A Living Lab is a method for user-centric innovation by providing the testing facility in a real life user environment, able to feed back all essential customer experience and make appropriate decisions about the final go to market or even to detect an shape new opportunities. A Living lab operates as an open innovation platform for all economic players in the field, transcending systematic failures thanks to continuous and iterative user feedback. Living Labs are widely applicable for all applications in need of wide and truly user feedback, taking into account all stakeholders. www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

1. Living Labs in ICT
FITT
– Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer –
www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

2. Living Labs
A Living Lab is a method for user-centric innovation enabling users to
take an active part in the research, development and innovation
processes by
Interacting with users early into the creative process in order to understand
all expectations and user patterns;
Fasten up the uptake of new products and services involving all relevant
players of the value network;
Assess the socio-economic implications of new technological solutions
ENoLL is a European Network of Living Labs setting up a common
methodology
Living Labs are widely applicable for
All applications in need of wide and truly user feedback, taking into account all
stakeholders
Quality/Nature of stakeholders: Mostly B2C, but also possible for B2B
2 | 04/2011 Living Labs in ICT

3. Living Labs – IBBT iLab.o
The following case describes IBBT-iLab.o.
iLab.o sets up test and experimentation platforms and performs Living Lab
research for achieving policy and business goals using stakeholder co-design.
The concept of IBBT-iLab.o is is to explore and achieve policy and business
goals related to ICT innovation using an iterative model of stakeholder co-
design.
The centre was established as a nucleus for open innovation activities and as a
repository of relevant knowledge and expertise.
iLab.o sets up, coordinates, facilitates and carries out Living Lab research
using various Living Lab settings.
3 | 04/2011 Living Labs in ICT

4. Living Labs as a platform for real
life testing: opportunity &
potential detection
02/07/2009
Prof. Lieven De Marez
IBBT-iLab.o

5. IBBT iLab.o?

6. Why Living Labs?
Today’s ICT environment
Industry
Convergence
Increased
Failing
Competition
Innovation
Even more
Only Competition
Incremental
Innovation
Shortened
Life Cycles
Living Lab A Unique Environment to Experiment with
= Real Innovation, with Users and the Complete Value
Network

7. Why Living Labs?
Open innovation platforms … to ‘overcome systematic failures’
→ Many failures ~ failing potential estimation
e.g. Mobile Television Finland (2006)
= Being user-centric? Ok … but too fragmented (one shot)

8. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… transcending ‘one shot user feedback approach’
→ continuous user feedback (through all NPD-stadia)
Opportunity Potential Identification
Shaping
identification / BM / Introduction

9. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… opportunity identification
ROMAS – i-City Living Lab (wls cities) ca. 600 test users (2007)
Opportunities for mobile city applications?
Focus Groups
Alpha’s + (un)familiar
80 ideas
Interest & Requirements
Survey (N:450)

10. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… opportunity identification
Opportunity Potential Identification
Shaping
identification / BM / Introduction
Focus Groups
Alpha’s + (un)familiar
80 ideas
Interest & Requirements
Survey (N:450)
Profiling - Observation –
Diaries – Photo Elicitation -
Interviews
Development
e.g. Mobile News
Usability Testing
Logging & Evaluation

11. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… Mobile Television (Maduf)
Living Lab 2007-8, app. N: 100
Survey (needs) + proxy innovation assessment + diaries + usability +
observation + photo-elicitation + focus groups + …

12. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… Mobile Television (Maduf)
Needs & Wants? Wtp? Usage Contexts User profiles?
12:00
Potentialnew
Potential for
08:00 new prime
Mobile TV
prime times
Times
Emo
18:00
06:0
0 19:00
Emo
Sleep
Prime time
classical TV
00:00

13. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… Mobile Television (Maduf): potential detection
Mobiele TV Vlaanderen (2007, N: 575)
50
45
40
35
30
25
17%
20
15
10
5
0
innovators early adopters early majority late majority laggards
Mobiele TV Vlaanderen 0,7 5,4 10,6 43,7 39,7

14. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… Mobile Television (Maduf): potential detection
Mass Market Potential ? As promising as abroad? No, but …
Finland, 1 intention Q Flanders, 3 intention Q’s
2006: promising potential Modest Potential
2007: overestimation No Mass Market Potential
Mobiele TV Vlaanderen (2007, N: 575)
50
45
41% 40
35
17% 40%
30
25
1Q 20 3Q 1Q
15
10
5
0
innovators early adopters early majority late majority laggards
Mobiele TV Vlaanderen 0,7 5,4 10,6 43,7 39,7
Potential in Finland = potential in Flanders?

15. Living Labs @ IBBT - iLab.o …
… Digital Television: potential detection
Digital Television, 2004, n: 1006
Launch DTV in Flanders: Q3 2005
DTV segmentation forecast
2006: 140000 Q3 2007
40000 Belgacom
40
+ 100000 Telenet
Q3 06
35
30
+882000
25
20
300000 15
10
138000
5
0
innovators early adopters early majority late majority laggards
DTV 2004 2,3 14,7 35,6 20,9 21,1
Q3 05 Q1 06 Q3 07
Timing? ½y 2y ? ?

16. Conclusion: Living Labs@IBBT
Believing in user-centric innovation development is one thing …
… actually achieving it is another (> single shot approach)
We believe in living labs as ‘ecosystem’ for truly user-centric and
more successful innovation development
Continuous & iterative process (3 metaphors) !
Users as the key asset, not technology or devices !
Involving users in their natural environment, on a substantial
scale, or for longer period !
Users as equally important co-creators !
Involvement of all stakeholders in the ecosystem !