only offer services: it shares growth processes .
The community is not programmed, it is taken care of.
The administration must listen, but also guarantee. Identifying needs is only the first step. Trust is born when the administration is clear and honest about what it can guarantee and offers realistic commitments of continuity.
Participating is not just talking, it is deciding. The residents do not want to be just consulted: they want to co-design their own service and for their participation to have a real impact on public policies. They do not act as users, but as co-creators of the Sant Boi of the future .
You can find out more about the project on the Sant Boi City Council website and in the list of Residences videos on YouTube .
Departments of Youth , Business and Digital Transformation of the Sant Boi de Llobregat City Council.
With the support of: