Carina Veeckman

I am interested in how technology is shaping our lives in cities, and how innovation can make our lives easier, connected and especially more sustainable. Our cities are facing a lot of challenges with regards to pollution and population growth. In this sense, I believe that it is crucial that participatory processes are set up with people in cities, in which needs and wants of users are taken into account when new solutions are developed. How can I measure the air quality in my street? How can I be informed about an upcoming pluvial flooding, and how can I contribute to more green space in my neighborhood? To study these questions, I am experienced in setting up living lab experiments in which co-creation with users is central. I like to combine the collection of qualitative and quantitative feedback to improve the design of the solution, and as such, work towards technology acceptance by end-users.

As a researcher at SMIT since 2011, I am happy to be involved in new collaboration opportunities and the writing of new proposals in sustainability. I like to stay up to date with new emerging technologies and citizen science initiatives, as well as the social and environmental impacts that they have on society. Related to this, I was involved in several European funded CIP projects (e.g. Citadel… On the move, ECIM, OpenTransportNet) that experimented with smart city solutions in mobility, and more recently in digital social innovation projects that contribute to the challenge of tackling food waste (SavingFood), air pollution (hackAIR) and flooding in cities (FloodCitiSense). I have a bachelor degree in Communication Management (PR & events, Artevelde, 2006) and a master degree in Communication Sciences (New Media and Society, Ghent University, 2011).