Open Day dell’Innovazione 2023

Innovation Open Day is back, the event-organized by Innovazione per lo sviluppo-that brings Italy and Africa together through stories of innovation and best practices from the world of international development cooperation.

After the first two editions in 2017 and 2019, Innovation for Development returns to MEET on Tuesday, June 27, for a third in-person edition. An opportunity for meetings, immersive experiences and networking dedicated to the Innovation for Development program and the community of organizations that have shared this path of collaboration between Italy and Africa.

This new edition focuses on two key themes: multiplying impact and valuing diversity. Multiplication of impact refers to the idea that innovative solutions can have a greater positive effect if they are implemented collaboratively, not only with the goal of being scaled up and replicated in new contexts, but also to engage new actors. Moreover, diversity is not only about cultural and gender differences, but also about the background, skills, and experiences of each person involved.

This event is designed to be a unique and innovative experience for those who will attend in attendance in Milan: there are immersive activities and content that have been designed specifically for the event location and will not be available for those attending online. However, if seats are sold out and for those who cannot physically attend the event, it will still be possible to follow part of the conference online and engage in digital networking sessions.

The day opens in MEET’s Theater, with international keynote speakers and testimonials from female innovators who will speak in person or via connection from the four innovation centers in as many African capitals-Nairobi (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), Dakar (Senegal) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Individual papers, discussion panels and interviews are the main formats in which the morning conference will be held, while the afternoon will be devoted to a number of sessions designed to facilitate interaction and active audience participation.

Not only conference: international development cooperation is told in a new guise through immersive and digital experiences.
An immersive installation on the journey of the Innovation for Development program will be presented in the Immersive Room. The ‘installation is the result of an unprecedented mixture of videopills, photographic reports, portraits of the protagonists and animated content created ad hoc. The result is a sui generis data visualization, capable of representing data, faces and results of the program.
In addition to the digital installation, an artistic performance is planned to support the storytelling of the immersive journey in order to offer an experience capable of combining the sensory and digital aspects.

A VR Corner will be organized in the Galleries where it will be possible to enjoy virtual reality experiences addressing issues related to development cooperation, migration and global citizenship.
The Inhabited Staircase will be the setting for Networking Corners, informal discussion spaces dedicated to topics such as sustainable food and agriculture, health and wellness, circular economy, energy and economic development.
In closing, it will return to the Theater where a documentary produced by Innovation for Development will be screened, telling three stories of transformation in Kenya that are inextricably linked to some of the projects supported by the program.
The day will conclude with a networking opportunity in the Lounge, where an aperitif will be served.

The event is aimed at Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in international development cooperation, with a focus on priority countries of Italian cooperation in Africa, CSO Networks of international development cooperation, diaspora organizations, innovators in Italy and Africa (startups, social enterprises, spinoffs and research labs, innovators, designers and creatives), and international cooperation institutions. The participation of students from higher education tracks in international cooperation, economics and social impact, and technology for development is also encouraged.

Registration

Seats in attendance are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participation in the event is free of charge, subject to registration.

Innovation for Development

Innovazione per lo sviluppo is a program of Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo with the aim of promoting innovation in the field of international development cooperation through activities of: open innovation / challenges, training, events / networking. The program is implemented with the involvement of partners from the world of innovation and technology (data for development, digital fabrication, ICT for Development).

Watch the video presentation of the project.

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