Living Labs (LLs) are open innovation ecosystems in real-life environments using iterative feedback processes throughout a lifecycle approach of an innovation to create sustainable impact.

They focus on co-creation, rapid prototyping & testing and scaling-up innovations & businesses, providing (different types of) joint-value to the involved stakeholders.

In this context, living labs operate as intermediaries/orchestrators among citizens, research organisations, companies and government agencies/levels.
Within a wide variety of living labs, they all have common characteristics, but multiple different implementations.