Living labs in healthcare innovation: Critical factors and potential roles of city governments

Marina van Geenhuizen*, Nick Guldemond

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeChapterScientificpeer-review

Abstract

This chapter studies living labs as a methodology of user-centric innovation. The focus is on sustainability in healthcare and increasing efficiency, affordability and inclusiveness. The real-life environments are residential homes for elderly people, hospitals and a shopping mall, the latter as an example of increasing accessibility for wheelchairs. The chapter aims to identify critical factors in the performance of living labs, drawing on literature and in-depth case studies in Eindhoven and Maastricht (Netherlands), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Montreal (Canada). Important critical factors are: early involvement of users, including feedback from them, and sufficient involvement of a wider network of stakeholders with the required expertise/input. An appropriate selection of promising inventions is also important. A preliminary analysis of network building through living labs found a trend for both local and global networking, with an emphasis on the latter. These findings touch on a leadership challenge for local governments, namely as a ‘connector’ between different local/ regional organizations.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCities and Sustainable Technology Transitions
Subtitle of host publicationLeadership, Innovation and Adoption
EditorsMarina van Geenhuizen, J. Adam Holbrook, Mozhdeh Taheri
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing
Chapter13
Pages318-338
Number of pages21
ISBN (Electronic)9781783476770
ISBN (Print)9781783476763
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

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