Laboratorio de Innovación Pública

What Laboratorio de Innovación Pública does

Laboratorio de Innovación Pública (LIP UC) is an interdisciplinary public innovation laboratory at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, co-led by the Centro de Políticas Públicas and the Escuela de Diseño. Founded in 2014 and based in Santiago, the lab designs and pilots innovative solutions to complex public problems using a proprietary Triple Diamond methodology—an adaptation of the Design Council's Double Diamond that adds a third implementation-and-scaling diamond. Its core service offering is commissioned project work: LIP UC partners directly with Chilean government ministries, regulatory bodies, and international organizations to diagnose public problems, co-create solutions with end users, and support scaling within public institutions.

LIP UC's product portfolio spans digital platforms (Salud Oportuna, DOM en Línea, Me Cuido Te Cuido), service redesign models (Registro Civil Avanza, CMF service model), training academies (Academia Conectando Saberes), and citizen dialogue methodologies. Notable outcomes include a 97% reduction in traumatology wait times at Hospital Padre Hurtado (45 months to 2 months), a 43% cardiology waitlist reduction at CRS Cordillera Oriente, and a decrease in no-show rates at civil registry appointments from 29% to 19%. The lab is a member of the DESIS global network since May 2021 and has produced publications including 'Flexible: cómo innovar en desafíos públicos' (2024).

The business model is project-based professional services funded by government commissions and international organizations (UNICEF, BID, PNUD). Revenue is non-recurring per engagement, pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the organization operates without private capital or external equity. LIP UC's customer base is exclusively Chilean public institutions plus select international organizations, and the lab has financed over 60 projects through programs such as Innova FOSIS. Distribution is entirely direct, leveraging the credibility of the UC institutional brand and relationships with government counterparties.

Name

Laboratorio de Innovación Pública

Legal name

Laboratorio de Innovación Pública UC (LIP UC)

Website

https://lipuc.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LIP UC is a university-based public innovation lab at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile that designs, pilots, and scales solutions to complex public problems using a proprietary Triple Diamond methodology, serving Chilean government ministries, public institutions, and international organizations through commissioned projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Innovation Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPADAEAB), Donor Coordination, Monitoring & Evaluation (MEL) Programs (BPADABAN), Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

Keywords

• Public sector consulting
• Service design methodology
• Government innovation lab
• Citizen dialogue facilitation
• Policy redesign services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Project Commissions: LIP UC receives commissioned projects from government agencies, public institutions, and municipalities. Projects are funded by public counterparties including ministries, government services, and international organizations. Revenue is project-based and non-recurring per engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LIP UC designs and pilots innovative solutions to complex public problems for Chilean government agencies, ministries, municipalities, and international organizations. It applies its proprietary Triple Diamond methodology—combining design, social sciences, engineering, and public management—to co-create, prototype, implement, and scale service redesigns, digital platforms, and citizen participation mechanisms. Deliverables range from service models and digital products to dialogue methodologies and training academies, all oriented toward improving citizen experience and public policy outcomes.

Product overview

Laboratorio de Innovación Pública UC (LIP UC) is an interdisciplinary public innovation laboratory at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, led by the Center for Public Policy and the School of Design. The organization offers a portfolio of service redesign methodologies, digital platforms, training programs, and publications focused on improving public services. Key offerings include: Salud Oportuna (patient-centered waitlist management), DOM en Línea (digital construction permit platform), RedActiva (senior mobility initiative with BandaActiva), Me Cuido Te Cuido (caregiver support platform), Academia Conectando Saberes (child protection training academy), Innova FOSIS (social innovation piloting program), and citizen dialogue methodologies. LIP UC also produces knowledge products including the book 'Flexible' and various working papers on public innovation. The portfolio functions as a combination of consulting methodologies adapted to specific public sector challenges and standalone digital platforms for citizen-facing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Triple Diamond Public Innovation Methodology A six-stage public innovation methodology (Discover, Define, Ideate, Develop, Pilot, Scale) adapted from the Design Council's Double Diamond with an added third diamond for implementation and scaling. Sold as a consulting engagement to government agencies that need structured co-creation, prototyping, and scale-up support for complex public problems.
• Salud Oportuna A patient-centered waitlist management model for Chile's public healthcare system that coordinates hospital departments as an integrated system, improves care continuity across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, and enhances patient experience. Delivered to the Ministerio de Salud and implemented at multiple hospitals.
• DOM en Línea A digital platform enabling remote processing of construction permits and municipal approvals through Direcciones de Obras Municipales, simplifying 51 previously paper-based procedures. Co-developed with the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (MINVU).
• RedActiva An urban mobility initiative for seniors featuring the BandaActiva wristband that extends traffic light times, enables public transport payment, and provides preferential transit access. Includes accompanying publication on senior urban mobility.
• Me Cuido Te Cuido A digital community platform for informal caregivers of elderly people providing information, training, self-care tools, and peer support networks. Co-developed with PNUD and SENAMA.
• Academia Conectando Saberes A continuous training academy for child protection service workers with tripartite teaching model including theoretical-practical sessions, peer mentorship, and reflective accompaniment for intervention teams. Implemented with Servicio Nacional de Protección Especializada (Mejor Niñez).
• Citizen Dialogue Methodologies (Metodologías de Diálogo) Citizen dialogue methodologies designed to create inclusive, horizontal spaces between diverse people for collaborative social learning, adapted for both in-person and remote formats. Applied in Tenemos que Hablar de Chile, Sigamos Conversando Duoc UC, and other participatory processes.
• Registro Civil Avanza (Omnichannel Service Model) Omnichannel service model for the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación integrating physical offices, call center, virtual lobby, and digital channels into a consistent, personalized user experience. Being scaled nationally across 400+ offices.
• Innova FOSIS A social innovation piloting program designed and implemented with FOSIS that funds regional projects addressing poverty, bringing together civil society, private sector, and academia to develop solutions for public policy challenges identified with sector ministries.
• CMF Integral Service Model Integral service model design for the Chilean Financial Market Commission (CMF) covering service levels, user types, interaction flows, and an omnichannel strategy for digital, call center, virtual lobby, and in-person attention.
• DNSC Strategic Project Management Accompaniment Accompaniment to the Dirección Nacional del Servicio Civil in designing, implementing, and consolidating a strategic project management model for the Chilean civil service.
• Modelo de Gestión Territorial OLN A territorial management model for Local Childhood Offices (Oficinas Locales de la Niñez) coordinating actors involved in child rights promotion, prevention, and protection at the local level. Co-designed with UNICEF and the Undersecretariat of Childhood.
• Flexible: cómo innovar en desafíos públicos (Book) A book compiling 10 years of learnings and reflections on public innovation methodology, including case studies, methodologies, and stakeholder experiences, published by LEA UC.
• Rediseño Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor (FIA Strategic Redesign) Strategic redesign of the Fundación para la Innovación Agraria's financial incentives, information service, and training programs to better support agricultural innovation in Chile.

