On the afternoon of Thursday, April 17, the Porto Innovation Hub was filled with creative energy and critical thinking during the Meetup: CREA-UP — Ecosystems for Sustainability & Upcycling in the Creative Industries.
This was the first in a series of thematic gatherings promoted by the European project CREA-UP, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme, aimed at supporting artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs in adopting more sustainable practices aligned with the principles of the circular economy.
Organised by CRU Creative Hub, the event’s main goal was to foster dialogue among diverse creative sector actors – from hubs and initiatives to independent artists – around the challenges and opportunities of sustainability in the artistic, cultural, and design contexts.
Innovation and creativity ecosystems: Mouraria and Loulé in the spotlight
The meetup saw an excellent turnout, bringing together participants from various fields—design, visual arts, architecture, cultural production, education, and creative entrepreneurship—in an informal yet deeply enriching atmosphere. The presentations highlighted two leading national creative hubs, both with exemplary practices at the intersection of creativity and sustainability.
The first presentation was given by Rosário Pedrosa, who introduced the work of the Centro de Inovação da Mouraria (CIM), a project by the Lisbon City Council focused on empowering and incubating creative projects with social impact.
More than just a co-working space, the Mouraria Creative Hub is a true ecosystem for innovation, collaboration, and growth for Lisbon’s creative minds. Located in one of the city’s most authentic and multicultural neighbourhoods, CIM blends tradition with modernity, offering a fertile environment for developing sustainable and transformative ideas.
With capacity for over 30 fixed workstations spread across six spacious and well-equipped rooms, the hub also features a meeting room, multipurpose space, kitchenette, and a tranquil garden. It is designed to inspire and empower the next generation of creatives, supported by a network of experienced mentors in both creative and business sectors.
CIM’s dynamic programme is focused on the sustainable growth of its residents, offering masterclasses, hands-on workshops, and business tools. Moreover, the hub maintains strong ties with the local community, promoting events and initiatives with nearby partners, reinforcing its positive social impact and commitment to a more inclusive creative ecosystem.
Next, André Trindade, a resident at CIM, presented his project “By The End of May”, a collaborative practice that explores end-of-life materials, combining art, design, and sustainability in a provocative and poetic way.
Founded by André Trindade and Davide Onestini, the project arises from the urgent need to rethink how we produce and relate to objects and materials. In a time when we can open-source not only code but also material recipes and product designs, the collective poses crucial questions: How can we reshape the way we make things? What would urban production look like if we created everything locally using only the resources available within our cities?
By The End of May suggests a sensitive, almost meditative approach to design and making—one centred on care, humility, and environmental awareness, in stark contrast to a culture driven by overconsumption, dependency, and disposability.
In the second part of the session, Margarida Valente, an artist-in-residence at the Loulé Design Lab, presented the project she is currently developing: “Movimento Infinity”. Rooted in the convergence of design, contemporary crafts, and regenerative practices, the project values material reuse and local production. It sparked rich conversations around the role of design as a tool for systemic change and community activation.
Margarida’s presentation also shed light on the Loulé Design Lab, an initiative of the Loulé Criativo programme by the Loulé City Council. Located in the historic Palácio Gama Lobo, this creative lab is a space dedicated to exploring design as a driver of social, cultural, and environmental innovation, with deep ties to local heritage and knowledge. In addition to offering co-working spaces, shared workshops, and showrooms, Loulé Design Lab nurtures an active creative community, supporting project development through artistic residencies, applied research, skill-building programmes, and a strong partner network.
With an approach that bridges tradition and contemporary practice, the lab positions itself as a platform for experimentation, learning, and exchange—where design plays a key role in territorial development and the promotion of sustainable solutions. Through workshops, conferences, exhibitions, and networking events, Loulé Design Lab encourages cross-disciplinary, intergenerational, and intercultural connections that contribute to a local and global systemic shift.
A space for exchange and collaboration
More than just a showcase, the meetup stood out for its atmosphere of active listening, empathy, and collaboration. The informal format encouraged the exchange of experiences, ideas, and best practices among attendees—many of whom left visibly inspired and motivated to integrate more sustainable elements into their own work.The event concluded with an informal networking moment, where conversations sparked during the presentations continued naturally, helping to build bridges between projects from different regions and plant the seeds for future collaborations.
The enthusiasm was tangible, and the feedback collected at the end was overwhelmingly positive. Participants highlighted the relevance of the theme, the quality of the projects presented, and the importance of creating more moments like this for dialogue and shared learning.
This initiative marked a highly promising step in strengthening the creative community around sustainability. By creating a meeting point for local and national initiatives, the project reaffirmed its commitment to the ecological transition of the creative sector, valuing regenerative practices, knowledge sharing, and cross-territorial collaboration.
With more events planned in the coming months, CREA-UP continues to build bridges and give visibility to those reimagining the way we create, produce, and impact the world—through ethics, purpose, and creativity.
This initiative has the support of Porto Innovation Hub, Centro de Inovação da Mouraria and Loulé Design Lab.
The meetup is part of the World Creativity and Innovation Week (WCIW) agenda, which underlines the importance of adopting new ways of thinking and acting, promoting a dignified life for all in harmony with a sustainable planet.
This initiative complements the capacity-building objectives in the area of sustainability, carbon neutrality and the circular economy of the Bombarda Digital project – a project funded by the PRR #ConstruiroFuturo, led by the Municipality of Porto, in partnership with Porto Digital, Associação Quarteirão Criativo and AHRESP.
Join the CREA-UP community and be part of a transformative journey where creativity meets sustainability, redefining the future of design and art!
