Far from being mere laboratories for experimentation and innovation, Living Labs represent a new model of collaborative governance between the actors of the quadruple helix (public administrations, businesses, academia and citizens). In these environments, co-creation is the fundamental pillar that allows for the participatory design of policies and strategies that are more responsive to reality and accelerate the adoption of solutions to today’s economic, social and environmental challenges.
One of the key factors in amplifying the impact of Living Labs is the ability to share learning and best practice between them. This process has multiple benefits:
- Avoid duplication: Sharing experiences allows the reuse of methods, tools and results that have worked in other contexts, optimising resources and time.
- Facilitates replicability and scalability: Proven initiatives can be adapted to different territories, accelerating their implementation.
- Fosters cross-cutting innovation: Interaction between Living Labs working in different areas (mobility, sustainability, health, digitalisation, etc.) creates synergies and more comprehensive solutions.
- Promotes organisational learning and continuous improvement: Reflecting together on successes and failures allows strategies to be adapted and co-creation processes to be improved.
- Strengthens the collaborative network: Building alliances between Living Labs fosters collective intelligence that strengthens the capacity for advocacy and transformation in the territories.
However, despite the benefits, there are barriers to knowledge sharing between Living Labs:
- Lack of formal structures for collaboration: Without a clear framework, cooperation may be based on isolated initiatives without continuity.
- Different organisational cultures: Each Living Lab operates differently, making knowledge transfer difficult.
- Unequal access to funding: Inequality of resources can lead to gaps in innovation capacity and scalability..
- Difficulties in replicability: A successful solution in one context may not be applicable in another without significant adaptation.
In this context, Naider plays a key role as an implementer and coordinator of Living Labs in the SCORE project, an ambitious European programme in which 10 Coastal Cities Living Labs are working together to develop innovative solutions to improve climate resilience and urban sustainability. One of Naider’s main tasks, in addition to designing the operational plans that guide their way forward, is to energise this learning exchange to maximise its benefits and ensure its effective implementation.
To achieve this, it is essential to develop structured cooperation mechanisms. Some key strategies are
- Digital platforms for knowledge sharing: Open repositories where Living Labs can document and disseminate their methods, success stories and lessons learned.
- Networks and Communities of Practice: Spaces for continuous interaction where different labs can share experiences in real time, resolve doubts and collaborate on joint projects.
- Interlaboratory meetings and forums: Periodic events that facilitate knowledge transfer through presentations, workshops and networking sessions.
- Mobility and learning residencies: Programmes that allow Living Lab teams to visit other labs and experience their co-creation processes first-hand.
- Collaborative Innovation Projects: Joint initiatives in which different Living Labs work on common challenges, combining their capacities and resources.
The success and impact of Living Labs lies not only in their ability to generate innovative solutions, but also in their ability to share and adapt them in different contexts. By fostering structured and sustainable exchange networks, innovation can be accelerated and the positive impact of these initiatives multiplied. In an ever-changing world, collaboration between Living Labs is becoming an essential tool to address major urban and environmental challenges, facilitating the transition to more resilient and sustainable territories.
Ilustración: Steve Johnson
