SHIFT-HUB Capacity Building Workshop: Co-Creating for Impact: Exploring the Living Lab Methodology for Sustainable Innovation

The aim of the value mapping was to identify and analyse the five key values in applying Living Labs methodologies: values captured, destroyed, missed, opportunities, and value for impact and sustainability. In order to do so, each value was tackled by answering a critical question in smaller working groups. This structured yet open approach encouraged meaningful dialogue, idea generation, and exchange of best practices. The outcome was a consolidated set of insights, recommendations, and service enhancements that can strengthen the Living Lab landscape. The key findings are summarised in the following.

1. Value Captured: What elements of current Living Lab practices are generating positive outcomes and working effectively?

The workshop identified several practices that are currently driving successful outcomes in Living Labs. These approaches bridge the gap between solution developers, practitioners, end-users, and other stakeholders, co-creating a dynamic and collaborative ecosystem. The following factors were highlighted as central to this success:

1. Active participation of healthcare professionals
   • Ensures that solutions are grounded in real-world clinical needs and practical expertise.
2. User-centric approach to address real needs
   • Focuses on designing and developing solutions tailored to actual user needs, improving relevance, usability and adoption.
   • Ensures that outputs are meaningful and applicable, by integrating input from various sectors and user groups.
3. Informal framework for discussion
   • Creates an open, flexible environment that fosters trust, creativity, and inclusive dialogue.
4. Multi-level stakeholder participation and continuous interaction
   • Brings together diverse actors around a shared challenge, resulting in more actionable outcomes.
   • Maintains momentum and stakeholder engagement throughout the process, enabling iterative refinement and long-term value.
5. Multi-disciplinary collaboration aligned with the Quadruple Helix model
   • Integrates perspectives, knowledge and expertise from academia, industry, public sector, and civil society to tackle complex challenges more effectively.
   • Supports holistic innovation with broader societal relevance.
6. Real-life context testing
   • Validates solutions in authentic environments, improving real-world effectiveness, scalability, and uptake.

 

2. Value Destroyed: What are the main challenges, limitations, or unintended negative effects observed in current Living Lab approaches?

The workshop gathered insights from participants’ experience and expertise to identify inefficiencies, obstacles, and negative impacts of existing Living Lab approaches that hinder Living Labs success. While Living Labs offer a collaborative environment for innovation, several barriers can hinder their effectiveness and long-term impact. The following issues were identified as particularly critical to address:

1. Time required to build trust
   • Establishing trust among stakeholder groups is essential for obtaining authentic feedback, especially critical feedback, but it requires significant time and effort.
   • Early-stage feedback from participants might not reflect true experiences or needs, leading to potential misdirection in solution development.
2. Prioritisation of different stakeholder groups
   • Imbalances in stakeholder representation can lead to partial perspectives, skew project outcomes and reduce inclusivity in the co-creation process.
3. Regulatory barriers and complexity
   • Legal and regulatory frameworks can pose significant barriers, particularly in healthcare settings, slowing down or complicating implementation.
4. Challenges in receiving real and authentic feedback
   • Stakeholders may hesitate to share negative feedback without established trust or safe communication spaces, which limits opportunities for meaningful improvement.
5. Lack of harmonisation among Living Labs
   • Variability in methodologies, structures, and goals across Living Labs creates fragmentation and limits scalability, comparability of results and hinders shared learning.

 

3. Value Missed: Which opportunities, resources, or stakeholder contributions are currently underutilized or overlooked in Living Lab implementation?

The workshop also examined which opportunities, resources, or stakeholder contributions are currently underutilized or overlooked in the implementation of Living Labs. Addressing these missed opportunities is essential to unlock the full potential of Living Labs and strengthen their systemic impact. The following gaps were identified:

1. Limited active engagement with stakeholders
   • While stakeholders may be present, deeper and more consistent engagement is often lacking, reducing their meaningful contribution to the process.
2. Insufficient identification of key stakeholders in national health systems
   • A lack of strategic mapping and inclusion of relevant actors limits alignment with health system priorities and scalability of solutions.
3. Inadequate targeting of stakeholders
   • Without correctly identifying and involving the most relevant stakeholders at each phase, co-creation efforts may lack direction or fail to meet user needs.
4. Limited cross-sector collaboration among Living Labs
   • Existing silos between domains such as health, technology, and social sciences restrict interdisciplinary innovation and holistic solution development.
5. Underutilised collaboration between Living Labs
   • Greater cooperation and knowledge exchange between different Living Labs could lead to shared learning, improved practices, and more impactful outcomes.

 

4. Value Opportunities: What key aspects should be prioritised or strengthened to enhance the success and effectiveness of Living Labs?

To improve the success and long-term effectiveness of Living Labs, the workshop participants identified key aspects that should be prioritised or strengthened. These opportunities focus on increasing inclusivity, visibility, and systemic support to maximise the impact of Living Lab initiatives. The following priorities were highlighted:

1. Deepen inclusive integration
   • Ensure stronger engagement of vulnerable and marginalised populations to create more equitable and representative solutions.
2. Broaden stakeholder participation
   • Expand involvement across different sectors and user groups to enrich perspectives and foster more comprehensive co-creation.
3. Leverage input from additional resources
   • Incorporate insights and support from underused actors, sectors, or knowledge sources to strengthen the innovation process.
4. Enhance communication and outreach to raise awareness
   • Promote the Living Lab model and principles of open innovation more actively to increase visibility, understanding, and stakeholder interest.
   • Build greater recognition of the role and benefits of Living Labs through strategic awareness campaigns and targeted messaging.
5. Focus on results-driven communication
   • Clearly communicate outcomes and impact to avoid the valuable work of Living Labs being overlooked or undervalued.
6. Involve regulatory authorities at an early stage
   • Engage with regulators from the outset to facilitate smoother implementation pathways and ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.

 

5. Value for Sustainability and Impact: What critical factors enable Living Labs to deliver long-term impact and remain sustainable over time?

To ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of Living Labs, the workshop participants highlighted several critical enablers. These factors focus on maintaining relevance, securing diverse resources, and fostering continuous improvement through engagement and evaluation. The following aspects were considered essential:

1. Strong alignment with community needs
   • Continuously provide services that are relevant and needed by the community to maintain engagement and practical value.
2. Diversified and sustainable funding sources
   • Explore funding avenues beyond public sources, including private partnerships and service-based models, to ensure financial sustainability.
3. Longitudinal evaluation of outcomes
   • Implement ongoing assessment mechanisms to track progress, refine methodologies, and validate long-term impact.
4. Responsive and agile connection to the medical field
   • Maintain constant communication with healthcare professionals to adapt to evolving needs, ensuring agility and relevance in a rapidly changing sector.
5. Promotion through networks and events
   • Increase visibility and stakeholder buy-in by engaging in broader innovation networks and organising events that raise awareness and share best practices.
6. Open communication channels
   • Establish transparent, two-way communication with all stakeholders to build trust and ensure ongoing collaboration.
7. Regular feedback from communities and tech providers
   • Collect and integrate feedback to improve solutions, strengthen partnerships, and reinforce co-creation dynamics.