Innovating through Care: The Case of LABNL, Lab Cultural Ciudadano in Monterrey, Mexico

Abstract

This article examines how citizen labs, using LABNL as a case study, operate as care infrastructures that support citizen innovation. From a feminist Science and Technology Studies perspective, it analyzes mediation as an ethical-political practice that enables inclusive participation and co-creation, highlighting the phases of care within the organization and collaboration between human and non-human actors. Using a qualitative methodology based on ethnography and interviews, the study shows that mediation is key to sustaining collaborative relationships, managing conflicts, and fostering community autonomy. The article stresses the importance of valuing care work, traditionally invisible, as essential for sustainability and equity in citizen innovation. It concludes that citizen labs can be redefined as spaces where care is fundamental for democratic participation and the production of commons, emphasizing the need for public policies that recognize and support these infrastructures and improve the working conditions of those who mediate and provide care.