The document discusses using cities as living labs for experimentation through urban labs. It provides examples of pilot projects tested in Barcelona's 22@Urban Lab, including LED street lighting, electric vehicle charging stations, and traffic sensors. Urban labs allow testing innovations in real-life environments with citizens to improve products and bridge relationships between companies and cities. Apps are discussed as a way to connect citizens and reinvent citizenship through sharing and finding resources. A platform approach is suggested to leverage resources through co-development rather than a zero-sum, in-house approach.

1. The city as a laboratory
living labs experiments in urban spaces
Esteve Almirall
ESADE
Business
School
esteve.almirall@esade,edu

2. Open Innovation in Cities
7 mechanisms x 1 enabler x 2 objectives

3. Problem.-
Increasing { number
diversity}of services
Decreasing budgets
Opportunity.-
Re-invent cities (Smart Cities) . . .

4. Despite access to the same technologies applied by
these (private) innovators, our government had
historically failed to tap into the expertise of the
American people to help to solve our nation’s biggest
challenges.
Annesh
Chopra
U.S.A.
-­‐
CTO

5. 180.000 + jobs

7. 7 mechanisms for O.I. in Cities
Involving Citizens
& Constituencies
Prizes in
Challe , e nting
Comp
nges &
Ex perim Labs
n
etition
s Urba

8. 7 mechanisms for O.I. in Cities x 1 enabler
Involving Citizens
& Constituencies
rope Ope
n
or Eu Citie
m ons f s
Com
CityS
DK
Smart Wo
rld nL abs
Capital Urba
Prizes in
Challe , e nting
Comp
nges &
Ex perim Labs
n
etition
s Urba

9. managing ecosystems
Involving Citizens
& Constituencies
rope Ope
n
or Eu Citie
m ons f s
Com
CityS
DK
Smart Wo
rld nL abs
Capital Urba
Prizes in
Challe , e nting
Comp
nges &
Ex perim Labs
n
etition
s Urba
Creating & nourishing marketplaces

10. Learn
locally
to
compete
globally
EXPERIMENTATION
–
URBAN
LABS

11. Urban Labs = Test spaces in the
middle of the city
Urban Labs = The City as a Urban
Laboratory
Urban Labs = Urban Living labs
Urban Labs = Real-life
experimentation
with users in Cities

12. Urban
Labs
–
Living
Labs
Example: Urbiotica pilot - Barcelona
8 containers for:
Trash
Paper
Glass
Plastics

13. A Barcelona experience: Urban Lab
Pilots
Some results
 Starting date: 2008
 Pilot proposals received: 43 pilot proposals
 Pilot tested or testing actually: 14 pilots
 Domains: Enviroment, Mobility, Telecom, …
Some of the pilot projects that have been trialled to date are:
 Implementation of 12 outdoor public street lighting points Eco Digital with LED
technology. 2009
 Implementation of 2 charging points for electric cars. 2009
 Pilot trial of 1 electrically and solar powered motorbike . 2010
 Traffic control cameras. 2008
 Metering: gas, electricity and water meters without presence.2009
 Fibre optics in homes (FTTH) . 2008
 Bicycle lanes. 2008
 Presence sensors for the public parking payment areas. 2010
 Barcelona Noise-map. 2010
 Among others…
Promoció Econòmica

14. FASTPRK - Parking Sensors (30) - Worldsensing
When we thought that the system was operative we
tested it in the 22@Urban Lab. Testing in real-life
environments allowed us to improve aspects that
we couldn't even think of in the lab. The Urban Lab
has been our best laboratory.
Jordi Llosa- Development officer Worldsensing

15. SIIUR - LED Lighting Pilot (12) - Arelsa, Circuitor,
Santa&Cole, e-Control, Prysmian, Semal
The SIIUR experience allowed us the development
of the SmartTower, a new family of electrical boxes
for Smart Cities.
Anna Urbiztondo - Project Development Director - SECE

16. SIIUR - LED Lighting Pilot (12) - Arelsa, Circuitor,
Santa&Cole, e-Control, Prysmian, Semal
Because of the pilot and the experience acquired
in the Urban Lab, Eindhoven chose SIIUR for
environmentally sustainable city lighting in
one of the main districts of the city.
Gemma Batlle- TIC Cluster Director - BDigital

17. Urban Labs
1.- To develop innovative products taking
advantage of real-life environments and
involving citizens in design, proof of
service and proof of business validation.
2.- Bridge the cognitive distances between city
administrations and innovative companies.
3.- Create an initial demand & provide a
showcase for innovative solutions.
- learn locally, compete globally-

18. Connec=ng
ci=zens,
reinven=ng
ci=zenship,
sharing,
reusing,
finding,
…
apps

23. An
App
Becomes
a
PlaEorm
ADOPT-­‐A-­‐WHATEVER…

26. 1
App.
7
CiDes.
Many
Uses.
Boston,
MA
Honolulu,
HI
SeaGle,
WA
Norfolk,
VA
Chicago,
IL
Bloomington,
IN
Buenos
Aires,
Argen=na
And
more
everyday…

30. Why ?

31. Service Platform
- govs. - orchestrators
Providers
resources to regulate resources to leverage on
(zero-sum game) (non zero-sum game)

32. Service Platform
- govs. - orchestrators
Providers
developed in-house co-developed
always fall short with users, communities
high-cost free and not-free
no sharing empowering entrepreneurship
local offer driven by innovation
fragmented stimulating growth

33. Service - govs.- Platform
Providers orchestrators

34. esteve almirall
esteve.almirall@esade.edu