Impronta Granada is a proposal of the Diputación de Granada and the University of Granada to create a productive dialogue relationship between both institutions.

The Impronta Granada project starts its activity with a series of innovation and co-creation laboratories, in which the challenges of climate change in Granada have been addressed.

Yesterday, at the ETS of Architecture, began the innovation and co-creation laboratories in the framework of the Impronta Granada project, which aims to systematize the relationship between the Provincial Council of Granada and the University of Granada, generating a space for creative and productive dialogue between institutions and social actors. This first action, in which more than one hundred people participated, addressed the challenges of climate change in Granada.

The institutional welcome was given by Salvador del Barrio García, Vice Rector of Institutional Policy and Planning of the UGR, María del Mar García Morales, Provincial Coordinator of Employment and Sustainable Development of the Provincial Council of Granada and José María Manzano Jurado; Director of the School of Architecture and host of this first session.

García Morales, pointed out the importance for the Provincial Council of establishing alliances with the University as a transforming agent of our environment, after which Esteban Romero Frías, Director of Participation and Social Innovation – Medialab UGR and coordinator of the project, explained the importance of generating alliances that can solve the current challenges of the province. In this line he said: “We need to find a way to influence the public; social innovation represents the horizon towards which we have to go”.

The action is supported by the European Commission, which is a funding entity through the Science Meets Regions call for proposals. Stijn Verleyen, Coordinator for Inter-institutional Relations at the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, spoke at the session to highlight the importance of these projects.

The second part of the day was dedicated to highlighting ongoing projects for the transformation of the territory between the University and the Provincial Council. Representatives and participants of programs and projects such as “Puentes”, “LifeWatch”, “Chopoglobal”, “Progresa”, “Geoparque”, “Azucarera de San Isidro” and “Aula Permanente de Formación Abierta” were present.

The session concluded with a set of innovation laboratories that have revolved around 9 themes, which have addressed general challenges of the province, such as metropolitan and rural mobility, circular economy or renewable energies. At the same time, specific challenges were addressed, such as the Cave Houses and the cultural landscape as a way of rethinking the territory or the need for a regional Eco-Center for Tourism in the Western Mountains, among others.

The participation of researchers, political representatives, municipal technicians, local leaders and specialists from the private sector has made it possible to generate a transversal and multidisciplinary vision of some of the most pressing challenges of our territory. The joint efforts and conclusions of these actions will be presented on December 20 at the Palacio de los Condes de Gabia.