Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HUB-IN (Hubs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for the Transformation of Historic Urban Areas)
Período documentado: 2022-03-01 hasta 2023-08-31
HUB-IN project aims to promote the urban transformation and heritage-led regeneration of Historic Urban Areas through innovation and entrepreneurship, while preserving their unique cultural, social, and environmental identities and values. This vision was initially stated and has been guiding effectively the project developments during the last 18 months. With this vision in mind, we aim to answer the following key research question:
“To what extent can networks of hubs in Historic Urban Areas incubate and unlock innovative and entrepreneurial actions that contribute to the sustainable transformation and urban regeneration of the Historic Urban Areas and its cultural heritage?” (in HUB-IN Framework Overview)
To answer the question, we strategically consider that HUB-IN has two major phases towards the progress of a global HUB-IN network. The first phase implies the setting up of eight HUB-IN Places, located in the pilot cities of the project, and in a second phase the resulting methods and tools will be upscaled to a global network of follower cities aimed at the foundations of a wider HUB-IN Alliance.
Adopting a human-connected approach, we envisage to generate impact and contribute to overall objectives such as the revitalization of historic heritage, the creation of new sustainable opportunities for local traditional businesses, and the development of new creative skills and jobs through the cross-sector collaborations in three clusters of innovation:
-Cultural and Creative Industries, where cultural heritage is at the centre of innovation and creativity, to nurture socio-economic development.
-New lifestyles, for which innovative sustainable living patterns, inclusivity and diversity, are the main ingredients to improve wellbeing.
-Resilient & Human Connected Places, are rooted in regenerative use of resources, community cohesion, digital and human connectedness, that are key to improving ecological, social and economic resilience of historic places.
(*) “HUB-IN Place is a physical or virtual hub of innovation, where cultural wealth and heritage provide a unique competitive advantage – a key resource for enhancing the sustainable regeneration of historic urban areas… “( in HUB-IN Framework Overview)
“To what extent can networks of hubs in Historic Urban Areas incubate and unlock innovative and entrepreneurial actions that contribute to the sustainable transformation and urban regeneration of the Historic Urban Areas and its cultural heritage?” (in HUB-IN Framework Overview)
To answer the question, we strategically consider that HUB-IN has two major phases towards the progress of a global HUB-IN network. The first phase implies the setting up of eight HUB-IN Places, located in the pilot cities of the project, and in a second phase the resulting methods and tools will be upscaled to a global network of follower cities aimed at the foundations of a wider HUB-IN Alliance.
Adopting a human-connected approach, we envisage to generate impact and contribute to overall objectives such as the revitalization of historic heritage, the creation of new sustainable opportunities for local traditional businesses, and the development of new creative skills and jobs through the cross-sector collaborations in three clusters of innovation:
-Cultural and Creative Industries, where cultural heritage is at the centre of innovation and creativity, to nurture socio-economic development.
-New lifestyles, for which innovative sustainable living patterns, inclusivity and diversity, are the main ingredients to improve wellbeing.
-Resilient & Human Connected Places, are rooted in regenerative use of resources, community cohesion, digital and human connectedness, that are key to improving ecological, social and economic resilience of historic places.
(*) “HUB-IN Place is a physical or virtual hub of innovation, where cultural wealth and heritage provide a unique competitive advantage – a key resource for enhancing the sustainable regeneration of historic urban areas… “( in HUB-IN Framework Overview)
Following the establishment of essential processes, governance structures, and quality control mechanisms, during the second reporting period,in the previous phase our primary focus shifted towards ensuring the effectiveness of these mechanisms and taking necessary actions to enhance specific procedures. This involved continuous project monitoring and quality control through active participation in various internal meetings with sub-working groups led by different WP coordinators. These meetings served as a platform for sharing experiences, fostering collaborative work among HUB-IN partners, and closely monitoring activity progress. Holding these meetings on the pilot sites provided a unique opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of each case study's territory, thereby strengthening the exchange of ideas between cities.
During this period, we have been focusing also the alignment of our activities with sister projects CENTRINNO and T-FACTOR towards the creation of a Cluster of Innovative Inclusive and Creative Urban Hubs . Building on earlier work outlined in the Common Action Plan on Clustering Activities (D 1.6) we successfully organised our second clustering event in February 2023. The knowledge gained from this event will be incorporated into the sister projects' Policy report (D1.7) which is currently in the final stages of preparation, and shared with our intended audiences. In line with the Clustering Activities' Action Plan, our initiatives included promoting external dissemination at the European level and engaging with third-party activities. We organised a side-event at the New European Bauhaus Festival 2022, focusing on Business & Financing Models for Tomorrow's Heritage , in collaboration with sister projects HUB-IN, CENTRINNO, and T-Factor. Furthermore, at the World Urban Forum-UN Habitat in June 2022, HUB-IN, along with CENTRINNO and T-FACTOR projects, integrated a panel supported by the European Commission. In this session, we presented the Sister Projects' Manifesto and discussed urban revitalization through hubs and creative spaces, aligning with our Clustering Activities Action plan.
