Action Oriented Task Forces sessions

SESSIONS WITH ENOLL’S ACTION ORIENTED TASK FORCES

ENoLL has built tremendous expertise in the area of co-creation and action-research methods for multi-stake holder user centric innovation, and thus is placed in an excellent position to explore emerging approaches in Special Interest Groups.

The ENoLL Action-oriented Task Forces (AOTF) Program selects 5 topics with evidence of critical mass within the ENoLL Community, and provides support during a 2 year-tem to the interest groups.

The Action-oriented Task Forces are coordinated by ENoLL members, and their workgroups are open to externals, providing a powerful tool for visibility and attraction of paramount actors.

Currently, there are five working AOTFs:

• Social Innovation and Digital Rights

• Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Rural Living Labs

• Health and Wellbeing

• Energy and Environment

During the conference, the AOTFs organised two sessions:

• A topic debate focused on the area in which topic debate is active

• Presentation session to present the plans of the task force and gather interested organisations to work together

AOTF Social Innovation & Digital Rights

Topic Debate The role of Living Labs in supporting the development of universal access to social innovation ecosystems

Moderated by Dr. Carolyn Hassan, Knowle West Media Centre/Bristol Living Lab.

The questions that our six contributors were asked to address were:

What does social innovation look like from others perspectives? What does a Collaboratory model look like taking into consideration these different perspectives, and how could such a model be taken forward - including what fundingmechanisms might be available in future? How will ENoLL support and act as an enabling agent working with EC and other policy makers? EnoLL’s former president Tuijia Hirvikovski set the context for this session explaining how Living Labs have connected with each other and other stakeholders, to develop the idea of establishing universal access to social innovation ecosystems. Dr Hirvikoski proposed that we need more radical collaboration between academia, public and private sector AND citizens.

ENoLL has been actively putting forward this message of powerful radical collaboration. Artur Serra picked up this theme sharing the example of the Catalan Collaboratory, bringing together stakeholders to create a new universal access social innovation system. Universities, SMEs, public and private sectors, are coming together with civic society collaborating to create a shared model of understanding of social innovation and how to make this accessible.

Prof. Aawatif Hayar presented what was happening in Casablanca and recent challenges and opportunities. Due to closed borders and the Covid 19 pandemic the University has strengthened its links with society in a way it hasn’t before – setting up co creation labs, addressing societal needs, including more women’s groups and SME’s. Prof. Susan Halford presented the new Bristol Digital Futures Institute (University of Bristol) and explained that digital and the social are co-evolving and described a ‘socio- digital’ world where the scale and pace of change is only set to continue. Prof. Halford proposed that we need to create new knowledge and understanding of socio-digital technical innovation.

Professor Antonia Caro presented a position paper: “Social Innovation ecosystems from linear pairwise forms of interaction to common purpose driven networks for shared prosperity.”

Pirita Lindholm completed the presentations providing information about collaboration between the regions, focusing on social innovation ecosystems and shared thoughts about how this approach to universal access to social innovation be scaled up.

The key points arising from the presentations and subsequent lively Q&A were:

1. Living labs should focus on solving

societal challenges at the global and at the local level.

2. Living labs have an important role to play in the co-creation and co-building of social innovation ecosystems with partners and organisations around the world like ESSI and others.

3. Collaboratories, or labs of labs, can be a good pathway to bring into being new social/innovation ecosystems. Territory, place and context matters. 4. We should not forget our Living Lab vision and mission to: Empower everyone to innovate and build new innovation ecosystems.

AOTF Social Innovation & Digital Rights

The Action-oriented Task Force on Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence aims at unveiling the social impact of AI. Contrary to other technologies, the impact that AI is -and will be- having in our societies is still to be unveiled, and completely in our hands to define. Our hypothesis is that we can provide living labs as exploration arenas to analyze multiple dimensions of such present and future impacts (labor, business models, mobility, education, governance, arts, ethics, etc.).

