On March 25th, at the former Vasco da Gama Canning Factory, in Matosinhos, a joint session of the Cidades pelo Clima Working Groups was held, covering the areas of Energy, Buildings, Mobility and Carbon Removal. The session was led by professor Joana Mendonça, from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), who guided participants through a Design Thinking dynamic focused on the ideation phase
Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that fosters innovation through a deep understanding of user needs. It emphasizes empathy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and interactive experimentation, enabling teams to develop prototypes of products, services, or processes for rapid testing with their target audience.
During the session, members of the Cidades pelo Clima Working Groups were grouped by thematic area and engaged in collaborative activities that challenged them to understand each theme from new perspectives. Through these collaborative exercises, they were able to reflect on how to change the way they deal with challenges and, thus, come up with innovative solutions that can be implemented in their respective municipalities.
Joana Mendonça, recognized for her experience in innovation management and entrepreneurship, has been a central figure in the promotion of Design Thinking in Portugal. At IST, she teaches the subject of Innovation Management and Design Thinking, training master’s students to apply the methodology based on real challenges.
In addition, she is, together with Guilherme Victorino, co-author of the book “Design Thinking: From Inspiration to Innovation”, a work that serves as a practical guide for the application of Design Thinking in various sectors, being a source of inspiration for readers seeking to innovate and transform the way they face innovation challenges.
Holding this joint session of the Cities for Climate Working Groups reinforces the commitment of Portuguese cities to adopt innovative and collaborative approaches to address climate challenges, promoting sustainable and effective solutions for Portuguese cities.
