Reflection Space within the framework of BETAfest

Coboi lab welcomes the municipalities of the Innpulso Network to BETAfest 2025 to co-create the mission of the new Reflection Space

On April 9 and 10, 2025, within the framework of BETAfest , Coboi lab promoted a space for reflection and co-creation with the municipalities of the Network of Cities of Science and Innovation (Red Innpulso) , coinciding with the incorporation of new cities into the network. The meeting was held in the Espai BETA , an environment designed to experiment with new forms of public-community work, and had as its main objective to jointly redefine the meaning and priorities of this new shared space.

These conferences acted as a strategic meeting point , gathering the legacy of the Urban Innovation Centers (CIU) working group and opening a new stage based on a collaboration more focused on reflection than on the direct execution of projects. It was not a question of continuing by inertia, but of co-constructing a shared mission that took into account both the accumulated experiences and the future aspirations of the new municipalities that were joining the network.

Coboi lab played a key role as a dynamizing agent , designing and facilitating the working dynamics together with Ca l’Alier (Barcelona City Council). This bilateral collaboration between two public innovation laboratories ensured the active participation of all actors and the alignment between the different visions and expectations present in the room.

The common thread of the two days was a shared challenge: What do we want this space for reflection to be and how can we make the best use of it? To address it, the Forces Map methodology was used, a tool that allows us to identify in a simultaneous and structured way:

• Common opportunities between municipalities
• Levers of change existing in each local context
• Shared and specific interests of each territory
• Conditions that may affect the future development of the group

This approach facilitated a structured but open conversation, in which participants were able to share expectations, needs and visions of the future, prioritizing those areas with the greatest potential for joint work.

Among the main results of the meeting are:

• Mutual knowledge of new additions to the network
• The identification and prioritization of shared interests
• The generation of a first common framework to guide future sessions
• A positive assessment of the format as a useful space for strategic reflection

This meeting highlights the importance of generating specific spaces for collective thought within institutional networks, especially in contexts where the most operational logics often predominate. In this sense, Coboi lab reinforces its role as a facilitator of public innovation processes , capable of translating previous experiences into dynamics that help build a shared vision among very diverse actors.

In the future, this space for reflection is seen as an opportunity to consolidate a more cohesive community of practice , with the capacity to generate strategic alignment and real impact on local innovation policies.

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