Working for sustainability transformation in an academic environment: The Case of itdUPM

The Innovation and Technology for Development Centre at the Technical University of Madrid (itdUPM) in Spain is a collaborative network of lecturers, research students and non-academic professionals with a common interest in promoting action research for sustainable development. This paper is based on an in-depth analysis of itdUPM’s co-evolutionary design process. The study is presented as an example of an inter-disciplinary environment that has been established for the co-creation of innovative technical and organisational solutions to address sustainable development challenges. The aim of this paper is to offer a case study of a collaborative technology and sustainability centre at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), in Spain. Two focus areas are emphasised: the action research process chosen for the establishment and development of a networked centre, the Innovation and Technology for Development Centre (itdUPM), within the dominant disciplinary culture of a University organised along traditional lines and; the Centre’s organisational design features which have proven to be appropriate for the inter-disciplinary and multi-actor action research processes necessary for addressing the challenges of creating a more sustainable society. The methodology used draws on theory to explore the Centre’s development which is conceived as an evolutionary, participative, and action research process. The paper presents the context, background, design, and launch features of the itdUPM. The main lessons learnt refer to five organisational design issues that were critical for the success of the Centre and its activities. The paper describes the issues and challenges faced by the Centre as a “niche” operating in a dissimilar “regime”. Although the findings are specific to the UPM context, we believe that they can inspire and stimulate other Universities interested in the development of sustainability initiatives.