✎ future_fabulators:research_institutes [the libarynth]

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==== Scenario Building at M-ITI ====

A scenario building workshop with nine researchers from [[http://www.m-iti.org/|Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute]], 20140116-17.

==== Why should a research institute exist? ====

In this two-day workshop the participants asked themselves what are possible futures for an academic institution such as M-ITI and what might be their "raison d'être" in the years to come. At present, research institutions are stretched between fierce competition, bureaucratic inertia, job (in)security and a strong desire to create a culture of sharing and innovation - a culture from which transformative experiences can emerge, enabling people to live the best possible lives in harmony with their environments. What is M-ITI like in this context, how will European Research Area (ERA) develop and what impact will its future have on M-ITI? What is the profile of the  person who could become the interface between M-ITI and ERA? How would this person  work in the existing M-ITI context and team?

[[http://www.m-iti.org/|M-ITI website]]\\
[[http://erachair.m-iti.org|EraChair website]]

The core question for the participants of the workshop was **"Why should M-ITI exist?"**

{{:future_fabulators:duration-at-miti.jpg?direct|}}
//Sociometric spread: How long have you been working at M-ITI? Left (longest) -> right (Shortest)//

==== Key Factors ====

* Availability of resources (financial, infrastructure...)
  * Attractive environment for top people committed to M-ITI culture
  * Clarity of research scope
  * Close & fertile relationships with wider networks (partners, university, publishing in top conferences)
  * Public outreach (communication, relevance, perception...)

==== Macro Trends ====

A selection from identified macro trends:
  * Globalisation & international collaboration (diversity / inequality)
  * Sustainability and challenging degradation of environment, pollution and energy security
  * Innovation outside of academia, citizen science 
  * Behavioural change towards more sustainable lifestyles, through technology
  * Growing communities of practice around emerging technologies (maker cultures, DIY-tech dev...)
  * Social isolation (including aging)
  * Political inertia and the rise of e-democracy
  * Permanent economic crisis
  * Innovation in Sensing technologies

==== Critical Uncertainties ====

The participants found the following trends and factors extremely important for the core question:

* Commitment to M-ITI Culture
  * Relationships with wider networks
  * Globalisation (both positive and negative aspects, such as diversity and inequality)
  * Publishing in top HCI conferences
  * Providing an attractive environment for top people
  * Innovation outside of academia
  * Emerging communities of practice around technology
  * Sustainability and behavioural change

===== Scenarios ====

Two scenario axes (critical uncertainties): 
  * Is the research institute an attractive environment for top researchers?
  * How committed are these researchers to (developing) the organisational culture of the institute?

When plotted as the two scenario axes, the following possible futures were revealed:
    * [[particle accelerator]] 
    * [[further]] 
    * [[zombie swamp]] 
    * [[beer club]]

//NOTE: The workshop focused specifically on M-ITI, but the scenarios have been written as possible futures for research institutes in general.//

==== Debrief ====

As part of this workshop we planned a formal debrief at the M-ITI all hands meeting five days after the workshop. The meeting began with the [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/ofwi3b8frufho6w/summary%20miti%20erachair%20workshop%20-%20x3.pdf|summary of the workshop]] and continued with a discussion about the next steps (creating a cafe, a twitter stream, physical exercises, research seminars, a retreat at the end of the semester, sharing the process with ERAChair candidates, etc.)

At FoAM we had a more informal [[Erachair debrief]] about the [[https://www.dropbox.com/s/mu2yqlzy0lxjulh/EraChair-flow-notes.pdf|process]]

{{:future_fabulators:who_do_you_know.jpg?direct|}}
//Sociometric exercise: touch the person with whom you work most closely//

----

Back to [[scenarios]]

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