Topic Debate Unveiling the Social Impact of Artificial Intelligence

During our dedicated session, Andrea Halmos showed us the framework from the European Commission, the AI Alliance approach to trustworthy AI, and pointed out the opportunity for European Digital Innovation Hubs on AI to develop using living lab approaches. Mayte Hidalgo from Everis highlighted the path from Plato to Python, clearly stating that a trustworthy approach to AI implies a change not only in culture but also in the processes associated to AI-based services design and implantation is SMEs and large companies. Amir Banifatemi shared with as the AI Commons approach, embracing the spirit of a Wikipedia of AI solutions to advance in the democratization of the access to AI creation and enjoyment. These approaches were developed during our breakfast session, where we analyzed the role of public observatories on AI. We also identified the perspective of AI in our homes, and how different business models can be created in the field of restauration and interiors. We identified arts as an excellent driver for the awareness of the impact of AI, and a direct tool for citizen engagement in such processes.

Finally, we identified capacity building as an essential “element, an in this sense, the AOTF committed to organize a series of webinars in the topic, starting in Q4 2020.

AOTF Energy & Environment

Presentation of the AOTF

The Energy & Environment Action orientated Task Force was presented by Joëlle Mastelic from the Energy Living Lab on the 4 th of September. She spoke about the creation of this task force during the 2019’s edition of OLLD in Thessaloniki. Then, 4 projects coordinators presented their research and activities related to energy and environment.

First, the Joint Research Centre from European Commission presented their Living Lab Experiment in Ispra on the electric mobility and energy efficiency. Then, Laurent Dupont presented the Fab Living Lab from Nancy, with projects on Hydrogen and Smart grid’s adoption. Inès Aria presented the IMPAQT project, about aquaculture. Finally, Simon Cool presented the young Agrifood Living Lab in Belgium, the ILVO, working with farmers, to create challenges with them.

With the use of Mentimeter, the needs of the participants regarding the taskforce was studied. The needs expressed were (1) The exchange of best practices, (2) Consortium building for projects (3) Networking. Living Labs and other innovation partners were then invited to join the taskforce and decide together on an implementation plan to develop activities from the expressed needs.

Topic Debate Living Labs in the Water Sector: political, social and technical aspects

The Topic Debate of the AoTF Energy & Environment was focused on the thematic of Water. The introduction was made by Andrea Rubini, Director of Operations at Water Europe. He explained the challenges in the water sector. They promote water-related R&D, and innovation in Europe. Water Europe Water oriented Living Labs (WoLLs) contribute in achieving the European Green Deal in the sector. Then, Patrizia Busolini from DG Mare presented the policy related to the Blue Economy.

Finally, 4 project coordinators presented their different research activities. Water Mining, ReWaise and B-WaterSmart are 3 projects financed by Horizon 2020. They met for the first time online during DLLD. Blueark, developed in the Verbier region in Switzerland was presented, focusing on optimizing irrigation, co-designing programs with farmers in Switzerland.

This Topic Debate allowed stakeholders to meet, understand the objectives and strategies of the European Commission and Water Europe. We talked about Big Data in Water, their financing, and the digital tools related to it.

AOTF Health & Wellbeing

Presentation of the AOTF

The Health and Wellbeing Action orientated Task Force was presented by Evdokimos Konstantinidis from Thessaloniki Active and Healthy Ageing Living Lab. He presented the key objectives of the AOTF as they were discussed during the Open Living Lab Days 2019, which can be summarized in the following: 1) Harmonization of the processes and services provided by Health and Wellbeing Living Labs, 2) Creating synergies and collaboration opportunities among Living Labs, 3) Create a sustainable future for Health and Wellbeing Living Labs beyond projects and 4) Assist Living Labs up-scaling.

A discussion followed regarding the key actions and practical steps that can take place in order to meet the presented needs. An important issue regarding the sustainability of Living Labs was the opportunity to find new costumers and be in contact with the market. Also, the participants pointed out the importance of creating new opportunities for smaller Living Labs that do not have the same experience or revenue streams.

Furthermore, ideas about how several Living Labs could collaborate in order to respond to a company’s demand for co-creating its product have arisen. Specific focus was given in the local cultural context that every Living Lab could address and how this can be communicated in order to boost all Living Labs and their synergies.

