I must admit that prior to joining the BSC team I had never come across living labs. What is more, the working definition I was provided with did not really mesh with my understanding of what a laboratory was.
To assuage my concerns and get a good handle on one of the key concepts in WP3 of AgriLink, I decided to do some digging. I started with Wikipedia, as you do, and according to Wikipedia, living labs are user-centered, open-innovation ecosystems integrating concurrent research and innovation processes.
Quite a mouthful, isn’t it?
Even though it may appear daunting at first, the definition actually gives you a good sense of the key elements that make living labs a distinct form of innovation and research. “User-centred” refers to the emphasis on usability and the needs of users. “Open-innovation” refers to a flow and exchange of ideas that ignores institutional or disciplinary boundaries, emphasising openness and cooperation. Consequently, it would be reasonable to assume that living labs can be seen as a platform for testing and refining ideas and innovations in a real-life setting, whereby the relevant stakeholders and users can collaboratively determine the feasibility and potential of a product or service.
In conclusion, in the context of living labs, the idea of a laboratory is used somewhat loosely. Indeed, the emphasis on openness seems ill at ease with the controlled environment of a laboratory and the closed system that is an experiment. However, seeing as how the ultimate goal is innovation, the mingling of diverse points of view in a real-world setting is crucial for identifying each other’s blind spots and establishing to everyone’s satisfaction that the product or service in question has a potential user base.
Best,
Emils
