UNDP Uruguay Accelerator Lab

We work collaboratively with the public and private sector, civil society and local communities in strategic ways to explore, ideate and test new solutions to development challenges.

Uruguay’s UNDP Accelerator Lab began in November 2020. Through a horizontal work methodology, the Lab team applies innovative methodologies within UNDP and its partners. In addition, the Accelerator Lab is promoting portfolio approaches inside the Country Office through sensemaking exercises and monthly collective intelligence workshops. In 2021 the Lab worked on different challenges. Firstly, the team aimed to tackle misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic through social network analysis, collaborative design, behavioral insights and gamification. Secondly, the Lab developed an alternative finance mechanism to foster sustainable development: the first crowdfunding campaign in the country was launched to plant 1,000 native trees in the coastal ecosystem of Uruguay. In every learning cycle, open and public innovation is prioritized to openly learn, connect and share every insight gained with society. For instance, how to generate inclusive and sustainable urban spaces is another challenge that the Lab is facing through participative methodologies with local governments. We invite you to learn more about the Accelerator Lab in Uruguay through our blogs.