About the KYOTO Design Lab

KYOTO Design Lab (D-lab) is the platform for Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT) to facilitate collaborations in the fields of architecture, design, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Since its inauguration in 2014, the D-Lab has played the role of incubator where various areas of expertise come together to discover and solve social problems through ground work research and development.

D-lab bases the project execution on participatory learning approach and aims for societal implementation of innovation through international programs such as workshops and joint projects with prominent researchers, designers, architects, and entrepreneurs from all over the world.

D-lab’s location makes it the natural incubator for innovation across disciplines. The ancient capital’s deeply rooted networks of traditional makers with their centuries-old knowledge and skills base sit alongside those focussed on Kyoto’s more contemporary aspect as the home to new technology-based industries and start-ups.

Backed by the research excellence of the Kyoto Institute of Technology, D-lab facilitates this crucial meeting of both worlds to ensure that hands-on innovation can take place.