Topic Debate Can Living labs operate as open research infrastructures?

The Topic Debate of AoTF of the Health and Wellbeing was moderated by Evdokimos Konstantinidis from Thessaloniki Active and Healthy Ageing Living Lab and was focused on how Living Labs can operate as open research infrastructures for researchers from both Academia and Industry. An introduction was made by Tuija Hirvikoski, Director of Laurea University of Applied Sciences who set the scene and present the need to conduct impact for research and innovation in more complex real life environments. Then, Geert Christiaansen, Philips Design Innovation Programme presented the example of Philips design and commented on the services that a company needs in order to create meaningful innovation.

The future of innovation lies in ecosystems and the collaborations as no single organization can solve major challenges alone. Vicky Van der Auwera, Operational Manager in Licalab, took over the session and presented how Living Labs can tackle major research challenges and be established as open research infrastructures. She also presented the Licalab example. Finally, Johannes Klumpers, EC Head of Unit “Research and Industrial infrastructures” presented the view of EC regarding research infrastructures and what opportunities can arise with EC support.

Although Living Labs were not considered in the narrow definition of research infrastructures in the past, Johannes Klumpers has concluded that Living Labs can provide facilities and services as research infrastructures, as well as access to them, to European researchers towards innovation.

AOTF Rural Living Labs

Topic Debate Co-creating from farm to fork: the Stems and the seeds of Agro ecosystem living labs

After opening statements from Muriel MAMBRINI-DOUDET, Research Director at Inrae, French national research institute for agriculture, food and environment, the AOTF Rural Living Labs was briefly presented by Milica Trajkovic (PA4AALL, BioSense Institute).

The first topic was questioning the placebased LLs and their main characteristics. Chris McPhee (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) presented the work done on identifying the defining characteristics of agroecosystem LLs and the main concept of place-based LLs that was presented during the G20 meeting 2018.

This presentation was followed by the example from an ICT LL that has focused its expertise on agriculture. PA4ALL is based in Serbia with the main aim to reinforce the agricultural sector with the ICT knowledge. The 2 main pillars of this LL are testing & validation of ICTs in AgriFood value chain by the end-users and the encouragement of average farmers to adopt technologies and new routines that have positive implications (economic, environmental & operational).

The last presentation by Alexia Rouby (DG AGRI), focused on the timeline in developing the vision of agroecology Living Labs. The central place in the presentation was given to the partnership on agroecology LLs. The main goal is this partnership start in 2024 (call in Horizon EU WP 2023).

The second part of the workshop was dedicated to a panel discussion on topics inspired by the three speeches. Rural Action oriented taskforce session The session dedicated to the Rural Action Oriented Taskforce was divided in two different parts: an explanatory part and a more interactive part.

In the theoretical part a preliminary definition of the basic features of what a Rural Living Lab is was introduced together with a location within the context of the Digital Transformation during and after the Covid-19 crisis: the Digital transformation will lead to a more balanced way of living between rural and urban. And here we defined the main strategic objective of the group, the co-creation of a new definition of Rural Areas where they are seen as an attractive place to live with a huge room for innovation.

To finalize this explanatory part, the preliminary strategic lines where introduced:

1) Capacity building activities, based on EU standards, aiming to enable end users at the rural LLs to develop their digital and entrepreneurial skills. 2) Applied innovation. The capacity building action will enable innovations led by citizens, being the Living Labs the perfect environment to scale up & out within the quadruple helix.

Following this the audience was motivated to reflect on the theoretical approach, to interact by pointing out those pillars of their interest and by sharing with the rest the ongoing initiatives and projects within the context of the rural areas.

The topics with the most votes to focus in the next strategic iteration of the group

are: Agriculture, Climate change, circular economy, competences & education, water and new economies and social innovation.

Five different interactive blocks including interests, experiences, ongoing initiatives and intentions in relation with the taskforce were discussed, and relevant information was gathered for the upcoming strategic iteration: “Co-creating a new definition for rural”.