Quantifiable outcome

• Healthcare wait times reduced by 97% (from 45 months to 2 months) in traumatology at Hospital Padre Hurtado
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• DESIS (Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince May 2021, LIP UC is part of DESIS, a network of design organizations and schools worldwide committed to social innovation and sustainability. DESIS aims to co-create socially relevant solutions with local, regional, and global partners through user-based design. Founded by Italian designer Ezio Manzini, DESIS has presence in 30+ countries across all continents. Chile is the third in Latin America to join after Colombia and Brazil.
• Centro de Políticas Públicas UCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centro de Políticas Públicas (Center for Public Policy) of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile co-leads LIP UC, providing public policy expertise and academic rigor to the lab's initiatives.
• Escuela de Diseño UCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Escuela de Diseño (School of Design) of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile co-leads LIP UC, contributing design methodology, service design expertise, and creative problem-solving approaches.
• Fondo de Solidaridad e Inversión Social (FOSIS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLIP UC collaborated with FOSIS to design and implement the InnovaFOSIS program, a public innovation social program that creates pilot spaces for new social programs addressing poverty. The program funds regional social innovation pilots responding to public policy challenges identified with Sector Ministries.
• Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerBID collaborated on the Salud Oportuna project for healthcare waitlist management, providing funding and technical support for redesigning Chile's non-GES waitlist system with a patient-centered approach.
• Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNUD co-commissioned the Me Cuido Te Cuido digital platform for caregivers of elderly, working with SENAMA and LIP UC to create a community platform for informal caregivers in Chile.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• CIPPEC: Argentine public policy think tank that produces research, policy recommendations, and capacity-building for government — direct Latin American peer in evidence-based public policy work, though more research-oriented than design-led.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with extensive public-sector practice — comparable in applying design thinking to complex social problems, though operating at far greater scale and with private-sector breadth.
• Design Council: UK's national strategic design body that developed the original Double Diamond methodology from which LIP UC adapted its Triple Diamond — direct methodological ancestor and broader public-sector design player.
• Nesta: UK innovation foundation running programs in government innovation, health, and education — broader portfolio and larger scale than LIP UC but operates in overlapping public-innovation and evidence-based policy space.

Direct peers

• Policy Lab: UK Government Cabinet Office unit that brings design, ethnography, and social research into policy-making — directly comparable to LIP UC's interdisciplinary, design-led public innovation mandate and government-only client base.
• Behavioural Insights Team: UK-founded social purpose company that applies behavioural science to public policy, working with governments internationally to design and test policy interventions — highly comparable operating model to LIP UC's evidence-based, iterative approach.
• OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI): OECD-hosted observatory that researches and supports public sector innovation across member countries — comparable in its focus on evidence-based innovation methodologies and government-facing capability building.
• Danish Design Centre: Denmark's national design centre that works with public institutions to apply design thinking to complex societal challenges — closely comparable in mission, methodology emphasis, and government-facing service design practice.
• UNDP Accelerator Labs: Global network of UNDP innovation labs in 90+ countries supporting governments with experimental, citizen-centred approaches to development challenges — direct functional peer for LIP UC's public innovation and methodology work.

Emerging players

• Public Digital: UK-based digital transformation consultancy focused on public sector — comparable in helping governments modernize services through user-centred, iterative methods, though with a stronger technology-delivery emphasis than LIP UC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laboratorio-de-innovaci%C3%B3n-p%C3%BAblica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Laboratorio de Innovación Pública