 is a University of Limerick program dedicated to systems innovation for a sustainable future.

Explore the interactive Mission Lab campus map to see the full portfolio of missions in action.

The Interactive Campus

Who can join a Mission?

The Mission Lab team is a growing collective of UL community members from various disciplines and departments across the university. They are committed to working collaboratively and using their diverse perspectives and capabilities to create innovative solutions that make a real difference in the world.

Mission Lab Team

Sustainability Framework

At Mission Lab, we believe in the power of open-source, design-led approaches to tackle today’s complex challenges. Our toolkit empowers teams to explore innovative solutions collaboratively, combining creativity, strategy, and deep insight. Discover how our toolkit can help you design impactful solutions, drive transformation, and navigate uncertainty with confidence. 

Explore the Toolkit

About

The Mission Lab innovation process is underpinned by a mission-based approach to tackling complex challenges. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, we aim to drive sustainability-led change through our portfolio of mission projects.

The Process

Bringing together students, faculty, professional staff, and cross-sectoral partners to work in interdisciplinary teams on real-world problems

Explore the mission portfolio, searching by the relevant societal grand challenge or by individual mission status.

The Missions

THE INTERACTIVE CAMPUS

Missions

Explore the missions that are launching soon and find one that resonates with you.

Join the Mission

Successfully completing missions requires a hub that can shape and manage such a grand set of challenges. This mission sees UL establish a Mission Lab that will be responsible for leading the orchestration and progression of the mission portfolio. In doing so, collaborators and partners will have a central lab that supports their mission projects through research and education, design, funding and collaboration processes.

By 2030, UL’s Mission Lab will have orchestrated and led its extended community to achieve the UL Mission Portfolio

Governance

The mission model is a structured framework that guides the development and execution of each mission. This model allows for a flexible and dynamic approach to mission-based work, where diverse stakeholders can come together to create positive change.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to promote sustainable development and address social, economic, and environmental challenges. Each mission and associated project within the Mission Lab portfolio is directly linked to one or more SDGs, ensuring all efforts are in service of true impact.

Mission Lab

Mass production and planned obsolescence has eroded the presence of traditional crafts, leading to overconsumption and products designed for short lifespans. This mission sees UL nurture a campus maker culture that prioritises the reuse, repair and re- purposing of products. In doing so, the campus community will reduce its consumption rate and restore demand for high-quality and locally made goods.

By 2030, UL will have developed a maker culture across its campuses, where repair, reuse and local production is widespread.

Economy

Fab Campus

The dramatic reduction of carbon emissions is essential to achieve our climate goals. This mission sees UL transform our campus into one which has no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. To do so, the campus carbon footprint will be eliminated through reduced emissions, carbon sequestration, and carbon offsetting.

By 2030, UL will have achieved carbon neutral status.

Planet

Carbon Neutral Campus

The complexity of achieving sustainability-led missions requires new forms of data-capture and insight generation. This mission sees UL adopt a data-driven approach to baselining, monitoring and reporting on the university’s sustainability status. In doing so, mission progress will become more accurately measured and decisions supported by real-time intelligence.

By 2030, UL will have transparently reported on and shared its sustainability journey through a university digital twin.

Digital Campus Commons

Mission List

Toolkit

The Mission Lab toolkit is a continuously evolving set of creative collaboration tools that provide mission teams with the tools they need to approach complex problems with confidence.