Living Labs

The living lab concept is a methodology focused on human-centered research and development, emphasizing the creation and validation of services, products, or applications innovations in multi-contextual, real-world settings. Unlike other human-centric approaches, living labs prioritize user involvement at the core of the co-design process. In this environment, users, developers, and other stakeholders collaborate intensively to develop new solutions. A distinctive feature of living labs is their integration of a diverse range of stakeholders, including universities, research organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the industrial sector, ICT companies, the civic sector, and public partners, all of whom participate in the co-creation of innovations.

Our approach to living labs guides us in innovatively addressing broader public issues through collaboration between various stakeholders. This partnership fosters a collaborative environment where government entities, industry leaders, the general public, the communities, and academic institutions jointly develop solutions aimed at generating social value and enhancing civic involvement.

In this collaborative framework, PRISM commits to a bottom-up research strategy that adopts an experimental, iterative approach to living labs. This strategy involves embedding researchers, including emerging scholars, directly into the process of exploring potential improvements and related problems. This inclusive approach brings together various actors such as drivers, operators, passengers, governmental bodies, and technology firms. In addition, the consortium will provide collective mentoring and support from a community of researchers, policy actors and peers. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of overall dynamics, the collaborative, co-production of missing data and novel research while at the same time building networks of trust and engagement that can help translate research into policy and advocacy for broader needed change. This engaged research approach will also provide evidence for ways that careful investments and policy changes in relation to ISM can have the needed impacts around critical socio-economic and environmental goals.

To implement this vision, we have gathered cutting edge thinkers across different disciplines and institutions from the academy and policy world who are working on ISM in diverse countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Our seven living labs focus specifically on eight cities and metro regions: Accra, Bangkok, Beijing, Bogotá, Cape Town, Kumasi, Mumbai, and Metro San José. Together, we focus on systematic comparative and engaged research that enhances South-South cooperation and models supportive of North-South engagement. Our network will have local teams leading grounded, deep dive ´living labsµ focused on services for low-income communities and diverse passengers and involving next generation scholars across regions and cities. Each living lab will keep an ´openµ agenda to incorporate iterative feedback and ideas from partners.