Investing in the Mar Menor Living Lab
Supporting the Next Generation of Community-Centered Innovation
The Mar Menor Living Lab is a collaborative initiative between the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT) and New York University (NYU) that brings together graduate students, faculty, researchers, community organizations, public agencies, and industry partners to develop innovative solutions addressing the complex environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the Mar Menor. Through interdisciplinary teamwork, community engagement, data-driven research, and design thinking, participants develop evidence-informed interventions that have the potential to improve environmental stewardship, strengthen local communities, and contribute to regional resilience.
While the Living Lab culminates in a final project showcase, the greatest opportunity begins after the presentations conclude. Many promising ideas demonstrate significant scientific, social, and entrepreneurial potential but require continued mentorship, stakeholder engagement, and modest financial support to mature into research collaborations, pilot projects, community initiatives, or scalable ventures.
We are seeking philanthropic, corporate, and institutional partners to help establish the Mar Menor Living Lab Innovation Fund, providing resources that extend the impact of the Living Lab beyond a single program.
Support from donors will enable:
- Scientific Advancement: Support outstanding student teams working with UPCT, NYU, and regional partners to transform promising projects into publishable research, decision-support tools, and evidence-based contributions advancing the stewardship of the Mar Menor.
- Social Entrepreneurship: Help teams refine innovative solutions through mentorship, stakeholder engagement, and participation in innovation forums such as the UPCT Talent Forum, accelerating ideas toward sustainable implementation and public benefit.
- Community Partnership Development: Expand collaboration with municipalities, NGOs, businesses, agricultural organizations, and community groups to co-design and pilot solutions responding directly to local priorities.
- Future Living Labs: Provide scholarships, field experiences, prototyping resources, community workshops, research materials, and technical support that increase participation while strengthening future interdisciplinary Living Lab programs.
- International Collaboration: Foster enduring partnerships connecting students, faculty, practitioners, and organizations across Spain, the United States, and other regions confronting similar environmental and climate challenges.
Donor investment supports more than student projects -it cultivates a pipeline of future researchers, innovators, public servants, and social entrepreneurs equipped to address society's most pressing environmental challenges through science, collaboration, and community engagement. Together, we can ensure that the most promising ideas generated through the Mar Menor Living Lab continue to evolve into meaningful scientific contributions and practical solutions that create lasting public value.
We invite organizations, foundations, corporations, and individual philanthropists to partner with UPCT and NYU in building a sustainable future for the Mar Menor through research, innovation, education, and community collaboration.