being

2. The need for a cross-border network of Living Labs on Health and Well-being

At the start of the APOLLON the Living Labs were still confronted with a strong local focus. Today they are well connected in their own market, having the necessary eco-system in place. But within that market, the stakeholders often are already well connected. In order to be able to access new marketsandthe different ecosystems it is necessary that these local networks are being connected. The hypothesis here is thatthe Living Labs –as a neutral organizations –are well placed to play the broker role to connect the different eco-systems.

Figure 1 The importance of brokers in a network

This is in line with what Baden-Fuller (1995) 1 state eg. that “those networks that are not guided strategically by a ‘center’ are unable to meet the demanding challenges of today’s markets” . This means that, currently such network is becoming a necessity not only for Living Labs,but especially for SMEs and large enterprises and that it has to be facilitated by a broker. This broker needs to act as a gateway so that they can filter and dispatch in an efficient way. Our next hypothesis is that it is not sufficient to organize a network of which everyone is part of, but that, to connect different networks, a central gateway is needed.

1 Lorenzoni, G. & Baden-Fuller, C. (1995) Creating a Strategic Center to Manage a Web of Partners. California Management Review, 37(3), 146-163

When looking at collaborative networks Heikkilä (2010) 2 claims that networks can be seen as different several layers in respect to the intensity of the relationships, collaboration and commitment to cooperation. In the below figure this layered, collaborative networkis visualized. It consist of structural partners that together with stakeholders (subcontractors)and local partners form a dynamic pool. When projecting this to Living Lab setting; our hypothesis is that they are often structured in such a way that, within a cross-border network they need follow a layered model. They will act as a first entry point for their clients (industrial players orpublic organizations) providing access to both a local eco-system in the domain as well as the connection to new eco-systems or markets.

Next to the structure and the broker functionality, the main role of the network is to facilitate access on different levels. According to Uzzi and Dunlap (2005) 3 networks deliver three unique advantageswith regard to access: access to private, more disclosed information, an entry to diverse assets, skills… and finally it gives also an increased power-element (due tothe previous elements).

This also means that, with regard to the role of the network itself, first of all a network has to be able to provide ‘connectivity’. This means providing easy access to the other members in the network. This is not just a dispatching element, but it also requires a good profiling of the members on the one hand and an active policy to steer this ‘connectivity. Second, the network has to be able to provide the necessary confidence in and between the partners. This means that the members of the network itself are valuable, reliable… But also there has to be sufficient confidence, trust to work in a neutral and open environment.

2 Heikkilä, M. (2010). Coordiantion of Complex Operations Over Organisational Boundaries. . Jyväskylä Studiesin Computing. Jyväskylän Yliopisto. University of Jyväskylä. 3 Uzzi, B. and Dunlap, S. (2005). How to Build Your Network. Harvard Business Review. December 2005

Apollon –Deliverable D2.5 When we look athow the health sector is organized in Europe (and within the EU members states (see eg.the table below,)we do see that it is very local centered organized in different ways. This means that getting access to these systems, especially within a cross-border setting, this is not that easy. A local actor that can facilitate this access is a necessity. For SMEs and even large enterprises it is not obvious to find the right entry in that market. Our hypothesis is that the Living Labs, operating in a network, can facilitate such broker function.

Table 1. Country-specific organization of home health and social care in EU countries

However, it is not sufficient that the network itself facilitate access to specific eco-systems or partners. It is necessary that the members within that network themselves are very active. This means that the different stakeholders should actively interact with the various members to increase knowledge, explore new opportunities… So therefore our final hypothesis is that a cross-border thematic network domain has to be an active network domain in which members can and do interact and collaborate with each other.