How do we renew our civic space?
Rhode Island has been a lively experiment in democracy since its founding. The 21st century brings us opportunities to rediscover the meaning of citizen and government, resident and town, voter and elected official. Rhode Island encompasses a rich mix of federal, state, local, and quasi-government organizations, independent but intertwined by necessity and proximity. In the BIF Citizen Experience Lab, public sector organizations partner with businesses, non-profits, and citizens in new ways to create a society that is more engaged, secure, culturally enriched and economically thriving. Our experiments will become lighthouse examples to other states and regions, as Roger Williams’ “lively experiment” was over 350 years ago.
Current Projects
BIF Initiative Turns Nursing Home into Laboratory for Improving Elder Care
The Business Innovation Factory is partnering with Tockwotton Home, Quality Partners of Rhode Island and the MIT AgeLab to create a real-world laboratory for developing and testing new solutions, products and models for improving elderly care. Leveraging the BIF Experience Lab platform, the "Nursing Home of the Future" will create a forum for innovators and industry partners to transform current approaches to elderly care, provide a roadmap for redesigning next generation solutions and help companies and care providers deliver better value to the burgeoning elderly population. [ more ]
Citizen Labs: Port Security Partnership
The Business Innovation Factory (BIF) has partnered in a unique port security communications demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Under a contract awarded to Smiths Detection Systems, BIF will partner with a team of communications and security experts, including Raytheon, Stonecrop Technologies, and Newport-based LiveWave, to create a wireless broadband communications network. The network will allow government agencies and emergency personnel to share and distribute and use real-time text, voice, and video data in Narragansett Bay. [ more ]
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