FUTURES
FROM THE EDITOR
THE FUTURES ARE NOW! Who could have imagined by the end of 2019 that a pandemic would drastically change our world in such a short space of time? And that Covid-19 would transform the challenges we face? If the last few months have shown us anything, it is that there is an urgent need for more cooperation between science and society. When the virus strengthened its grip on the world, all eyes were on universities and technical institutes to help in the fight against the pandemic. Rightly so. At DesignLab, our ambition is to bridge the gap between society and science and open up new avenues for a better future. 2020 has proven that it is impossible to predict the future, but we can imagine how society might look and anticipate its needs. In Futures, we show how we give shape to this ambition. Over the years, we have carried out many projects with societal impact. Whether it concerns protective clothing for the homeless, devising new ways to involve citizens in science, testing the ethical aspects of the new CoronaMelder app, or intensive cooperation between scientific disciplines and the rest of the world. DesignLab is the centre of excellence of the University of Twente for citizen science, responsible design and transdisciplinary work. We look for different ways to solve the challenges facing humanity. So, not only do we focus on smart textiles, 3D printing and drones, we also think about the future of, for example, artificial intelligence. The futures are now! Sabine Wildevuur, director DesignLab
CONTENTS
6 Transdisciplinary research It is a word you will hear a lot around DesignLab. But what is transdisciplinary research? And how will it help us tackle society’s toughest problems?
8 Responsible Design Thinking She used to be in robotics, but now – among many other things – Cristina Zaga helps people to determine the best way to manage water. By using a method called responsible design thinking. Curious?
12 Interview Six years ago, Vanessa Evers was one of the founders of DesignLab. Now she’s in Singapore on her mission to create humanfriendly technology. She is director of the Institute of Science and Technology for Humanity in the city state. What can we learn from each other?