Beyond Boundaries: Art-Tech Collaboration Driving Future-Oriented Innovation

Abstract

The current innovation landscape, shaped by digital transformation and increasing complexity, force businesses and creators not only to enhance their technological and innovation capacity, but also address sustainable and societal challenges. To do so, it becomes paramount to rethink creative approaches for innovation to move beyond traditional human-centred frameworks that often lack a future-oriented and inclusive visions (Canina et. al, 2021) in favour of a more holistic conception of innovation for planetary well-being. Art and Technology collaboration emerges as a promising avenue, enabling artists and companies to design sustainable solutions and contribute to societal and environmental impact. While such collaboration offers significant opportunities, challenges hinder its potential. A key obstacle is the absence of a strategic, vision-led process, often implemented ad hoc. Futures Thinking is proposed as an approach to provide artists and companies a common ground for collaboration. This article explores the potential of Art-Tech collaboration for innovation, grounded in the Horizon Europe MUSAE project. The project aims to overcome collaboration challenges by defining a novel collaborative model, exploring the role of futures thinking in facilitating cross-disciplinary dialogue between art and technology. This approach enhances the Art-Tech collaboration process, driving innovation in a future-oriented and responsible manner. The conclusion underscores the potential of this cross-disciplinary approach to foster sustainable innovation through equal collaboration, emotional exploration, strategic tools, and anticipation of technological advancements' impact on people and the planet.

Keywords: Art-tech collaboration, futures thinking, vision, innovation

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004729