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A. Heilmann and H. Pundt
Living Lab
Living Labs are generally understood as an infrastructure that enables and favors
a user-centered research methodology. According to a general understanding, the
living lab approach (also often referred to as real-world laboratories) comprises a
user-friendly, real-world research environment in which not only science, business
and organizations carry out research and development together, but above all, users
themselves take over an active role in the innovation processes.
Definitions of living labs are based on several publications. Specific requirements
were developed as part of a pilot project by the European Commission named
“European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL)”. Based on the results of the network,
a methodological manual containing five main elements was developed (Malmberg
2017):
Multi-method approaches
• Use of diverse methods, adapted to the respective question
User engagement
• Participation from the start
Multi-stakeholder participation • Broad stakeholder participation, which includes
representatives of the private and public sectors as well as
academics and citizens
Real-life setting
• Implementation in a real-world environment
Co-creation
• Equal involvement of users in the process by not being the
subject of the investigations
Living Labs represent the most comprehensive approach in relation to the implementation of transdisciplinary research. They are carried out over a long period of
time, often in a relatively large area. Their focus is not only on the development but
also on the testing of new solutions. This requires the provision of more extensive
resources compared to the approaches described before.
Analysis of the approaches
Based on Bergmann’s criteria (2005, p. 15) and on the afore-mentioned approaches,
the following table was drafted. It can be used as a decision support tool in the sense
that it enables users to select the appropriate approach for their specific projects.
Based on the criteria mentioned in the rows it is possible to assess which criteria play
more or less important roles.
Comparing the approaches, it becomes clear that the cooperation of actors from
science, practice, as well as citizens, is the common ground for developing sustainable
problem solutions (except for interdisciplinary research). In addition to the criteria in
Table 1, the different requirements regarding the spatial, resource und time framework
need to be taken into consideration. Aiming at supporting the implementation of the
SDGs in a collaborative, TDR-based approach, the criteria, even if they are discussed
separately in Table 1, have to be merged. This will be illustrated using a concrete
example which is presented in the next section.
A. Heilmann and H. Pundt
Living Lab
Living Labs are generally understood as an infrastructure that enables and favors
a user-centered research methodology. According to a general understanding, the
living lab approach (also often referred to as real-world laboratories) comprises a
user-friendly, real-world research environment in which not only science, business
and organizations carry out research and development together, but above all, users
themselves take over an active role in the innovation processes.
Definitions of living labs are based on several publications. Specific requirements
were developed as part of a pilot project by the European Commission named
“European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL)”. Based on the results of the network,
a methodological manual containing five main elements was developed (Malmberg
2017):
Multi-method approaches
• Use of diverse methods, adapted to the respective question
User engagement
• Participation from the start
Multi-stakeholder participation • Broad stakeholder participation, which includes
representatives of the private and public sectors as well as
academics and citizens
Real-life setting
• Implementation in a real-world environment
Co-creation
• Equal involvement of users in the process by not being the
subject of the investigations
Living Labs represent the most comprehensive approach in relation to the implementation of transdisciplinary research. They are carried out over a long period of
time, often in a relatively large area. Their focus is not only on the development but
also on the testing of new solutions. This requires the provision of more extensive
resources compared to the approaches described before.
Analysis of the approaches
Based on Bergmann’s criteria (2005, p. 15) and on the afore-mentioned approaches,
the following table was drafted. It can be used as a decision support tool in the sense
that it enables users to select the appropriate approach for their specific projects.
Based on the criteria mentioned in the rows it is possible to assess which criteria play
more or less important roles.
Comparing the approaches, it becomes clear that the cooperation of actors from
science, practice, as well as citizens, is the common ground for developing sustainable
problem solutions (except for interdisciplinary research). In addition to the criteria in
Table 1, the different requirements regarding the spatial, resource und time framework
need to be taken into consideration. Aiming at supporting the implementation of the
SDGs in a collaborative, TDR-based approach, the criteria, even if they are discussed
separately in Table 1, have to be merged. This will be illustrated using a concrete
example which is presented in the next section.