http://www.tietoyhteiskuntaohjelma.fi/ajankohtaista/news/en_GB/ 100116_en_1_0/
The launch of a European Network of Living Labs - Co-creation of innovation in public, private and civic partnership Press release 8.2.2006 Source of information: Government Communications Unit The Finnish Presidency will launch a European Network of Living Labs on November 20, 2006. This is the first step towards a New European Innovation System (EIS). There is an urgent need to improve European-wide aspiration for innovation towards job creation and growth. There is also an urgent need to undergo European-wide, national and regional institutional, structural and financial changes that facilitate the focused and innovation-based growth for global competitiveness of Europe (Report of the Hampton Court Group Chaired by Esko Aho, January 21, 2006). Mr. Matti Vanhanen, Prime Minister of Finland, emphasizes that the European Network of Living Labs is a concrete action for putting Lisbon strategy in real life. A European Network of Living Labs is a collaboration of Public Private Partnership (PPP) where firms, public authorities and people work together with creating, prototyping, validating and testing new services, businesses, markets and technologies in real-life contexts, such as cities, city regions, rural areas and collaborative virtual networks between public and private players. The real-life and everyday life contexts will both stimulate and challenge research and development as public authorities and citizens will not only participate in, but also contribute to the whole innovation process. Europe should find its unique and strong positioning in global competition through ICT by activating the private, public and civic sectors to participate in research, development and innovation. From a market and industry creation perspective the Living Labs offer a research and innovation platform over different social and cultural systems, cross-regionally and cross-nationally. A European Network of Living Labs is large-scale experimentation platforms for new services, business and technology, and market and industry creation within ICT. There are already many existing real-life test beds in Europe that will serve as building blocks for a future Living Labs concept, e.g.: - Arabianranta, Forum Virium and Sparknet, Finland - Test Bed Botnia, Sweden - Mobile City Bremen, Germany - Livingtomorrow, The Netherlands and Belgium The launch of a European Network of Living Labs will also reflect the goals of the ICT strategy of the EU "i2010 - a European Information Society for growth and employment". The objective of "Innovation and Investment in Research", which is one of three priorities, is to achieve world class performance in research and innovation in ICTs by closing the gap with Europe's leading competitors. A European Network of Living Labs is part of that action plan. The Living Labs concept is about moving out of laboratories into real- life contexts, and therefore entails a major paradigm shift for the whole innovation process. This is a natural move for ICT, life sciences and any innovation domain that deals with human and social problem solving and people's every day lives. However, this new approach to research for innovation is a huge challenge for research methodologies, innovation process management, public-private partnership models, IPR's, open source practices, development of new leadership, governance and financial instruments. The complexity increases remarkably with the international nature of a European Network of Living Labs. This is why the EU Commission (Information Society and Media Directorate, New Collaborative Working Environments unit) has allocated 40 Million Euros from the 5th call of the 6th Framework Programme for piloting a European Network of Living Labs. The project portfolio includes 12 Living Labs sites in Europe, China, India and Brazil. The projects will identify, prototype, validate and test new ICT services and technologies in process engineering, creative knowledge work and rural and remote areas in Europe. It will also exploit how this new way of innovation facilitates new reference architecture and technology platform development. The project portfolio is industry driven with participation of most major European and global corporate players, though there is clear public, private, civic collaboration throughout. The November launch of a European Network of Living Labs is of great interest to all players in the research, development and innovation sector that welcomes a paradigm shift for jobs, growth and competitiveness. Further information: Dr. Seija Kulkki, Director of Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR) at Helsinki School of Economics, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Programme Director Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, Information Society Programme, Prime Minister's Office, [EMAIL PROTECTED] --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TELECOM-CITIES Current searchable archives (Feb. 1, 2006 to present) at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Old searchble archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
