History

Foundation and leadership

Our trajectory officially began in 2018, when it was registered as a Research Group in the CNPq directory, initially motivated by projects developed by its founders and leaders, Professors Dr. Júlio Monteiro Teixeira and Dr. Israel de Alcântara Braglia. The laboratory was born within the Center for Communication and Expression (CCE) at UFSC, initially linked to the Design area, and expanded its activities by consolidating its connection with the Graduate Program in Engineering, Knowledge and Media Management (PPGEGC).

The integration of intellectual capital between academic research and the founders’ market experience guided the construction of this space. This shared background enabled the development of an environment that balances theoretical-methodological scientific rigor with applied solutions for the demands of society and the productive sector.

Key milestones in the trajectory

Our evolution is shaped by the diversity of its areas of activity and by cooperation with different spheres of society:


Cooperation with the productive sector

The laboratory has developed technological cooperation projects and consultancy for the local innovation ecosystem — including ACATE startups and regional small businesses — as well as for global brands, with projects in Service Design for Natura and market intelligence for Tropical Brasil.

International projection

The group’s activities include partnerships with the IXL Center in Boston for Go to Market strategies, business missions to Silicon Valley, and research collaborations with educational institutions in the United States and Germany.

Actions in the public sector

In the governmental and infrastructure sphere, we work on mapping regional innovation ecosystems and developing institutional projects, such as the innovation program of the Regional Labor Court (INOVA TRT-SC) and cooperation on the Living Lab Floripa 5G.

Applied research and intellectual property

This academic work has resulted in international recognition, such as the Best Paper Award at the DIGITAL conference in Porto, Portugal. The knowledge generated has been converted into technological assets, as exemplified by the INPI registration of the software OstraFarm, developed in partnership with Epagri for the aquaculture sector.

Impact in numbers

This section consolidates the measurable results achieved by the laboratory throughout its activities:


+100
Published scientific articles
+50
Partnerships, consultancies, and workshops
+30
Members and researchers
02
Published books referenced in the market

The present and future of digital innovation

Today, we operate continuously in monitoring and responding to technological transformations. The laboratory remains active at the frontier of knowledge through a multidisciplinary team composed of faculty members, doctoral students, master’s students, and collaborators.

The group’s focus remains on developing methods, frameworks, and applied digital solutions. These investigations are dynamically oriented to address contemporary challenges in the field, structured around its three research axes: Creative Use of Data, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and Customer and User Experience (CX/UX).