Hello!
What a joy to have you here!
Did you know that we are the first public sector lab accelerator program focused on innovation capabilities in Brazil and the world? That's rare and very special! Isn't it? Learn more below.
Program History
The program was launched in the second half of 2023 with a clear purpose: to create a continuous, safe, and transformative space for innovation labs in the Brazilian public sector.I.LAB – Open Acceleration of Innovation Labs in the Public Sector , coordinated by the Innovation and Strategy in Government Laboratory (LineGov | UnB), is the first open and inclusive lab acceleration program in Brazil.
Its purpose is to strengthen the innovation capacity of the public sector through intensive learning cycles, mentoring, and institutional maturity assessment. Inspired by the principles of next-generation accelerators, the I.LAB Program draws on public innovation capital with networks of knowledge, trust, and cooperation between universities, governments, and civil society.
The program is structured in 6-week sessions, in which laboratories from different regions and spheres of government work around 10 public innovation capabilities, 7 of which were systematized by Queiroz-Isidro (2022) and 3 recently added. The capabilities are: transformational leadership; governance and strategy; team management; innovation process management; project management; technology management; and innovation performance and impact management, structuring public innovation ecosystems, innovation implementation, and creation of public innovation laboratories.
These capabilities form the conceptual and methodological core of the program, allowing laboratories to assess their maturity level, plan competency development, and measure results. The capabilities model, empirically validated in scientifically based research, serves as a national benchmark for the management and professionalization of public innovation laboratories.
The I.LAB methodological approach combines capacity diagnosis, collaborative mentoring, and peer learning. Each cycle generates data, practices, and evidence that feed into a robust empirical base on the maturity of Brazilian laboratories.
Our story is just beginning, and you are a part of it!
I.LAB in numbers
Co-creating the future of public innovation in Brazil since 2023
+60
Laboratórios e instituições impactadas diretamente, abrangendo os poderes Executivo e Judiciário, organizações da administração direta, indireta, autarquias, fundações e empresas públicas
+400
People directly impacted by the program include federal, state, and municipal public servants, undergraduate and graduate students.
+10
Laboratories created within the program began their activities with practical projects. Among these, the creation of one foreign laboratory (Angola) stands out.
+15
Cities represented by laboratories located in the 5 regions of Brazil and in different states of the federation.
“The I.LAB acceleration program helped us transform a still dispersed intention into a concrete institutional proposal. The process forced us to move beyond the generic idea of innovation and translate our purpose into scope, governance, priorities, and achievable deliverables. For LabGes-DF, the main lesson learned was understanding that the administrative area can also be a strategic territory for public innovation. The acceleration provided method, legitimacy, and direction so that innovation would cease to be just a wish and become a formal structure, capable of mobilizing civil servants, redesigning processes, and generating value for public management.”
LabGes Team
Federal District
Partners
