LTTA5
Humanities on Ethics of biohacking/biotech/engineering innovation
4-8 APRIL 2022
Ethics, Art and Entrepreneurship in (bio)technology were the key concepts of this workshop. How artistic research and ethical constraints contribute to the realization of an innovative idea. In this workshop on ethics and entrepreneurship in science technology and arts (STEAM), participants explored how art, technology, and entrepreneurship are interconnected and the relevance of ethical issues for assuring sustainable development. Artists question ethical issues in society and entrepreneurs bring these ideas to the people. Artists can be rebellious while businesses want to make money. This poses some interesting conflicts between these two social spheres, so we question, how can one go from a critical artwork to an impactful business idea that would also consider ethical issues. The main purpose of the workshop was to raise the demand curve for products or services and consequently raise the curve of profit and visibility of the artist.
In this workshop, we started by diving deeper into the ethical questions regarding biotechnology, robotics, and AI. We looked at STEAM projects that challenge the ethical issues of our current society and explored their implications.
It also focused on entrepreneurship by getting acquainted with the basics of the entrepreneurial process. During the workgroup sessions, we brainstormed in order to find the business potential of STEAM projects, with the help of experts. We incorporated ethical issues into a business concept. We looked at 4 important aspects of a business model according to the Kotler theory of 4 Ps (product, price, placement, and promotion) and how to implement these in your budding business.
During the program, we looked at some best practices and learned from their concepts and ideas on how to apply them to a small startup model. After we polished our ideas with new information we presented them to each other on the final day.
This event (LTTA5) was organized by AMEU ISH and took place in Ljubljana at MSUM (Museum of Modern Art, Metelkova) and Cukrarna (CET).
PROGRAMME
04 APRIL 2022
PART 1: 10.00–13.00, MSUM (Ljubljana)
Opening with Introduction
00–10.45 WELCOME & OPENING Assoc. Prof. Dr. Matej Mertik, Prof. Dr. Polona Tratnik, Julio Borlido Santos, Dr. Maria Manuela Lopes
11.45–11.00 introduction of the participants
Multidisciplinary Tech Products based on Design Management
11.00–13.00 LECTURE AND WORKSHOP
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jordan Berginc (Faculty of Design) Multidisciplinary Tech Products based on Design Management
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jordan Berginc is an international expert of entrepreneurship, training, consulting and mentorship + 30 years, have proven experiences of different SME’s project from 12 countries. He is co-founder of different tech Start-ups and some business NGO’s.
Multidisciplinarity is becoming a trendy model in creating disruptive innovations. When connecting different disciplines, it is important to establish effective internal and external communication, with the support of the design management process through UX. At this stage, it’s important that the leader of the process is developing a holistic approach in jointly developed technology to fully understand its application.
Workshop program: Each team will consist of five participants from different disciplines. Based on proposed idea opportunities, the participants will define and describe the final image of the tech product, define a purpose and value proposition. A Nominal group technique will be used for this purpose. In the end, each team will perform a short pitch of their innovative product.
PART 2: 15.00–17.00, MSUM (Ljubljana)
Start-Up Landscape
15.00–17.00 LECTURE AND WORKSHOP
Peter Merc (Lemur Legal), Start-Up Landscape: Thinking the Right Path
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Peter Merc is a lawyer by profession. He started his career in banking sector. Afterwards he established his own legal advisory company Lemur Legal, which specializes in legal support for startups and tech companies. Recently Peter cofounded Suricate Ventures, micro venture capital fund, which is investing in deep tech startups and scaleups. Peter’s area of expertise are new technologies, fintech and crypto.
Entrepreneurship requires certain skills and knowledge from the entrepreneur. One of the required skills is structured thinking which helps bringing business ideas to real products or services ready to be offered to the clients. There are some basic tools which every entrepreneur should know how to use them. Business model canvas and SWOT analysis are two of them. Entrepreneurs should also be aware of various risks to which every business is exposed.
Workshop program: Participants will be divided into groups. In a few case studies from business practice we will apply some tools which will help us identify key questions every entrepreneur should have answers when building a business case. Afterwards some of the biggest risks for startups will be explained using examples from the practice.
05 APRIL 2022
PART 3: 10.00–13.00, MSUM (Ljubljana)
10.00–11.00 Brainstorming: open challenges
Art Thinking as Innovation Driver
11.00–13.00 LECTURE
Jurij Krpan (Kapelica Gallery, Ars Electronica): Art Thinking as Innovation Driver
Jurij Krpan is Artistic Director & Chief Curator Gallery for Contemporary Investigative Art in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Kapelica Gallery has played host to the most important players in the world and has established a trend in the field of Art & Science through art and with works which topicalise human corporeality.
