1. Living Lab in Action - Fostering Innovation
and Regional Development
Professor Satu Miettinen, University of Lapland
Teacher and Project Manager Seija Jäminki, Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences
Project Researcher Essi Kuure, University of Lapland

2. BACKGROUND AND CATAPULT FOR LIVING LABS
General Societal Context
• Societal challenges in the society require new innovations
• Need for service design in business, tourism and public services is
urgent
• Policy makers and stake holders need new and prompt research-based
information about the changes required in the region
• Living Labs provide answers by including the residents and end-
users in the process.

3. CHALLENCING LAPPISH CONTEXT
• Lapland is a sparsely populated area, so it’s difficult
for local residents to take part in long-lasting
development.
• Living Labs offer easier forms of
participation, for example short-term workshops
and online communities like Facebook, blogs and
websites.
• Collaboration with higher education, enterprises
and service sector offer tools for innovations in the
region.
Challenge
How do policy-makers
and entrepreneurs find
right and reliable
information so that
development is on
right track and time
or efforts are
not wasted.

4. ELÄVÄ LAPPI PROJECT
Project Partners
• Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences
Living Lab pilot “Rajalla”
• Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences
Living Lab pilot “Ounasvaara”
• Lapland University
Analyse and research Living Lab pilots
Aim
• To utilize user-driven methods and tools for improving the real-world
development of shopping-, exercise and nature tourism products and services in
the area of Kemi, Tornio and Rovaniemi.
• To do research and development in real-life surroundings.
Pilot Living Labs run by Universities of Applied Sciences in:
1. Rajalla – På Gränsen shopping mall in Tornio
2. Ounasvaara sports resort in Rovaniemi

5. R&D&I in ELÄVÄ LAPPI LIVING LABS
Service innovation
and design are
globally at the
forefront of research
and practice
priorities.
In the Elävä Lappi
project design
research focuses
on the complex
and challenging
relationship
between all the
actors of the living
labs.

6. ROLE OF SERVICE DESIGN IN LIVING LABS
• The term service in living lab context is understood as holistic solutions which are
both meant for and co-created together with the users, customers and residents in
the region.

7. It’s a
ecosystem
which forms
from the
networks of
different
stakeholders.
Living Lab is to
research, develop
and test products
and services in
cooperation with
normal users in
real life
surroundings.

8. ACTION: DOING RESEARCH
• Planning qualitative, mainly ethnographic research phases
• Gathering information in the form of observations, modeling,
interviews, drawings, comments, Facebook likes…
• Planning and organising several events and co-creation
workshops in locations where people go every day

9. ACTION: MODERATING
• Creating and analysing Elävä Lappi communication system and the website
• Communication and co-operation: Blog, Slideshare, Youtube
• Social Media: Facebook (Closed group and open group)
• Information sharing between project team members: Moodle, iLinc
• Developing and innovating social media use
• Taking part in co-creation of knowledge
• Innovating integration of social media

10. ACTION: DESIGNING
• Using the gathered data and producing new visions for developing:
• The Tornio City
• Shopping Centre Rajalla På Gränsen
• Ounasvaara sports resort
• Visualising data and visions
• Learning Service Design methods and using them for co-creation

11. EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES
• Collaborating in living lab actions was rewarding for all the parties.
• It helped in targeting the measures in right places.
• The entrepreneurs and service providers gained tailor-made information on
what the residents and users really wanted.
• For the students working in the Living Lab, using modern methods where contacts
were made with people was rewarding but also challenging.
• For researchers the main learning experience was that we have to integrate even
better the research area into appropriate study units with a teacher tutor supporting
students in their work.

12. EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES
• There is a need of involvement and drastic actions from University staff
when establishing a Living Lab.
• In our case University staff’s and researchers’ work functioned as a
catapult for development, but the ideas came from all the parties
involved.
• Implementations need to be tailored to the local conditions.
• Even though this kind of open innovation is a fairly unknown and
unused method, people are ready and willing to take part in the
development actions.

13. At its best living lab
can be a real life
environment for
different
stakeholders where
value can be co-
created.

14. ROLES OF LIVING LAB ACTIONS
• Enablers
• Create common infrastructure and systems
• Public sector, other public organizations, etc.
• Utilizers
• Wants to develop own products and services by use-driven methods
• Businesses, companies, public organization, etc.
• Developers
• Gives for the implementation methods, tools and resources
• Collects feedback, raw data and improvement suggestions from the
users
• Project worksers, studenst, teachers, etc.
• Users
• Real-life users, which are using tested products and services in their
everyday situations in everyday life
• Are open to give honest feedback