September, 2012
Apollon
Advanced Pilots Of Living Labs Operating in Networks The APOLLON project aimed at demonstrating the positive impacts of cross-border domain-specific Living Lab networks, by setting up an advanced pilot composed of 4 thematically focused European-wide Living Lab experiments. In the experiments, SMEs are enabled to take part in cross-border Living Lab experiments beyond their home markets, and are supported by large industrial companies, academic centres and other stakeholders. The pioneering approach of Living Labs was to
AT A GLANCE
improve the innovation process by establishing
Project: Apollon
business-citizens-government
Project Coordinator : Pieter Ballon, iMinds VZW
enable users to participate in R&D at an early
partnerships
that
stage. European Living Labs are at the forefront
Partners from: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Italy
of defining and putting into practice this new approach within the context of their local ecosystem. Currently, Europe-wide federation and
Duration: November 2009 to May 2012
networking between Living Labs is primarily aimed
Total Cost: 8 mio EUR, 4 mio â‚Ź EC Funding
at harmonising best practices for setting up and
Programme: ICT PSP 3rd Call
conducting individual Living Lab research. In addition, Living Labs are collaborating across
Further information: pieter.ballon@iminds.be www.apollon-pilot.eu
Europe at an individual project level.
It is commonly thought that strongly increased
Scope and Objectives
cross-border
The pilot aimed at the sharing and harmonisation of Living Lab approaches and platforms between networks of
exemplary
European
Living
Labs,
and
the
subsequent evaluation and exchange of results on a European and even worldwide level.
Living
Lab
collaboration
would
potentially yield huge added value for Europe, as it enables participate
firms, in
most
particularly
domain-specific
SMEs,
to
innovation
ecosystems at a European scale, without losing sight of local circumstances and idiosyncrasies. Therefore,
the
next
step
in
Living
Lab
networking is to pilot a more intensive, permanent
and scalable collaboration, resulting in methodologies,
specifically designed to pilot and validate that
tools and sustainable organisational structures for
cross-border
cross-border domain-specific Living Lab networks. The
between
APOLLON project has answered to the call of the
improvements
European ICT-PSP work programme to pilot and share
innovation, that it brings significant added value to
best practices across Living Labs involving SMEs as
SMEs including micro entrepreneurs, and that it
key user- and provider-participants.
leads to sustainable networks strengthening the
domain-specific
Living
Labs
in
collaboration
leads
ICT
to
product
measurable and
service
European innovation fabric. APOLLON addressed four major domains in which Furthermore,
each
complementary
experiment focus
had
on
a
specific
harmonisation and networking aspects, i.e. a common
ecosystem,
a
common
benchmark
framework, a common technology platform, and a common integration framework. The APOLLON general framework for piloting a cross-border domain-specific Living Lab network is depicted below.
Technical Approach Therefore, the activities of the project were ICT products and services innovation may benefit most from cross-border Living Lab networking. These are: (1) Homecare
and
Independent
Living,
(2)
Energy
Efficiency, (3) eManufacturing and (4) eParticipation and Social Media. In each of these domains, innovation is crucially dependent upon good knowledge of / embedding in local ecosystems on the one hand, and the ability to scale up to a European level on the other
situated on two tightly interconnected levels featured throughout the project. The ground level is the so-called ‘vertical’ level, i.e. the level of the Homecare
and
Independent
Living,
Energy
Efficiency, eManufacturing and eParticipation and Social Media domains. Here, the focus is on validating the added value of a cross-border Living Lab
network
to
deliver
a
domain-specific
breakthrough and to engage business stakeholders
hand.
(especially SMEs), end-users as well as public
initiatives connected to lead markets, as well as a number of prominent Living Labs, industrial and SME stakeholders, can be identified that have a clear
stakeholders in innovation at a European scale. In each of these pilots a specific use case was investigated, i.e.: -
Remote
expressed need for scaling up through cross-border networking.
Moreover,
cross-border
Living
-
Independent
Gateway
and
Living:
sensor-based
Energy Efficiency: Research benchmark for user empowerment
national and European policy priorities. Throughout the domains, real-life experiments were ICT PSP Call 3
and
systems
Lab
networking in these domains responded to a range of
Homecare
2/4
eManufacturing: service platform
An
Integration
and
Apollon Fact sheet
In each of these domains a set of dynamic projects and
-
eParticipation and Social Media: Integration
to what extent it helps to do this faster, easier and
framework of different services
more efficiently. This model was applied to two Independent Living Services applications.
The upper level is the so-called ‘horizontal’ level, where
2.
