Strategic Co-Design for Territorial Innovation: Defining Challenges within WE

This paper explores a strategic co-design process undertaken in the rural municipality of Miranda do Douro, Portugal, aimed at formulating locally grounded innovation challenges. Situated within the framework of a broader initiative [blinded for peer-review], the study highlights the preparatory phase prior to student involvement, emphasizing how collaborative methodologies shaped a community responsive innovation agenda. The research is anchored in theoretical perspectives on social and territorial innovation, drawing from concepts such as situated cocreation, collaborative governance, and active listening in peripheral contexts. These frameworks underscore the relational, adaptive, and context-sensitive nature of cocreation practices in rural and marginalized territories. Methodologically, the process involved an initial phase of internal mapping and stakeholder identification, followed by focus groups to gather local insights. Through iterative synthesis and validation with community actors, five strategic challenges emerged – ranging from cultural heritage preservation to agricultural valorization and linguistic revitalization. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how co-design can operate as a strategic tool for territorial innovation, particularly in low-density regions. It offers a replicable model that blends participatory methods with academic facilitation, enabling inclusive governance and reinforcing local agency. By reframing challenge formulation as a dialogic and situated act, the approach enhances legitimacy, ownership, and transformative potential in contexts often excluded from mainstream innovation agendas.

Keywords

Co-design Territorial innovation Collaborative governance Situated co-creation Rural Portugal

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/35098

Citation

Barroso, Bárbara; Pereira, Fernando A.; Costa, Cláudia S.; Barbedo, Inês; Antão, Celeste; Almeida-de-Souza, Juliana; Rodrigues, Pedro M.; Ferro-Lebres, Vera; Lachovicz, Rebeca (2025). Strategic Co-Design for Territorial Innovation: Defining Challenges within WE. In 1º Simpósio Internacional Territórios e Identidades. Bragança. ISBN 978-972-745-364-1