Orbis: Digital Tribes — Collaborative Cultural Mapping Platform for Dynamic Community Territories — Seeking EU Partners for Horizon Europe Cluster 2

Orbis: Digital Tribes is an innovative collaborative cultural mapping platform created by Orbi Serviços de Internet, a startup working at the crossroads of civic technology, cultural mapping, and digital community participation. The platform allows communities to create dynamic, fluid territories—called "digital tribes"—that visually represent their cultural identity and grassroots engagement within urban spaces.

Users shape these territories through geolocated interactions and collective check-ins, resulting in polygons that dynamically evolve, expand, or contract based on community activities and cultural interactions. This unique method generates a living cartography of social and cultural life, providing invaluable insights beyond traditional urban boundaries.

Initially funded through a research grant from FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation)—São Paulo’s public science foundation equivalent to ANR in France or FCT in Portugal—Orbis brings deep expertise in geospatial computing, civic mapping, and digital participation. The platform has been successfully deployed and tested in Brazil and Portugal, with active plans to expand further into European and global cultural ecosystems.

Key Links:

• Website: https://orbis.social

• Example Map (Lisbon): https://orbis.social/map?city=Lisbon&lat=38.71667&long=-9.13333

• iOS App: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/orbis-digital-tribes/id1453025529

• Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orbis.orbis

• Original FAPESP-funded Project: Orbis on FAPESP

Core Concepts:

• Community-defined dynamic spatial territories ("digital tribes").

• Interactive and participatory cultural mapping.

• Grassroots geolocated interactions shaping urban cartography.

• Innovative methodologies for cultural representation and urban studies.

Orbis actively seeks partnerships for Horizon Europe Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity, Inclusive Society) and similar EU innovation programs, aiming to co-develop applications that strengthen cultural heritage, foster urban innovation, and boost social inclusion and digital civic engagement.