---
title: "CO/LAB"
description: "CO/LAB (Italian Institute of Technology, 2021/22): Companies simulate the artificial leaf in their own plant before they invest"
url: "https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/co-lab-2021-22/"
lang: "en"
---

# CO/LAB

**Companies simulate the artificial leaf in their own plant before they invest**

_Innovative Tech-to-Market Onboarding Experience_

- **Corporate partner:** [Italian Institute of Technology](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/partners/italian-institute-of-technology/) (https://www.iit.it/)
- **Cohort:** [2021/22](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/cohort/2021-22/)
- **Theme:** [Sustainability & resources](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/themes/sustainability-resources/)
- **Type:** Digital service
- **Universities:** [Université Côte d’Azur](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/uca/), [University of Bologna · Almacube](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/unibo/)
- **Team:** 6 master students
- **Disciplines:** Economics and Management, Educational Technology, Electrical Energy Engineering, Service Design, Sustainable Design

## Challenge

IIT's artificial leaf mimics photosynthesis but is not ready for industrial scale. IIT needs company partners to develop it, yet companies hesitate to invest at such an early stage.

## What the team learned

Communicating all the necessary data so that very different stakeholders understand it is hard, and it leaves them disengaged from the process.

## What they built

CO/LAB is collaborative software that keeps all technology data in one place. Companies and IIT scientists run a survey, technical and financial simulations, graphs and a 3D plant model together. Companies take a detailed report to their finance team.

## Impact

CO/LAB gives IIT and companies a common language for onboarding. IIT collects reliable data for further development; companies see whether the technology pays off for them.

## Full project text

A new software to help companies visualise the benefits and logistics of implementing new technologies within their industrial processes.

### Challenge

IIT has developed a technology that mimics photosynthesis, called the artificial leaf.

The technology is not yet ready to be implemented on an industrial scale. To further develop the technology, IIT needs to collaborate with companies who could  
benefit from the implementation of the artificial leaf. However, due to the technology’s current low development level, most companies don’t feel comfortable  
investing - presenting us with a paradox.

The challenge of the project is to find a way to show to the companies the benefits of investing in and implementing the artificial leaf technology in their processes.

### Solution

Introducing: CO/LAB. This innovative software transforms the onboarding experience of the artificial leaf and helps the scientists at IIT find companies to develop their technology. CO/LAB creates an interactive simulation of the implementation of the artificial leaf technology. This software takes the various questions that often get lost during meetings and creates an organised, concise platform where all of the data can be viewed in a coherent manner. After finishing the simulation, companies will receive a detailed report of the results to bring back to their financial team for assessment. If a company is not satisfied with the initial results, the simulation can be revised to fit the needs of the specific company.

### Impact

The value this software provides IIT lies in the innovative model of an onboarding experience it facilitates. This innovation is inherent in the interactive space which  
allows IIT and companies to collaborate and to evaluate the Artificial Leaf technology together. CO/LAB creates a common language between all parties, to smooth  
out the communication issues that typically occur in onboarding meetings.

IIT can collect reliable data from companies to further develop the technology and start a potential partnership.  
Companies can visualise the technology and see if it is beneficial for them, saving them time and resources.

Our software aims to streamline the technology development process in order to implement sustainable innovation at this critical stage of our existence.

## Who built it.

- Hannah Bahney, Sustainable Design (Université Côte d’Azur)
- Fatima Abid, Education Technology (Université Côte d’Azur)
- Timo Thijsen, Sustainable Design (Université Côte d’Azur)
- Andrea Baroni, Service Design (University of Bologna · Almacube)
- Giorgia Dominici, Economics and Management (University of Bologna · Almacube)
- Alexander Koppelt, Electrical Energy Engineering (University of Bologna · Almacube)

## Sources

Summarised by the SUGAR editorial team from the team’s project page and SUGAR Expo booklet.

Open the 2021/22 booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gaylrIaKwqlepYmZJTx7JXi7XBTw56Kd/view?usp=sharing