Living Labs and user engagement for innovation and sustainability

This exploratory study, investigating the role of Living Labs (LLs) in promoting innovation and sustainability, has two main goals. Firstly, it seeks to understand how stakeholders and users, in a Quadruple Helix Model, can participate in LL activities and support the process of achieving a more sustainable society. Secondly, it guides the setting up of LLs with the aim of directly contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Research, based on a multiple case study, has shown that LLs are able to actively engage users, including firms and business systems, in promoting co-creation of value so as to benefit the economy, society and the environment. We have selected some good practices and derived some policy implications that could inspire LLs to promote innovation and encourage transition towards sustainable development at the local level, within the context of a QHM model. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study focuses on the role of Living Labs in promoting innovation and sustainability, involving stakeholders and users in co-creation to achieve a more sustainable society. Research demonstrates that Living Labs are effective in actively engaging users to benefit the economy, society, and environment.