AMS Institute is leading the way to develop, test, use, and train on Living Lab approaches. One of the forms in which to transfer knowledge and experience is in our Summer School. The week of 17th-21st August 2020, 15 professionals all over the world participated in this first online edition.
This Summer school challenged participants to work with a new mindset, build a new network of professionals and academia. During the summer school, participants worked towards solving the real-world challenges of Quay Walls and Bridges and Positive energy Districts.
“I learned the benefits of working in an environment with professionals from various backgrounds with different perspectives. I learnt how to take an alternative approach to my usual.”
Karen Williams - Researcher
The Summer school week
During the week, teams of 5 participants worked on a pre-defined real-life case. The Urban Living Lab Summer school consisted of lectures, online co-working sessions, trainings, and real-world interventions and Living Lab examples. It focused on theoretical frameworks of Living Lab methodology, process tools to help deliver a plan of approach and deploy teamwork on a real-life case.
The variation between the lectures and teamwork activities made it into a dynamic week, even though it was online. Tools stimulated participants to ask different questions, reach out to random people to check assumptions, using the world as a reference to gain new insights for their case.
“A quick way to really get to know and learn about urban living labs”
Tess Blom - PhD candidate
In addition, participants worked on their own learning goals for reinventing cities of tomorrow. The mix of participants (Academic Researchers, Public Professionals, and Company Innovation Managers) generated many new insights and perspectives on the challenges by co-creating solutions together.
“I liked the wide variety of international participants and the open minds they brought”
Mellany Doldersum - Project manager
Results
On the final day, the different teams presented their Living Lab proposals to the other teams and their case owners. The results were creative and original and inspired the case owners to use Living Lab approaches in their project.
“One of the best learning experiences of my life”
Farhan Ahmed - Independent consultant and Researcher
Next: Urban Living Lab Winter school
Motivated by this story to learn more about Urban Living Labs? AMS Institute will organize a similar course on 15 - 19 February 2021, see here for pre-registration.
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