Outcome
By fostering collaboration, trust, and a shared vision, the project aims to improve infrastructure, enhance digital skills, preserve ecosystems, and strengthen community identity - laying the foundation for a resilient and sustainable socio-industrial ecosystem in San Antonio.
Solution
We created the Wicked Acceleration Hub, a socio-industrial accelerator in San Antonio that incubates both existing and new local initiatives, fosters sustainable growth, supports skills development, and drives collaborative, community-driven innovation across key sectors.
Context
San Antonio, Chile’s primary port, drives national trade but faces challenges from rapid expansion. Intense congestion, infrastructure strain, and environmental impact affect residents daily, and a disconnect between citizens and authorities has created an atmosphere of mistrust. As a critical economic hub, sustainable strategies, and greater cooperation are essential to balance growth with community wellbeing.
What we uncovered in the research
1. Port-City Disconnect: The economic disparity between port growth and city development has reduced social cohesion; bridging this gap could boost community trust and engagement.
2. Environmental Risks: The expansion threatens local ecosystems, underscoring the need for sustainable growth to protect natural resources for future generations.
3. Youth Migration: A lack of local job opportunities and technical roles drives young talent out of the area; reversing this trend could revitalise the local workforce.
4. Logistical Strain: Heavy truck traffic overloads urban infrastructure; addressing this will improve quality of life and efficiency in transport.
5. Digital Skills Gap: Limited digital competencies in the local workforce hinder socio-economic integration; strengthening digital skills could improve employment and port functionality.
Our process
1. Deep System Understanding: Mapped San Antonio’s port-city system, identifying major stakeholders, emerging themes, key pain points, and leverage points.
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2. Vision Co-Creation: Developed a collective vision for the city-port, defining concrete initiatives. Prioritised key challenges and co-created actionable missions for each dimension.
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3. Socio-Industrial Hub Development: Established the Wicked Acceleration Hub in San Antonio to facilitate collaboration, form partnerships, test priority initiatives, and generate rapid, low-cost learning outcomes, preparing successful initiatives for scaling.
Tools
Ethnographic Research
Stakeholder Mapping
System Analysis
Service Blueprinting
Strategic Planning
Community Co-Design
Vision/Mission Co-Design
Operating Model Design
Our Strategy
Vision: To co-create a future-focused, resilient socio-industrial hub in San Antonio that integrates sustainable growth and community empowerment.
Approach:
Co-Create Clear Missions: Define and prioritise clear missions for each dimension of development (environment, logistics, education, culture).
Prioritise Key Challenges: Identify primary pain points and leverage system insights.
Collaborative Initiative Design: Develop scalable, co-designed initiatives aligned with the shared vision.
Enablement through the Hub: Establish the Wicked Acceleration Hub to coordinate actors, secure funding, and test solutions.
Measurement: Track progress through specific metrics in community wellbeing, environmental preservation, digital skills enhancement, and infrastructure improvement.
Prototypes
Mission Co-Design Canvas: Developed to align stakeholders with a unified vision, receiving positive feedback, but revealing a need for actionable follow-ups alongside discussion.
Feedback: The Mission Co-Design Canvas was successful in aligning vision but highlighted the need for tangible actions alongside discussion.
Hub Creation: Established the Wicked Acceleration Hub to foster socio-industrial collaboration and cross-sector innovation.
Feedback: Local stakeholders appreciate the hub’s role in connecting port growth with community needs.
InnovaPuerto 2025 Proposal: A collaborative, phased program of opportunity identification, ideation, and solution testing to advance sustainable development in San Antonio.
Feedback: Positive reception, with future plans to integrate workshops and stakeholder-driven ideation sessions.
Project Tags
+ Social Impact
+ Public Sector
+ Transportation & Logistics
+ Community Development
+ Capacity Building
+ Sustainable Growth
+ Civic Participation
+ Innovation
+ Acceleration
Services
+ Journey Mapping
+ Service Blueprinting
+ Co-Design & Facilitation
+ Systems Thinking
+ Stakeholder Engagement
+ Future-State Vision
+ Prototyping
Clients
Port of San Antonio, Wicked Acceleration Labs
Year
2024
Summary
Addressing the pressing need for balanced growth in the port-city ecosystem of San Antonio Chile. Our aim is to bridge economic, social, and environmental gaps through a collaborative and participatory approach.
By establishing the Wicked Acceleration Hub, the project leverages cross-sector partnerships and shared expertise to create sustainable solutions that foster local development, ecosystem preservation, and community pride.
Who the project is for
Local community, port industry workers, government stakeholders, and environmental advocates.
My Role
Service Designer, Researcher, and Strategic Consultant.
Led strategic design, stakeholder alignment, co-design workshops, agile testing, and developed the operating model for the Wicked Acceleration Hub.