In addition to being a social start-up incubator, Kolba also functions as an R&D unit within the UNDP Armenia country office. Over the past few years, Kolba has experimented and carried out interventions in foresight, big and open data, alternative financing and design thinking.

In our Lab we are uncovering creative and effective ways of using data to generate smart solutions addressing pressing social challenges. We are also modeling possible future scenarios of development for Armenia.

Data Innovation is about using available databases to generate new solutions, provide new insights into existing problems and compliment traditional approaches with possible technological solutions.

We started exploring new dimensions of data usage by organizing the first Armenian Open Data Hackathon, supporting grass-root social start-ups (such as hosanq.info, Armenian Meteo project), mapping Government owned open data platforms in Armenia, raising awareness through various public events and campaigns, and incubating the development of experimental interactive data visualization tool on court cases, all together, using data for social good.

Our Lab experiments with different methodologies in data analysis, engaging various experts both from local and international community. Within this direction we collaborate with academia, private and public sectors to create synergies and identify opportunities where data innovation could help design better services for users, contribute to predictive analysis and foresight and provide practical solutions to everyday problems.

In 2017 Kolba Lab, in partnership with Reboot, conducted a rapid user design research and usability testing sprint on DataLex.am open data platform. Read about findings here.