Societal

Imagineering Lab

We

We Prototype. We Thinker. We Experiment. We Explore. We Innovate. We Imagine. We Cocreate. We Design.

We are a team of socio-technologists working towards a better tomorrow through research, innovation, and collaboration.

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View our projects

EDU-box Toekomstgeletterdheid

February 6, 2026

Fresh PhD: Exploring User Perceptions and Design Challenges of Personal Data Stores

January 27, 2026

Publication highlight: Impact Assessments in Living Labs

January 27, 2026

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Latest news

EDU-box Toekomstgeletterdheid

February 6, 2026

In samenwerking met VRT ontwikkelden we de EDU-box Toekomstgeletterdheid. Met deze box kunnen leerkrachten in het secundair onderwijs in twee uur tijd met hun leerlingen aan de slag rond toekomstdenken. Via de toekomst van voeding maken leerlingen kennis met verschillende toekomstbeelden, aan de hand van toegankelijke en leuke opdrachten. Collega-futurist Thomas D’hooge neemt hen mee […]

Fresh PhD: Exploring User Perceptions and Design Challenges of Personal Data Stores

January 27, 2026

In his doctoral thesis, dr. Tim Theys, both UX designer and Human-Data Interaction specialists, explored how humans want to interact with Personal Data Spaces. You can access his PhD here.

Publication highlight: Impact Assessments in Living Labs

January 27, 2026

In this publication, we bring together 5 years of research into the ways living labs generate value and have impact (through ripple effects). In the image, you can find the main assessment template, and you can read the full paper here.

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Discover our work

Featured projects

Inclusive and collaborative design of emerging technologies

Ongoing

07/07/2025

20/09/2029

Project funding:

BOF

AI powered product design

In submission

01/09/2026

01/09/2028

Project funding:

Vlaio TETRA

The rapid rise of generative and agentic AI is fundamentally changing how products and services are conceived, designed, and improved. This TETRA project translates complex technologies into concrete applications for the New Product Development (NPD) process.

Project website

ASTRA Conversational Interfaces & AI agents

Ongoing

01/01/2026

01/01/2028

Project funding:

imec AAA

The ASTRA project develops a research-grade experimentation platform for studying Agentic AI and conversational interfaces in real-world settings. By combining rapid prototyping across devices with a behavioral experimentation suite, it allows researchers to evaluate user trust, acceptance, and human-in-the-loop dynamics through rigorous "in-the-wild" testing.

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About us

Who are we?

We are a multidisciplinary team of socio-technologists operating at the intersection of engineering, design, and social sciences. As a joint initiative of Ghent University and imec, the Societal Imagineering Lab (SIL) serves as a collaborative bridge between the industrial design expertise of design.nexus (UGent Campus Kortrijk) and the human-centric research of imec-mict-ugent. Together, we transform complex societal challenges into tangible, meaningful innovations.

Our goals

Pyramid explaining the different levels of research

Our methods

Futures & Foresight

Exploring possible, probable, and preferable futures through participatory design and strategic foresight methodologies.

Inclusive Design & Human Augmentation

Creating accessible technologies that augment human capabilities and ensure equitable access to innovation.

Impact & Living Labs

Real-world experimentation environments where citizens, researchers, and industry co-create solutions.

Our organisational structure

At an institutional level, the Societal Imagineering Lab is powered by Ghent University and imec. Our research core is built on the synergy between two specialized groups: design.nexus, focusing on industrial design engineering, and imec-mict-ugent, focusing on the human-technology interaction.

The Big Picture: Parent institutions

Ghent University

Providing the academic foundation and research expertise across multiple campuses.

Imec

The world-leading R&D and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, which provides the framework for high-tech societal application.

The Two Pillars: Connected research groups

design.nexus

Based at UGent Campus Kortrijk, this group leads the Industrial Design Engineering program. They specialize in physical product design and prototyping, providing the industrial expertise to ensure societal solutions are tangible and manufacturable.

imec-mict-ugent

Affiliated with Communication Sciences and Industrial Systems Engineering, this team focuses on the "human" side of technology. They provide the behavioral insights and impact analysis needed to ensure innovations meet real-world human expectations.