Exploring the marriage of citizen science & living labs – in support of green, social and digital transitions

Abstract

The European Commission has identified the role of Living Labs and Citizen Science as needed tools for the process of citizen-centric knowledge valorisation. Backed by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) and the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) signed in 2023, this workshop seeked to bridge these two worlds for mutual benefit and increased societal impact. During the workshop, we (1) introduced the features of Living Labs; (2) co-created practical examples on how Citizen Science and Living Labs can provide joint contributions in support of green, social and digital transitions; and (3) started to identify action items where the ECSA and ENoLL communities join forces to empower citizens to become true change makers. Although providing important first insights, the workshop revealed a need to develop a better understanding of the relationships and possible mutual benefits between Citizen Science and Living Labs. Next steps include a follow up mirror workshop at Open Living Lab Days conference 2024.

Keywords

• citizen science
• living labs
• ECSA
• ENoLL
• mutual