About Us

Genalguacil has made contemporary art, tradition, culture and nature fundamental pillars for its development and transformation - with a legacy spanning over 30 years, it is a pioneering project of rural innovation, Genalguacil Pueblo Museo, a model of growth that generates opportunities and values for the villagers, and invaluable experience for a radical new approach to innovation. Genalguacil is harnessing this wealth of experience and expertise to establish a rural laboratory, enabling rural areas to pioneer and implement their own innovation tools - starting from LAB Genalguacil as a pilot project to be shared in all rural regions of Spain and Europe. Placing local knowledge at the center of rethinking innovation, co-creating processes to unlock local knowledge, fostering confidence and ambition for collective entrepreneurial action. Genalguacil is finding out how innovation through art, culture, heritage and nature can drive the triple transition into sustainable, digital and inclusive development. LAB Genalguacil is an “open-space” for the co-creation of projects between different actors including entrepreneurs, civil servants , producers, farmers, researchers, students and citizens - we are finding out how we collectively co-produce transformative projects.

  • Descentralization

    Small and interrelated is beautiful

    At the LAB, we embrace the potential of decentralisation. We believe in development and growth through distributed networks operating in an interconnected yet independent fashion, strengthening and supporting local knowledge and collective action in rural development. This method fosters attuned strategies for crafting opportunities that take into account the unique needs and resources of each area. It enables the potential of rural areas to pave the way for new, sustainable approaches to innovation and development.

  • Innovation

    Tradition, art, culture, and nature

    In an era where innovation often focuses only on technology, and urban hotspots Lab Genalguacil's innovative spirit lies in its commitment to nurturing the heart and soul of rural areas. Through new models that leverage the power of tradition, art, culture, and nature in a co-production process involving governmental organizations, entrepreneurs, farmers, producers, researchers, artists, designers, students, citizens and more … What if innovation is able to embrace a poetic journey through time, harmonizing heritage and contemporary - opening up boundless possibilities … ?

  • Exchanging knowledge

    Sharing expertise and experience

    We acknowledge that the intersection of arts, technology, culture, heritage, between people and connected to place is a source of creative potential. By sharing insights and ideas, and learning by doing, we can actively co-produce new approaches that drive sustainable innovation and new economic models in rural regions.

  • Regenerative Economy

    The rural way

    For us, sustainability isn't merely a goal; it's a way of life. It represents a tangible pathway to rural development, safeguarding natural resources, fostering responsible consumption, and shaping a thriving, sustainable future for rural communities. We actively cultivate regenerative and non-extractive business models that prioritize the well-being of people and place, generating economic opportunities while respecting the environment

The space

LAB Genalguacil

Once the local bank, now an innovation lab. The old bank of Genalguacil, a symbol of traditional finance, has been reinvented as a space where people come together to imagine and create new ways of doing things. LAB Genalguacil is a space where all knowledge and experiences are equal, breaking free from traditional models of innovation to create a more inclusive and sustainable future. An open space for the co-production of projects between different people, places and practices - it is for everyone!

The LAB team

We are individuals from diverse backgrounds, all united by a common goal: to catalyse new practices of innovation - to foster equality and justice. We believe in the power of collaboration and the exchange of ideas. We fuse tradition, art, culture, and heritage to co-create opportunities with and for people and places. We come from various fields, including entrepreneurship, farming, civil service, production, research, arts, design, and education. Together, including you, we form a community committed to making a positive impact in rural regions. With a shared vision and a strong sense of purpose, we're turning rural areas into places of innovation, well-being, and creativity.

  • Joe Lockwood, Co-Director of Innovation

    Marta and me co-lead the development of the International Laboratory for Rural Innovation, LAB Genalguacil with our colleagues from the LABs strategic partners. My work spans the interface of creative industries, higher-education and government from founding creative enterprises, contributing to policy development and co-creating pioneering initiatives with public and private partners. Co-founder of The Innovation School and The Creative Campus at The Glasgow School of Art, fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, my grandmother was born in Genalguacil and her stories inspired me to have the courage and confidence to change things!

  • Marta Calvente, Co-Director of Innovation

    Marta Calvente is a descendant of Genalguacil. She decided to study for a degree in Social Education at the University of Malaga, specializing in social intervention with young people in the criminal field. She has spent some time living abroad, first as a European volunteer in a center with young people in France and later in Scotland in the care of minors. Back in Spain, she has grown professionally running school associations and later within the Community Social Services of the city council of Malaga. In 2017 she decided to join the local governance group of her municipality as a councilor of the town council with the main mission to fight against depopulation, challenging the inequalities suffered by citizens in rural areas. She currently combines the political position along with the Co-direction of the International Lab for Rural Innovation to create opportunities in the territory through state and European funding.

  • Vere Álvarez

    Genalguacil is where I was born and where I grew up. It is the home of my family. I bring my vision to LAB as a neighbor and as a communications professional. You will always see me involved in projects that have to do with Genalguacil Pueblo Museo. Thanks to my training in Journalism and Social Networks I am responsible for communications; sharing the work of our International Laboratory of Rural Innovation with places locally and globally. From Calle Real to Europe and vice versa. In addition, I bring my creative vision for the development of content, social media management, contact with media and everything related to press.

  • Facundo Samman

    With my background in design and strategy, I bring my perspective to the lab, where I collaborate in conceiving and bringing to life creative concepts and new methods of innovation. My connection with Genalguacil dates back to 2016. Over the years, I have become involved with its community, its projects and its innovative spirit. I am proud to be part of LAB and to be able to contribute to the boundless energy and innovative capacity of this village.

Our Partners

We believe in the power of collaboration, and our journey toward new practices of innovation would not be possible without the support and expertise of our partners. Together, we are forging new paths, encouraging creative confidence, building networks of trust, fostering new approaches, and driving positive change in rural development. At the heart of our collective efforts is an understanding of lives beyond binaries and embracing the complex relationships of everyday lives. Our work together is founded in trust, generosity, and the uncertainty of making something new

LAB is part of:

©2024 Lab Genalguacil