9 Sustainability

9.1 Community and thematic networks

In terms of dissemination and sustainability, the project has as overall objective to inform and network the relevant stakeholders in Europe (Living Labs, SMEs, large enterprises, government agencies) for each specific domain. The project had to ensure dissemination among Living Labs, public organisations, industry and SMEs on a European-wide and even global scale and to create sustainable networks of cross-border Living Labs in Europe, that together can address the common challenges in their specific domain, based on a solid governance model for thematic cross border networks of Living Labs.

Building on a steadily growing number of APOLLON support partners (i.e. non-consortium members who signed a letter of support, indicating willingness to support the project goals and gain privileged access to networking and dissemination events) of 154 organisations (58 at the project kick-off; 89 at M12) in 23 countries, committing to one of the APOLLON vertical domains, a large amount of both generic as well as thematically specialised, and Living Lab-oriented as well as SME-oriented activities, an SME portal implemented on the APOLLON website, and the survey results of specific online surveys for each of those domains, the APOLLON thematic networks have been created.

Government 2% Support Partners

Industry 3% University 10%

SME 32% Living Lab 53%

APOLLON Support Partners

These networks of Living Labs were then created based on the establishment of an effective dialog with the communities that represent the global ENoLL Open System namely LL

Domain Network on Wellbeing, Health, Inclusion; LL-Domain Network Energy & Environment; LL-Domain Network Media & Creativity.

The process was performed with interaction between vertical work-packages (leveraging their experience in the pilots conducted during the project) and the activity of dissemination and coordination performed by WP6 as per the relations illustrated in the following paragraph.

The whole process was designed to build Domain Living Lab Networks to responding to the following two basic functions: - Spread information and best cases (based on the experience of cross border collaboration experienced in the project);

- Offer cross-border Living Lab tests as-a-service (from a small number of Living Lab within the Domain Network identified by the process and before the official launch).

To this extent, and based on the interaction with different project work-packages, the Domain Living Lab networks were designed to operate on the following three levels: - 1 st

level –free SMEs access level, granting networking for cross border collaboration, first evaluation of SMEs need and expectations for operating in the domain;

- 2 nd

level –access to Domain Network dedicated Services (i.e. consulting services) by accessing APOLLON Market place gateway (with services description, prices or quotations etc.);

3rd

level –establishment of specific collaboration for building projects and consortia partnerships.

The following schema graphically represents the principal architecture of the APOLLON Domain Living Lab Networks:

Architecture of APOLLON domain networks

These three levels were described and clarified (in term of processes and business models) in the specific charters and in the overall business model for the Networks. The Domain Networks of Living Labs were also assigned: - A governance structure for the suitable activity of the Domain Networks;

- A Business Model (ensuring sustainability for each Domain network within ENoLL iVZW);

- Successive specific agreement(s) within ENoLL (for the concrete establishment and participation of Domain Network members).

The access to specific Domain Network services is granted by a dedicated platform where these services are described and accessible (based on detailed information and prices or request for quotation). This platform, the APOLLON Marketplace, is a demo customization of the APOLLON Collaborative Platform developed in the eManufacturing WP 4 (see also above). The installation of the APOLLON Market Platform showing one of the project resulted services is available from the screenshot below:

9.2 Apollon Marketplace

The APOLLON marketplace wants to offer an Internet-based platform to the domain networks of Living Labs - in its 1st stage to the domain networks of APOLLON, initially to the manufacturing experiment and then to the other three vertical domains. Service providers (in particular SMEs) often act within tight budget boundaries, especially for investments in market research, for business development or for promotion/marketing. Thus APOLLON project marketplace wants to offer mechanisms that support trading your services across

borders in new target markets, In particular when you need to find early adopters and future customers for new products/s in a market you are not familiar with, where you would need local partners who know the business environment. APOLLON project marketplace offers help to moderate the processes of finding the right partners, users and future customers to incubate business collaboration.

The main focus of trading in the services industry is on electronic services (e.g. web services for electronic device integration, remote maintenance services) an Internet-based platform or marketplace may also cater for B2B services that require local/on-site interaction (e.g. consulting or set-up of systems).

The APOLLON trading platform or marketplace can provide support for: - Describing a service from a technical and business oriented view;

- Describing and publishing the request for a service, help, support...

- Offering and selling software / modules via a web channel (web shop)

- Finding local partners providing relevant on-site interaction with a user/customer

- Finding market-compliant local technical components

- Feedback collection and publishing about a service

The marketplace is intended for Living Labs that wish to publish services and wish to collaborate across borders, but also for SMEs and large enterprises seeking innovation opportunities together with other businesses or Living Labs. This will ensure the liveliness and ultimate sustainability of the marketplace. Another factor ensuring the sustainability of the domain networks and the marketplace, is that they will be accessible through ENoLL website where the Domain Network section (transferred by APOLLON project) will be included. This platform is, along with the APOLLON Knowledge base and the APOLLON portal for SMEs involvement, among the chief results the project has prepared for transfer to ENoLL after conclusion of the project.

9.3 Apollon Knowledge Centre

One of the main outcomes of the APOLLON project is the development of an APOLLON methodology. This is the major objective of the horizontal methodology work package. This methodology was created based on the current state of the art Living Lab research initiatives, and inputs from the vertical thematic experiments within APOLLON. The final methodology is expected to be presented as a framework with a set of tools and processes for any groups that wish to set up and conduct cross-border Living Lab networks. APOLLON methodology includes an end-to-end tool set for Living Lab networks including the relevant principles, concepts, tools, processes and role descriptions. Furthermore, the methodology is expected to define and describe the tangible and intangible measures required for effectively demonstrating the added value of a Living Lab network for various user groups.

The Living Lab Knowledge Centre was initially set up by the Amsterdam Living Lab (www.amsterdamlivinglab.nl ), which started in 2008 with the goal to help companies to test new products in a real user environment. The Knowledge Centre went on line under impulse of APOLLON partner Novay by mid 2010. Further development of the portal and its functionalities is co-financed through APOLLON. From its launch, a strong connection

existed towards Europe with other Living Lab initiatives. By end 2010, APOLLON therefore decided to host the living Lab Knowledge Center as part of the openlivinglabs.eu portal , the official site of ENoLL iVZW, the European Network of Living Labs. This, way, it is expected that the Knowledge Centre will remain firmly embedded in the Living Lab Community, and grow as user-based repository of best practices and methodologies.

The Knowledge Center portal consists of several parts: • Support: This part provides help in setting up and running a living lab project or network. Essentially it is here that APOLLON results in terms of methods, tools, guidelines have been made available. This part is structured according to the known phases Connect, Plan and Engage, Support and Govern, and Manage and Track. • Learn: this part provides access to Living Lab methods, techniques, tools, sensors based on a search engine. • Find: this part allows to find living labs, projects and partners according to specifications. • Best practices: This part contains a number of good practices of living labs management which are expected to be useful for new initiatives. Topics for best practices are, e.g., management of intellectual property rights (IPR), licensing and other.

The Living Lab Knowledge Centre APOLLON to this date has contributed 23 concrete, validated tools and methods to the LLKC, and a range of additional methods and tools are being published on the platform in addition to those.

LLKC Method, Tool, Guideline contributed by APOLLON 1. Cross-border Living Lab Partner Contract Template 2. Basic Contract Between Test Users and Living Lab 3. Business Model design for Cross-Border Living Labs Networks 4. Policies and Regulations Database 5. Contacting and Profiling Platform on Knowledge Center 6. Value Analysis