Living Labs (LLs) are open innovation ecosystems in real-life environments using iterative feedback processes throughout a lifecycle approach of an innovation to create sustainable impact. They focus on co-creation, rapid prototyping & testing and scaling-up innovations & businesses, providing (different types of) joint-value to the involved stakeholders. In this context, living labs operate as intermediaries/orchestrators among citizens, research organisations, companies and government agencies/levels. Within a wide variety of living labs, they all have common characteristics, but multiple different implementations.
What are Living Labs?
Living Labs have become a well-known but not well understood concept used mainly in the context of collaborative development to solve complex societal needs. The confusion can partly be explained by the fact that no universal definition of Living Labs exist. A number of researchers define Living Labs as real or virtual environments, or interaction spaces, in which stakeholders from quadruple helix collaborate for creating new solutions to complex societal problems. Similar to this, living lab are also defined as networks that integrate both user-centered research and open innovation. Other scholars empathize Living Lab as a methodology for user engagement. The European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) defines Living Labs as “user-centered, open innovation ecosystems based on systematic user co-creation approach, integrating research and innovation processes in real life communities and settings. They operate as intermediaries among citizens, research organisations, companies, cities and regions for joint value co-creation, rapid prototyping or validation to scale up innovation and businesses”. Living Labs have common elements but multiple different implementations.
Planning of Living Lab Projects
Below is proposed timeframe for planning Living Lab activities in a 36-month project.
M0-M7: CREATING COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF LIVING LABS
Preliminary description of the demonstration concepts,
Definition of key open questions to be solved during the Living Labs
Detailed planning and organization of the 1st Innovation Camp to address open questions.
M7-M9: LL V0 – PRELIMINARY LL PLAN
Concept refinement and modifications based on 1st Innovation Camp results
Refinement of the key questions to be solved during the Living Lab activities
Overall planning of the Living Lab activities
M9-M14: LL V1 – CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Finalizing the overall Living Lab activity plan, which will be continuously updated after each follow-up iteration round
Demonstration-specific Living Lab activity plans identifying the key demonstration activities and open questions that need Living Lab support
Acquiring market and end-users needs for preliminary concepts and running limited mockup and prototype tests during the co-creation workshops
M14-M19: LL V2 – CONCEPT REFINEMENT AND SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT
Finalizing the co-created concepts and scenarios for each demonstration based on market feedback and workshop results
Running limited mockup and prototype tests in order to ensure easy-of-use and understandability.
M19-M22: LL V 3 – TESTING
Validating and evaluating the co-created concepts and alternative options in real life demonstration settings
Omitting the solutions which do have market acceptance.
M22-M26: LL V4 – EVALUATION
Continue validating and evaluating the co-created concepts and alternative options in real life demonstration settings
Scalability testing to ensure performance
M26-M30: LL V5 – VALIDATION
Summarizing and reporting the co-created concepts and alternative options in real life demonstration settings
Preparations for 2nd Innovation Camp and selecting the final showcases.