In more than 25 years of art production where Kapelica Gallery became the synonymous of explicit art investigation and radical artwork production, Kersnikova Institute developed three thematic laboratories where artistic research, development and art production aims to support artists in developing their artwork. With a functional network of scientists, researchers and engineers, Kersnikova laboratory facilities became more and more interesting for innovators from the real sector who are developing new services and products. Implementing our newly developed methodology, creatives working at Kersnikova strives to establish an innovation platform that will inspire and enable future proof mindset that is necessary for most urgent society change.
13.00–15.00 LUNCH BREAK
PART 4: 15.00–17.00, Cukrarna (Ljubljana)
Returning the Gaze, guided tour through the exhibition
06 APRIL 2022
PART 5: 10.00–13.00, MSUM (Ljubljana)
Ethics and (Bio)Technology
10.00–11.00 LECTURE & DISCUSSION
Maarten Smith and Maro Pabo on how art & design research can be used as tools to investigate the field of biotechnologies. Because of the different perspectives and methodologies compared to the scientific field, these methods give novel perspectives on the ethics of emerging technologies.
11.15–12.30 LECTURE
Miomir Knežević (Remedy Advanced Therapeutics): Ethical Committee for Biotech Research and Art?
Dr. Miomir Knežević is director of Remedy Advanced Therapeutics. He was a founder of several biotech enterprises and was a project officer at the European Commission.
Each art and research project has an ethical component, which has to be addressed. In medical and life science research there is an ethical committee, in Slovenia for instance at the Ministry of Health, responsible for the ethical approval of research proposals, especially responsible for the research conducted on humans and animals. The main purpose is to protect the subjects of the research, but it can also influence the decision, whether the research will be conducted or not. Is there a need to establish an institutionalized board or advisory board for ethical issues in art?
PART 6: 15.00–17.00, MSUM at Metelkova
Outputs
15.00–16.00 OUTPUT 1 – group 1: Lessons learned about ethics and the importance of art and science collaborations for addressing ethical issues
15.00–16.00 OUTPUT 2 – group 2: Lessons of entrepreneurship and sustainable dimensions
15.00–16.00 OUTPUT 3 – group 3: Brainstormed Art & Science Installations in aspects business models perspective (marketing and ….)
16.00–17.00 all groups: discussion about the outputs
17.00 closing of the FIRST PART of the workshop and prospects
07 APRIL 2022
PART 7: 10.00–13.00, MSUM at Metelkova
PART 1 DIT Students’ work in groups CREATIVE MODEL OF A STEAM PROJECT
10.00–10.30 Formation of 3 groups of students of different backgrounds, the mentors.
ASSIGNMENT: define the focus of the group (ethics, entrepreneurship, technology, etc.)
10.30–11.30
ASSIGNMENT 1: examine and select projects and concepts to work on
ASSIGNMENT 2: define the potential challenges, draw the ideas
11.30–12.30 ASSIGNMENT 3: discuss and sketch the OBJECTIVES
12.30–13.00 SHORT PITCHES and RESPONSES
PART 8: 15.00–17.00, MSUM at Metelkova
PART 2 DIT Students’ work in groups CREATIVE MODEL OF A STEAM PROJECT
15.00–15.30 Examination of responses and suggestions
15.30–17.00 ASSIGNMENT 4: define the OBJECTIVES and the potential IMPACT of the project to be built:
– WHAT issues does the project explore
– WHY – define the relevance of the project
– WHO will be addressed
– define the IMPACT – WHAT will the results achieve
ASSIGNMENT 5:
– define HOW the project will be ORGANIZED, prepare the plan of IMPLEMENTATION and
– DRAW the model of the project
ASSIGNMENT 6:
– RISK ASSESSMENT and RISK MANAGEMENT
08 APRIL 2022
PART 9: 10.00 CET – 13.00 CET, MSUM at Metelkova
PART 3 DIT Students’ work in groups CREATIVE MODEL OF A STEAM PROJECT
10.00–11.00 Groups’ completion of the project and detection of the still open challenges
11.00–12.00 Groups present the results – spokesmen PITCHES WITH DRAWINGS
12.00–12.30 Voting for the best projects in 3 categories:
– best CONCEPT (most original and relevant impact project)
– best IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
– best INTERACTION OF DISCIPLINES
12.30–13.30 Evaluation of work and presentation of the Hybrid lab results
PART 10: Friday afternoon: informal gathering (lunch, museum, art institutions, etc.)