Question 1

For which types of projects is the Living LAB approach relevant?

Accepted Answer

The most relevant projects for the Living LAB approach are those that require user involvement, real-world experimentation and multi-stakeholder collaboration. 
For example:
• projects focused on technologies requiring adjustments or adaptations to new markets;
• projects with problems of adoption by the public and in the targeted markets;
• projects centered on technologies with a specific and relatively homogeneous use within a community of users;
• projects requiring input from users' tacit knowledge.

Question 2

What value is created in a Living LAB?

Accepted Answer

The value created in a Living LAB is measured in the light of three dimensions: Knowledge-Social-Business. This value can thus be modeled by the trade-off between the knowledge generated in the framework of the experimentation, the economic value produced and the value in the form of social spin-offs resulting from a particular experimentation project.
Each project will have a particular signature within such a repository.

Question 3

What is the return on investment of a Living LAB? How to measure success?

Accepted Answer

There are 3 ways to measure success:
• at the scale of experimental projects (number of projects, stages of development, financial benefits, structuring effects);
• at the scale of the Living Lab structure (funding obtained, number of partnerships created, number of users mobilized, etc.);
• at the scale of the Living LAB ecosystem (soft indicators on structuring impacts in communities, number of products and services created, etc.).

Question 4

How is a Living LAB managed?

Accepted Answer

A Living LAB is managed by a team, permanent or ad hoc as the case may be, which may come from one of the Living LAB partners or which may be made up of external consultants.
This team plays a critical role in the Living LAB by supporting a structure for project management, facilitation, data collection and analysis of activities related to co-creation and experimentation.

Question 5

How is innovation valued and marketed?

Accepted Answer

The spectrum of action of a Living LAB can extend to the pre-marketing of a product or service. It is then up to the owner of the innovation to ensure its commercialization. The Living LAB can accelerate/facilitate this commercialization
through partnerships with recovery centres.

Question 6

Is intellectual property protected?

Accepted Answer

In many cases, yes. Although there is no consensual intellectual property management model within the Living LAB community, the latter is nevertheless managed on an ad hoc basis according to the type of agreement binding the stakeholders. 
Intellectual property is usually the subject of an ad hoc agreement concluded before the development activities. In some cases, the intellectual property may belong to the various stakeholders (academic researchers, public institutions
or private companies) in different "proprietary" (patents, trademarks), "open" (type "creative commons") or "hybrid" (privileged use license) forms.

Question 7

What is the business model of a Living LAB?

Accepted Answer

Often funded by public authorities or academia, more and more Living LABs are focusing on the development of business models that allow them to become independent and ensure the continuity of their activities. There are several opportunities for generating income in a Living LAB, from services related to experimental projects to additional services, including partner "membership".

Question 8

How to start a Living LAB with little funding?

Accepted Answer

One approach to setting up a Living LAB with little funding is to proceed iteratively on the basis of experimental pilot projects focused on codesign and co-evaluation of products and services. The pilots make it possible to bring together the first stakeholders, to facilitate the installation of a culture of co-creation, to set up the intermediation processes and to demonstrate the first results which will facilitate obtaining financing.

LIVING LAB

The missing link between research and the commercialisation of a product and service

A multi-stakeholder ecosystem that gives everyone the same rights to innovate

Public authorities

Private companies

Civil society

An iterative process in a realistic environment

Questions/answers on the methodology