In the era of accelerated digital transformation, a laboratory alone is no longer enough. Companies and institutions need environments in which users, business, science and local governments co-create solutions, testing them in everyday life conditions. This is exactly what Living Labs serve – ecosystems of open innovation that shorten the path from idea to implementation and reduce project risk.
What Are Living Labs – In Practice
A Living Lab is an organised testing environment in real-life conditions such as homes, offices, streets and buildings, where four groups of stakeholders cooperate according to the Quadruple Helix model:
- citizens
- public administration
- business
- academia
Key distinguishing features:
- Active user engagement – users not only “give opinions”, but co-design solutions from concept to pilot phase.
- Diversity of methods – the method (workshops, UX tests, eye-tracking, surveys, POC) is selected according to a specific problem, not the other way around.
- Stakeholder management – a designed process of cooperation and decision-making, not spontaneous consultations.
- Testing in real conditions – measurement of usability, barriers and effects in the context of real constraints such as time, budget and organisation.
- Co-creation – results respond to real community needs, not to assumptions of the project team.
ASM Experience: From Methodology to Implemented Solutions
As a partner responsible for strategy and communication activities in numerous European projects, ASM supports the development of Living Labs in a comprehensive way – from strategy and participant recruitment, through organisation of workshops and webinars, to analysis of conclusions and implementation of results.
Our approach includes:
- Planning and coordination – clear objectives, target groups, partner roles, schedule, risks and KPIs.
- Professional event organisation – on-site workshops and webinars with international reach, including online platforms, translations and materials.
- Collecting opinions and feedback – surveys, Q&A sessions, voting and polls, UX research such as eye-tracking, qualitative analysis of statements.
- Follow-up activities – summaries, recommendations, materials for sharing and an implementation pathway for partners.
Example in Practice – COGITO Project (Digital Twin in Construction)
In the COGITO project, we organised a series of webinars dedicated to the most advanced Digital Twin tools for the construction sector.
Participants from Denmark, Spain and other EU countries:
- confirmed high awareness of the topic, which enabled discussions at an expert level,
- indicated key barriers to integration with current practice, and this feedback directly supported the development roadmap.
Conclusions?
Direct contact with the industry user plus testing in a real context equals better product decisions and lower risk.
MULTICARE – Living Lab Plan in Four Cities
In the MULTICARE project, focused on climate resilience and low-carbon technologies for buildings and districts, we implement a multi-stage Living Lab programme in four pilot locations:
- Acerra, Italy
- Tecuci, Romania
- Bucharest, Romania
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Stages of work in the Living Lab:
- Awareness and co-definition of requirements – why, for whom and what are the priorities?
- Training and implementation – how to implement solutions in practice?
- Evaluation of results – what works, what should be improved and what can be scaled?
Target groups:
- architectural, engineering and financial consultants
- sustainability specialists
- urban designers and planners
- investors
- real estate managers and facility managers
- building owners
- residents and local communities
Why It Is Worth It – Benefits for Participants and Organisations
For participants:
- real influence on the final shape of the solution
- access to technological novelties
- cross-sector networking
- development of competences
For organisations and projects:
- less risk thanks to early validation
- better adjustment to user needs and context
- shorter time-to-market
- social trust thanks to a transparent process
What’s Next?
At ASM, we believe that Living Labs make sense only when they lead to tangible results – results that change the way organisations and entire communities operate.
That is why we combine:
- strategy
- work with participants
- analytics, from UX research to neuromarketing
so that co-creation outcomes do not end with reports, but translate into real implementations, innovative solutions and long-term value.
Do you have a project that needs verification in real conditions?
We will help design your Living Lab pathway – from strategy and recruitment, through workshops and testing, to data analysis and an implementation plan.
Join Our Living Lab Tomorrow – MULTICARE Webinar
One of the Living Lab activities is taking place tomorrow, and ASM is the organiser of this event within the MULTICARE project.
The webinar titled:
“MULTICARE Living Lab Webinar: Resilient Buildings and Digital Design Tools”
will focus on:
- resilient construction solutions
- advanced digital tools supporting climate adaptation in the built environment
We invite all stakeholders, professionals and interested participants to join us and become part of the co-creation process.
You can find full details and register here:
Do you have a project that needs verification in real-life conditions?
We will help you design a Living Lab pathway: from strategy and recruitment, through workshops and testing, to data analysis and an implementation plan.
