Dep – Our mission
Piloting and scaling innovations that power better urban futures.
Over half of the world’s population live in urban environments – that’s 83% in the UK and rising, and we know that a range of pressures – such as pollution, social isolation, rising living costs, food insecurity – present a considerable challenge to people living healthier, safer lives. These challenges are directly impacting the lives of our east London neighbours, but it’s a global trend that shows .no signs of abating.
At the same time cities are places of growth, creativity and opportunity, driven by the knowledge of local people. Yet, much of the innovation economy takes place behind closed doors, often excluding the people who have first-hand experience.
We believe that’s business limiting and societally damaging.
By bridging the gap between innovators from all backgrounds and creating an ecosystem open to all, we are seeking to disrupt systemic barriers and spark positive change at scale.
We are looking to work with creative solutions under 3 themes:
As we investigate, develop and demonstrate solutions for better urban futures, we will remain committed to our core values.
Inclusive Innovation: We enhance participation and empowerment of local communities to address context-specific problems in new and creative ways, driving shared benefits and opportunities for people, businesses and communities in the surrounding local areas and marginalised groups in east London.
Collaboration and Partnership: Innovation shouldn’t happen behind closed doors. We facilitate and coordinate connections across communities, sectors and industries; co-creating value, sharing learnings and applying open innovation to maximise impact.
Local and Global Impact: We address issues from our immediate locality to challenges of a global nature, working with a diverse range of innovators and stakeholders to demonstrate the potential for impact at scale.
