Unexpected Collaborations and Impossible Projects

Today’s most pressing challenges—climate, social inequality, systemic transitions—can’t be solved in silos. They demand transdisciplinary collaboration where relationships and processes take centre stage. But current funding and commissioning structures often don’t leave space for that kind of openness. Across the cultural and scientific sectors, however, new programs are beginning to push back—experimenting with funding models that support the unpredictable, the relational, and the bold.

How can designers and researchers truly strengthen each other in addressing complex societal issues?

At SDS#22, we explore the dynamics of unexpected collaborations: how radically different ways of thinking can align, what tensions emerge, and what makes open-ended partnerships not only possible, but powerful.

Our point of departure is Collaborations for Future, part of the Innovatielabs program. Collaborations for Future brought together 10 climate scientists and 10 designers in 1-on-1 partnerships—no predefined brief, no fixed roles, no expected outcomes. In today’s funding climate, such collaborations are practically impossible. And yet, by prioritising relationship-building over deliverables, this program uncovered what makes collaboration truly sustainable—and what kind of support systems are needed to make it work.

Drawing on insights from Collaborations for Future and the broader research on transdisciplinary work, SDS 22 offers a deep dive into what it really takes to collaborate across disciplines, across sectors—and across expectations. In a set of curated breakout-sessions, we'll dive into the kinds of collaborations we want to have more of. If you could work with any citizen or professional, with whom would you work and how?

Programme

13:30 Walk-in

14:00 Introduction

14:10 Presentations & panel discussion, moderated by Marsha Simon

15:00 Break-out sessions

15:45 Plenary round of the break-out outcomes; panel discussion; special announcement

16:10 Drinks till 17:30

Speakers

Frank Selten
Climate researcher, R&D Weather and Climate Models at KNMI

Frank talks about his experience and insights from his 9-month collaboration with designer Karl Moubarak, during the Collaborations for Future programme.

Prof. dr. Maarten Hajer
Distinguished professor Urban Futures and Futuring and Director of the Urban Futures Studio at Utrecht University

Maarten will share his experience of setting up and researching ‘soft spaces’, and how we can use them as a strategy.

Kornelia Dimitrova
Director of Foundation We Are and Program curator of Collaborations for Future

Kornelia talks about the practice and insights of setting up spaces for open-ended collaborations.

Alex Szwaj
Design researcher at Foundation We Are

Alex talks about how design and design methods are valuable in setting up such spaces within research (funding) institutions.

Michiel van den Hout
Director of Klimaatonderzoek Initiatief Nederland, NWO

Michiel talks about why and how KIN is opening up new spaces for experimentation and collaboration on climate.

Location

This edition will be at KNMI

Utrechtseweg 297

3732 GK De Bilt (Utrecht)

Please bring your ID (passport, identity card or driver’s license) to enter the building.

This event is powered by CLICKNL and is made possible by Foundation We Are.