In metaCCAZE, we aim to make urban mobility smarter, net zero and more efficient for all, via innovative electric, automated and connected solutions. This month, Catarina Sales and Lamprini Papafoti from FACTUAL explore how a living lab approach enables cities to co-design mobility solutions that directly address the real needs of residents and local communities.
A Living Lab is an “open innovation ecosystem that involves users in research and development within a real-life context” (Leminen et al., 2012). These collaborative spaces unite citizens, businesses, public authorities, and researchers to co-design solutions to real-world challenges.
Why Are Living Labs Important?
Living Labs can range from small street-level experiments to neighbourhood- or city-wide initiatives. They enable researchers to study solutions in real-life contexts, allow innovators to design citizen-centered innovations, and help public authorities align interventions with strategic goals while ensuring public acceptance.
Foundations of a Successful Living Lab
- Stakeholder Engagement
Identifying and engaging stakeholders is essential. This includes local authorities, businesses, NGOs, and citizens. Stakeholder maps help categorise participants based on influence and importance, enabling more effective engagement strategies. - Citizen-Centered Collaboration
Unlike traditional pilots, Living Labs emphasize the active involvement of citizens. Their input helps tailor solutions to real needs. Special focus should be placed on including marginalised groups, such as low-income individuals, older adults, and disabled people, to ensure equitable and accessible outcomes. - Co-Creation and Participatory Design
Collaboration is at the core of Living Labs. Participatory design methods, such as workshops, focus groups, and surveys, enable stakeholders to co-develop, test, and refine innovative solutions. Hybrid formats (in-person and online) can broaden participation. - Communication Strategies for Impact
Clear, inclusive, and engaging communication is vital. Tailor messages for different stakeholders, use diverse channels such as social media and newsletters, and ensure materials are accessible. Effective communication can also drive sustainable behaviour changes. - Monitoring, Evaluation, and Sustainability
Continuous evaluation is key to assessing impact. Define clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aligned with project goals, such as changes in travel patterns or reductions in carbon emissions. Foster long-term success by involving the community in decision-making and embedding Living Lab activities into local policies.
Living Labs like the Trailblazer Living Labs, led by FACTUAL in the metaCCAZE project, provide a unique platform for testing and scaling innovative mobility solutions. By fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and real-world experimentation, Living Labs can address local challenges while driving sustainable, citizen-centered change.
Want to learn more about metaCCAZE Living Labs? Get in touch with us!
lamprini@factual-consulting.com
catarina@factual-consulting.com
FACTUAL is a strategy and innovation consultancy firm focused on mobility. They combine strategic foresight consultancy, international cooperation through R&D projects, in-house incubation, piloting, and commercialisation of new and disruptive mobility concepts. In the metaCCAZE project, FACTUAL coordinates the integration of innovations and demonstrations across the Trailblazer Cities. This includes managing, orchestrating, and coordinating activities across all Trailblazer Living Labs while incorporating information, outcomes, and requirements from other project activities. Additionally, FACTUAL spearheads the impact assessment and contributes to the NetZero vision and sustainability objectives by evaluating environmental, land, and economic costs and benefits.
Authors: Lamprini Papafoti, Catarina Sales (FACTUAL) are mobility consultants at FACTUAL.
