Living Labs aims for the heart of the European innovation system

The aim is to create a European network that can develop and test products for use by both local and international companies and the public sector. The network will also provide a place to localise products that are developed in one country, to make sure they are appropriate to other markets, and thus speed the widespread adoption of new information products and services.

The network was launched last week at the Dipoli Congress Centre in Espoo, Finland, as part of a conference entitled the European Network of Living Labs: A Step Towards a European Innovation System.

In its initial phase it involves 20 labs in 15 European countries, as well as more than 100 researchers. The founding participants are: Arc Labs Waterford, Ireland; Botnia Living Lab, Luleå, Sweden; Open Innovation Centre Brussels, Belgium; Wirelessinfo Czech LL, Litovel, Czech Republic; Freeband experience lab, Enschede, Netherlands; Frascati Living Lab, Italy; Györ Automotive LL, Budapest, Hungary; Gödöllö Rural LL, Budapest, Hungary; Hasselt & Leuven IBBT i-City LL, Brussels, Belgium; Helsinki Living Lab - Arabianranta, Finland; Helsinki Living Lab, Forum Virium, Finland; i2Cat Catalonia Digital Lab, Barcelona, Spain; Manchester EastServe, Manchester, UK Madeira Living Lab, Madeira, Portugal; Mobile City Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria; Mobile City Bremen, Germany; Knowledge Workers LL,  Munich, Germany; Slovenia eLivingLab, Kranj, Slovenia; LL ICT Usage Lab, Sophia-Antipolis, France; Turku Archipelago LL, Pargas, Finland

The conference was organised by the Finnish Government Information Society Programme, the Centre for Knowledge and Innovation Research of the Helsinki School of Economics, and the European Commission, as part of the Finnish Presidency.