Living Labs

Living Labs are dynamic, open innovation ecosystems where research and innovation unfold in real-life environment rather than in isolated laboratories. By applying a systematic co-creation approach, they place citizens and end-users at the centre, ensuring that new solutions are not only innovative but also firmly grounded in real-world needs. This approach makes Living Labs particularly effective in addressing “wicked problems” – complex societal challenges such as climate change, urbanisation, and social inequality. These issues have no single solution and often involve conflicting interests among many actors. Living Labs respond by offering a collaborative and adaptive methodology, capable of integrating diverse perspectives and evolving with changing conditions.  

According to ENoLL, Living Labs are defined as “user-centred, open innovation ecosystems based on a systematic user co-creation approach, integrating research and innovation processes in real-life communities and settings.” 

This definition underlines the importance of engaging end-users as co-creators rather than passive recipients, ensuring that products, services, and policies developed within Living Labs are practical, relevant, and community driven. 

Living Labs work as collaborative ecosystems built around the quadruple helix model of innovation: 

• Citizens and civil society contribute with their lived experiences and needs; 

• Academia brings research and scientific evidence, 

• The private sector offers market perspectives and the capacity to scale; 

• Public authorities ensure alignment with policy frameworks and societal priorities. 

By connecting these four groups, Living Labs create a neutral and trust-based environment where experimentation and learning can take place collectively.