This project explored the nature of participatory futures processes, and the interplay between actefacts and acors to generate knowlegde and collactively imagine.

Production processes face pressure from aging, climate change, and rapid technological change, complicating long-term workforce development in Flanders. Flanders Make and imec explored future scenarios with over 50 experts. We designed and facilitated the process through interviews, workshops, and iterative scenarios, including exploration of large language models in foresight.

Technology can evolve in multiple directions, where “good” or “bad” remains ambiguous due to dual-use and shifting societal values. This PhD assumes that ethical and axiological choices in technology development are shaped by changing societal contexts. It uses futures and foresight methods to anticipate these shifts and translate evolving value frameworks into concrete decision-making processes.

Cocreative development of public interfaces to raise awareness aound air quality and mobility choices, focussed on school areas.

This living lab project examines how digital and physical technologies can support care professionals across youth, elderly, disability, and childcare services, with the aim of reducing work load and increasing professional well-being. The research is structured in four phases, moving from exploration and selection to real-world validation.

What is the future role of the bicycle, and how can technology support it? With imec, we engaged 25 experts to explore mobility in Flanders through four scenarios for 2040. These were used in a wind-tunneling exercise to test the robustness of imec use cases, including digital twins and LiDAR applications.

An exploration (including concept development, prototyping and field trials) of emerging in-situ technologies for civic participation, focussed on adolescents.

Personal Data Stores (PDS) and Solid aim to restore user data control, yet adoption lags despite institutional interest. This thesis uses multi-sector research to prove that usage challenges are manageable, providing a practical design tool to help companies bridge the gap and drive PDS-driven innovation.

How can technology help reduce food waste? Within the IN2FOOD project, this question was explored with international partners from Indonesia, Finland, and the Netherlands. As SIL we shaped and contributed to a methodology that applied design thinking in interdisciplinary and international student teams.

Older adults often face mobility barriers in daily routes. In collaboration with partners in Santander and Helsinki, we explored how digital twins can support easier navigation. Through co-creation with seniors, we developed and tested a methodology in Flanders, trained partners via a train-the-trainer model, and created prototypes to improve senior mobility.

Unraveling the complexity of user interactions in the design process of smart products and emerging technologies. The development the HCCI (human-computer-context-interaction) framework.

Within the CoGhent project (Urban Innovative Actions), we explored combining local heritage, digital archives, and neighborhood-based social work. With four Ghent museums, we developed digital interfaces enabling citizens to engage with local stories. Through co-creation, these tools were integrated into social work to strengthen neighborhood cohesion.