IDEAS Labs – Social, political and regulatory innovation lab: private, independent, non-partisan and non-profit.

Who we are

IDEAS Labs is a social, political and regulatory innovation lab—private, independent, non-partisan and non-profit.

We bring together the capabilities and resources needed to improve the design of solutions—inspired by the principles of freedom and free markets—and their delivery strategies, in order to speed up their implementation and maximize their positive impact on society.

Knowledge + Dialogue + Impact

01
Knowledge
We speak out publicly and take positions on the great challenges facing society, based on the best available KNOWLEDGE (applied research, evidence and data).
02
Dialogue
We foster high-level debate on alternative solutions to the challenges our society faces, and we are not afraid to sit at the same table with those who see the world differently—even in opposite ways—because we are convinced that the solutions we propose and support are the ones that most benefit citizens, and that DIALOGUE is necessary for a modern, civilized society to move forward.
03
Impact
We make things happen, move the needle and change lives. In other words, we have IMPACT.

SI VIS PACEM PARA REVOLUTIONEM!

We firmly oppose every form of TYRANNY and we believe in the transformative and regenerative power of FREEDOM, when it is exercised genuinely and responsibly.

We support and promote revolutions of IDEAS: twenty-first-century revolutions that are non-violent, whose heroes are ordinary citizens who freely choose to drive—passionately, creatively and innovatively—positive solutions with great social impact for humanity’s great problems.

IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR REVOLUTION!

Concept · BIG IMPACT, FAST

“Deng Xiaoping, who led China’s economic transformation, said it doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat. What he was telling us is that ideology, or where ideas come from, is not what matters; what matters is that they actually solve problems.
We would add that the speed at which the cat catches mice matters, and so does their size, because we want high-impact solutions, implemented in the short term.”

Luis E. LoríaPresident and Founder of IDEAS LabsJuly 4, 2016

IDEAS Labs presentation: the 5 steps from problem to solution

We collaborate with leaders from the public and private sectors, NGOs, governments, international financial institutions and donors who share our values, to build a powerful innovation engine that makes it possible to overcome challenges to freedom that—because of their complexity or scale—we could never hope to solve on our own.

Challenge-driven approaches (approaches that start from a well-defined challenge) have proven effective at channeling the talent and resources needed to drive innovation in technical and technological solutions, while other dimensions of human activity—at least as important—such as social, political and regulatory solutions, have been actively neglected.

Once a challenge has been carefully identified, the resources specific to that challenge (challenge-specific resources)—including the expertise, intellectual capacity and contacts of the people who take part in the many collaboration networks of IDEAS Labs—can be mobilized, at different stages, to design solutions and their delivery strategies, and to work on their implementation.

5 steps from challenge to implemented solution

Problem definition
Complaint

We start from a problem that people experience and point out.
Solution design
Possible solution

We explore alternatives using evidence and international experience.
Solution design
Impact proposal

We turn the best alternative into a concrete, measurable proposal.
Delivery strategies
Influence key decision-makers

We take the proposal to those who can adopt it.
Delivery strategies
Mobilize public opinion

We build public support so the solution gets implemented.