A
common
benchmark
framework
(Energy Efficiency experiment)
common methodologies and tools for cross-border Living Lab networking are being set up, tested and
This experiment developed a common benchmark
validated, and where work on governance and business
framework that was deployed in all Living Labs
models as well as European and worldwide transfer and
taking part in the Energy Efficiency experiment.
dissemination will ensure a scalable and sustainable
The main focus here was to assess the scalability
outcome. As mentioned earlier, the vertical experiments
of the Living Lab network, its services, and the
will each have a complementary focus on specific
comparability of research data within cross-border
cross-border harmonisation and networking aspects, i.e.
projects. This model set benchmark criteria for a
on
common
well-functioning energy Living Lab service delivery
benchmark framework, using a common technology
and provided a clear model of network efficiencies
platform, and creating a common integration framework.
related to a shared platform of Living Lab services.
building
a
common
ecosystem,
a
This model was applied in e.g. the energy efficiency domain to assess the impact of smart-
This will result in:
metering on user behaviour. A common eco-system model (Homecare
3.
A
common
technology
platform
(eManufacturing experiment)
and Independent Living experiment) In the first experiment an existing solution, which is
In this experiment a common technology platform
piloted in a local Living Lab, was transferred to one
was introduced and used by each of the domain
other Living Lab belonging to the network. The focus
specific Living labs. The objective of this approach
within this approach was to determine what kind of
was not only to see to what extent the use of such
ecosystem, value network and common approach
a common platform facilitates the transfer of
needs to be in place to conduct cross-border pilots (in
projects
the domain of Homecare and Independent Living) and
investigate whether this stimulates new forms of
ICT PSP Call 3
3/4
between
Living
Labs
but
also
to
Apollon Fact sheet
1.
collaboration
between
different
partners.
The
1.
and conduct cross-border Living Lab pilot
experiment installed and adapt a research prototype
networks
called RWIP with additional integration logic and services capability that was used in the participating
2.
A recommended toolset for facilitating cross-border research
Living Labs. 4.
A set of validated methodologies to set up
An integration framework (eParticipation and
3.
Set up of European thematic Living Lab networks within ENoLL iVZW
Social Media experiment) In this experiment we transferred and integrated several locally tested applications into each of the different
4.
involving SMEs 5.
Living Labs that were active in the network. By
Impact assessment of the specific added value in terms of results as well as
deploying the integrated solution in all of the Living Labs
operational
we were able to test more accurately the advantages, best practices and limitations (on an organisational,
A framework and practical guidelines for
efficiencies
of
the cross-
border approach 6.
technical and research level) of cross-border activities
Recommendations and action plans for viable, sustainable and scalable roll-outs
within the network.
to further domains and sectors
Outcomes and Benefits
These project results were made freely available
The APOLLON target outcomes were to deliver concrete results and guidelines in terms of building common ecosystems and Living Lab networks, common benchmark and impact assessment frameworks, using common technology platforms, and creating common
through the European Network of Living Labs iVZW and their website: •
http://knowledgecentre.openlivinglabs.eu
•
https://apollonsap.iminds.be
integration methodologies. At the end of the project the
At the kick-off of Apollon in 2008, 64% of SMEs had 0-5% international turnover. By 2012 this number was reduced to 27%. Overall, important increases for international turnover for SMEs were measured projectwide. SME and Industrial feedback pointed out the positive impact of Operating in thematically focused Living Lab Ecosystems in their Product and Business Development processes.
ICT PSP Call 3
4/4
Apollon Fact sheet
following goals were achieved:
The Consortium The APOLLON Consortium consists of 29 Core Partners in 10 European member states. It involves
Participant organisation name
Living Labs, SMEs, large ICT companies as well as
Living Labs
Country
research partners. Through a close co-operation with
iMinds VZW (Coördinator)
BE
the
Amsterdam Innovation Motor
NL
dissemination and involvement of the Living Lab
ESOCE Net
IT
community is ensured.
FIAPAL
PT
A current list of the supporting partners, as well as all
Forum Virium
FI
public deliverables for APOLLON can be found at
Hungarian Vehicle Engineering Cluster
HU
www.apollon-pilot.eu .
iAvante
ES
ISSY Media
FR
Lisboa E Nova
PT
Manchester City Council
UK
European
Network
of
Living
Labs,
wide
Academic Partners Helsinki School of Economics
FI
Luleå University of Technology
SE
Novay
NL
University of Maribor
SI
Université de Paris VIII
FR
Industrial Partners SAP AG
DE
Liander NV
NL
Logica Nederland BV
NL
For further information:
Information Desk European Commission Communications Networks, Content & Technology DG Office: BU31 01/18 B-1049 Brussels Email: cnect-desk@ec.europa.eu Tel: +32 2 299 93 99 Fax: +32 2 299 94 99 http://europa.eu/information_society
ICT PSP Call 3
5/4
Virdual
FR
AlfaMicro
PT
Home Automation Europe
NL
Innoviting
NL
Intelligent Sensing Anywhere
PT
Lulea Energi
SE
NAVIDIS
FR
Process Vision Oy
FI
People's Voice Media
UK
TELEVIC
BE
Ydreams
PT Apollon Fact sheet
SMEs