Today I had a chat with the guys from Elva (@Mark_Elva & @Ninutsa Nanitashvili - yes, Ninutsa is working for Elva now!) and they really would like to set up a co-working/co-creating space/hub in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The idea is as following, it should be a place which fosters social entrepreneurship and social innovation (The Innovation Hub?), similar to ones already set up in the rest of the world. For example, RomeMakers.
It would not only function as a working space for individuals, but also host innovative NGOs and start-ups. Moreover, besides people working on their own projects, it would also create a space for the people active in the hub to come together and create projects together. To share their ideas and their skills.In addition, a place where students, kids, minorities and others can be trained in a variety of subjects to empower them: what is open sourced software/hardware, coding/programming, entrepreneurship, etc. AND serve as a space where events can be held on social innovations and other relevant subjects.
Ideally, this would be located in an abandoned factory (of which there are many in Tbilisi). The idea is that the team working in the hub will together also work on the office space itself (airconditiong/heating, kitchen?, etc).
What is the next step? That is seeing if there are interested partners to join in. In Georgia, Elva is already looking around, but perhaps the Edgeryders community can help out with examples of previous spaces similar to this idea: what are the do’s and the don’t’s? What would you think should be a part of this?
Right now a website is being set up with the main idea on it and supporters of the idea (individuals, organizations, private sector).
Another issue which might be worth exploring: perhaps together with Elva and several other local NGOs they can apply with Edgeryders for a Horizon2020 fund for this? @Alberto, what do you think of the idea, do you think this is something which could be good for Horizon2020 and would Edgeryders be possibly interested in working on this together?