Insights from the fourth ULALABS workshop in Stavanger

On March 14th, 2025, ULALABS UiS team conducted a workshop in Stavanger, focusing on local innovation ecosystem and learning from urban living labs and pilots. Held at the Terran Community co-working space, the two-hour session brought together 16 participants, including representatives from Pedersgata Living Lab, Mybox Living Labs, and Nordic Edge Innoasis Living Lab/Tested in Rogaland, as well as other stakeholders with experience in living labs.

The workshop was structured around key questions: identifying shared strategic challenges of living labs, developing vision statements to increase their impact, identifying learning and skills needs, identifying learning methods and tools, and determining the best ways to learn across living labs.

Identifying challenges

Participants discussed several community engagement challenges, including difficulties in knowing where to go, lack of communication channels, and relational issues such as lack of trust and fear of hidden agendas. Communication was highlighted as crucial for engaging relevant actors but establishing the right channels and building trust were seen as significant hurdles. Participants categorized and prioritized the main strategic challenges, noting varying levels of abstraction. Key challenges included lack of trust, power imbalances, lack of transparency, and participation fatigue. Engagement often occurs too late in the process. Balancing interests, creating shared goals, and distributing roles were also noted as challenges, along with encouraging innovative thinking beyond existing constraints. Using the right technology for the right job, avoiding technology overshadowing tasks, and leveraging technology as boundary spanners were identified as important. Scaling challenges included unclear goals, boundary spanning, and lack of resources. Not all aspects are scalable, requiring clarity on what to scale. Governance challenges included a lack of meeting and co-creation culture and few incentives for innovation and collaboration.

Developing vision statements

Participants shared their ideas to enhance the impact of living labs, emphasizing that community engagement must be inclusive, accessible, interdisciplinary, transparent, and agile. Co-creation should use appropriate tools, engage relevant actors, ensure continuity, and trust-based contributions. Technology's role should be clarified, with open and accessible tools selected, ensuring data ownership and remembering that technology is an enabler. Scaling requires a roadmap, long-term structures and financing, and a focus on scaling ideas, not projects. Governance should distribute power, ensure access to decision-making processes, and provide open access to information.

Methods and tools

Participants identified methods and tools to realize the vision, including establishing meeting spaces, both digital and physical, and forming good facilitators. Access to good facilitators and communities at different abstraction levels was also noted. Upskilling digital skills, avoiding technological lock-ins, reducing digital platforms, and ensuring human-centric solutions were emphasized. Scaling should be planned from the start, with a scaling manager appointed and cooperative solutions ensured. Governance should begin with clear political goals, co-create fair methods, and provide access to tools and methods.

Participants suggested ways to learn across living labs, including guided tours, open invitations to public fora, and sharing information in public spaces. Opportunity platforms and scenario thinking were noted for co-creation. Virtual reality pilots and digital twins were suggested for technology. Demonstrating successful examples and matchmaking sessions were recommended for scaling. Contribution economy principles and democratization of society were also among those suggested for governance.

Concluding workshop reflections

The workshop in Stavanger provided a wealth of insights into the strategic challenges and opportunities within this innovative space. Participants highlighted the importance of effective communication, trust-building, and inclusive engagement as foundational elements for successful living labs.

The discussions underscored the need for clear vision statements, appropriate technology use, and robust governance structures to navigate the complexities of urban experimentation. One of the key takeaways was the recognition of the diverse challenges faced by living labs, from community engagement and co-creation to technology and scaling. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes developing tailored strategies, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring continuous learning and adaptation.

The workshop also emphasized the significance of scaling ideas rather than projects, advocating for long-term planning and sustainable financing. Governance emerged as a critical area, with calls for more inclusive decision-making processes and open access to information. Overall, the workshop demonstrated the potential of living labs to drive urban innovation and community engagement. By addressing the identified challenges and leveraging the proposed solutions, ULALABS can enhance the impact and effectiveness of living labs in Stavanger and beyond. The shared insights and collaborative spirit of the participants provide a strong foundation for future efforts for transformative learning across urban living labs.

You can learn about Stavanger, University of Stavanger, the regional innovation ecosystem and selected labs analysis in our publication ´The Emerging Lab of Labs: Practices and Experiences of European Urban Experimentation Spaces´ here.