Living Labs Europe

obmar · Living Labs Europe

Living Labs Europe is a pioneering initiative, led by European Cities, Firms, and Citizens, to develop a Network of ‘Living Labs’ with the ambition to further the development of the Information Society, Innovative Capabilities and Attractiveness of Places in Europe. Consequently, Living Labs Europe is a growing network of European cities facilitating innovative city-based projects to provide advanced services to European citizens. Focus is brought on promoting economic growth and regional development through high technology and knowledge intensive production.

Through pilot projects, Living Labs facilitate public-private collaboration, providing a platform for innovative small- and medium-sized firms to be visible at European level and collaborate with leading international firms and organisations. Living Lab Cities are catalysts for regional

capabilities and markets, providing a valuable resource for cities and regions of all scales.

Living Labs Europe represents self-funded, user-driven partnerships between regional business, authorities, and universities, actively promoting European integration and growth, and as such Living Labs already operate and collaborate across Europe to exchange experiences, technologies and markets.

Living Labs Europe is a high-profile initiative working with key decision makers in the cities and regions involved. In addition, Living Labs Europe cooperates with several Directorates of the European Commission; Multi-National Organisations; leading International Research Institutions; as well as innovative International Enterprises in ICT, Media, Content, Infrastructure and Construction.

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Living Labs Europe - a new driver for European innovation

Living Labs Europe opens up the potentials of innovative mobile applications and technologies to European citizens, companies, researchers and investors.

1. Pioneer Mobile Applications for Eurpean end-users and markets

2. Enhance Attractiveness for Visitors, Residents, Business

3. Provide a European Platform for collaboration and opening innovative markets

Background: Living Labs Europe

Across Europe, cities and regions gain comparative advantages by swiftly advancing their infrastructure for transportation and telecommunications. Cities that become nodes in cross-border networks attract business firms and investors, tourists and other visitors. More and more, ‘hub cities’ are becoming significant transaction points for global flows of goods, services, people and – ideas. They gain advantage not only for themselves but for the surrounding region and for other such coupled cities.

Throughout Europe, there are regions that tend to adapt more quickly and effectively than others to new technology, organization and other circumstances – from one generation to another. Infrastructures of all kinds are improved and extended; public policies are up-dated to complement firm-specific assets; clusters of competencies are maintained and advanced by applied research and experimental development, education and training; cross-border linkages are utilized to renew and enforce trade and international networks of production to the benefit of the regional economy. The 'Mental Maps' of what are the most relevant and useful measures to be
taken for the region's economic evolution and future success seem to be updated continuously among key decision-makers in both the public and private sectors.

Currently, within the emerging knowledge-based economy, the most successful European regions or city-areas seem to be those that operate as if they were full-scale urban laboratories or regional proving grounds for prototyping and testing new technology application and new methods of generating and fostering innovation processes in real time.

These city-regions, and the firms located in them, seem to be actively riding the wave of modern information and communications technologies (ICT) rather than simply adapting them. Here, professional and other user communities play a significant role in identifying needs, shaping applications, and creating effective interactions between the inventive producers and users of technology for truly inventive uses.

Such ‘living laboratories' for new technology applications are to be found in research-intensive ‘hub cities' like Helsinki, Stuttgart, Copenhagen and London in the North of Europe, but also in smaller towns and regions like Almere in the Netherlands, Mataró and Sant Cugat in Catalonia, and Vaestervik (Kalmar) in Sweden.

http://www.livinglabs-europe.com/documents/Living%20Labs%20Europe.pdf

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The mWatch survey plays a central role in creating inter-regional transparency by highlighting and showcasing the leading firms and most innovative technologies and projects in the Living Labs. The survey investigates the unique profile of the participating regions by identifying and analysing the leading firms, unique capabilities and resource base to establish a clear view of the drivers for innovation and growth in each region. The survey is standardised so as to create a foundation for comparison and profiling of regions across Europe. In this process the mWatch survey opens up the space for trans-regional projects and networking between European centres of innovation, to promote collaboration and harvest pan-European synergies and provides access to the entire palette of innovative capabilities within mobility and associated technologies in the European macro regions.