The Living Lab Senegal project consolidates its regional innovation model with the inauguration of the Ziguinchor center

The initiative, driven by FDSUT with the support of the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and the i2CAT research and innovation center, is also launching two technological pilots in Dangalma and Kaolack

The Living Lab Senegal project—an initiative promoted by the Universal Telecommunication Service Development Fund (FDSUT) with the support of the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation (ACCD) and the i2CAT research and innovation center—continues to establish the Living Lab methodology as a driving force for social and digital transformation in the country. During a recent visit to the Senegalese city of Ziguinchor, key milestones were achieved, reinforcing a digital social innovation model based on collaboration between public administration, businesses, academia, and civil society.

One of the main objectives of the visit was the official inauguration of the new Living Lab at the Assane Seck University of Ziguinchor, in the Casamance region. This new collaborative infrastructure, the third of its kind in the country, was created to address regional imbalances and extend the university innovation ecosystem beyond Dakar, the area where Senegal’s digital activity is currently concentrated.

The Ziguinchor laboratory has been designed as an experimental environment to connect researchers, students, entrepreneurs, local authorities, and the private sector. Consequently, the space will act as a central hub for the co-creation and development of locally driven technological solutions tailored to social realities, with a particular focus on sectors such as agriculture, health, and the empowerment of women through advanced digital skills.

Watch the highlights of the Ziguinchor Living Lab inauguration here.

Governance and Value-Based Strategic Evaluation

The visit also included a Scientific Committee meeting, which brought together institutional, academic, and technical representatives from all stakeholders involved in the project. The participants reviewed the progress of the country’s living labs and discussed the most suitable governance models for current and future centers. The meeting featured the participation of the Government of Catalonia’s delegate to West Africa, Anna Rosés i Belló, who also accompanied the Catalan delegation during their stay.

During this session, Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies research group at i2CAT, presented the Key Value Indicators (KVI) methodology applied to the Living Labs framework. This approach proposes a paradigm shift in technology assessment, establishing the need to complement traditional performance metrics by incorporating the social, digital, and regional value generated directly in people’s lives.

Furthermore, the Scientific Committee and FDSUT formally approved two technological pilot proposals developed by i2CAT for upcoming implementation. Viviana Pérez, Senior Innovation Project Manager at i2CAT, presented these initiatives. First, the Dangalma Living Lab will host the deployment of a digital training platform designed to provide solutions for local farmers. Second, the Kaolack Living Lab will implement a sensor-equipped smart greenhouse to gather key field data, aiming to model and generate predictions that optimize crop yields.

The visit also included meetings with entities and projects linked to the Catalan ecosystem in Senegal. Among the highlights, the i2CAT team visited the community garden of the Domang Women’s Association in the Ziguinchor region, an inspiring initiative focused on community work and local empowerment. Additionally, they followed up on the solidarity optics project by the Etnia Barcelona Foundation, an initiative that promotes eye health within the community through the distribution of low-cost glasses.