Regarding the activities directly related to the partner cities, while a significant portion of our efforts was directed towards the formulation of Action Plans, we witnessed the initiation of certain actions within several cities that received the "Green light" designation from the WP 4 steering group. One of our central priorities was to ensure that these actions were well-coordinated, possessed the potential to make a meaningful impact, and were structured in a way that they could establish a lasting legacy, thus enabling the Hubs to continue functioning once the project concludes. At its core, the formulation of Action Plans is strategically designed to provide directive guidance to municipalities as they delve into pioneering governance models, a manifestation realised through the establishment of localised innovation Hubs within the project's framework. These Action Plans, by extension, represent a comprehensive programme meticulously tailored to each pilot, proffering an array of actions that fulfil a dual mandate. The first purpose is to shape a regeneration within the HUA, while the second is to act as a testing ground for novel “services” aimed at supporting the operation and governance of these local Hubs. Regarding the second purpose, these actions are engineered to serve as a proving ground for innovative "services" that can significantly contribute to the unique value proposition of each Hub.
During this period, we have been focusing also the alignment of our activities with sister projects CENTRINNO and T-FACTOR towards the creation of a Cluster of Innovative Inclusive and Creative Urban Hubs . Building on earlier work outlined in the Common Action Plan on Clustering Activities (D 1.6) we successfully organised our second clustering event in February 2023. The knowledge gained from this event will be incorporated into the sister projects' Policy report (D1.7) which is currently in the final stages of preparation, and shared with our intended audiences. In line with the Clustering Activities' Action Plan, our initiatives included promoting external dissemination at the European level and engaging with third-party activities. We organised a side-event at the New European Bauhaus Festival 2022, focusing on Business & Financing Models for Tomorrow's Heritage , in collaboration with sister projects HUB-IN, CENTRINNO, and T-Factor. Furthermore, at the World Urban Forum-UN Habitat in June 2022, HUB-IN, along with CENTRINNO and T-FACTOR projects, integrated a panel supported by the European Commission. In this session, we presented the Sister Projects' Manifesto and discussed urban revitalization through hubs and creative spaces, aligning with our Clustering Activities Action plan.
Regarding the activities directly related to the partner cities, while a significant portion of our efforts was directed towards the formulation of Action Plans, we witnessed the initiation of certain actions within several cities that received the "Green light" designation from the WP 4 steering group. One of our central priorities was to ensure that these actions were well-coordinated, possessed the potential to make a meaningful impact, and were structured in a way that they could establish a lasting legacy, thus enabling the Hubs to continue functioning once the project concludes. At its core, the formulation of Action Plans is strategically designed to provide directive guidance to municipalities as they delve into pioneering governance models, a manifestation realised through the establishment of localised innovation Hubs within the project's framework. These Action Plans, by extension, represent a comprehensive programme meticulously tailored to each pilot, proffering an array of actions that fulfil a dual mandate. The first purpose is to shape a regeneration within the HUA, while the second is to act as a testing ground for novel “services” aimed at supporting the operation and governance of these local Hubs. Regarding the second purpose, these actions are engineered to serve as a proving ground for innovative "services" that can significantly contribute to the unique value proposition of each Hub.
The HUB-IN project has successfully crafted an exceptional logical model grounded in the Theory of Change, effectively linking the challenges, objectives, outcomes, and anticipated impacts. Our noteworthy achievements encompass the development of tailored roadmaps, the development of the Action Plans and its implementation kick-off, the launch of Acceleration Programmes, as well as the active engagement of follower cities and the initiation of their learning programme. Furthermore, we take pride in our joint policy report at the European level.
These significant strides are closely aligned with our overarching project objectives, positioning us to achieve substantial impacts across various domains. By deploying this model, we aim to unlock vital monitoring indicators for continuous impact assessment, with the ultimate goal of realizing lasting and sustainable benefits.
These significant strides are closely aligned with our overarching project objectives, positioning us to achieve substantial impacts across various domains. By deploying this model, we aim to unlock vital monitoring indicators for continuous impact assessment, with the ultimate goal of realizing lasting and sustainable benefits.