Living Labs approach highlighted in Switzerland and France

Living Labs are all the rage

The integrative approach of Living Labs continues to attract interest across Switzerland and in France. Joëlle Mastelic, Professor at the HES-SO Valais Wallis, has been traveling around Switzerland and France in recent weeks to speak about Living Lab approaches applied to the energy transition. Here is a short description of the different events and workshops that have highlighted the Energy Living Lab approach.

(Un)conference of the Energy Lab in Lucerne (23 to 25 November)

As a member of the NTN Innovation Booster programme and partner of the Energy Living Lab Association, the Energy Lab in Lucerne invited Joëlle Mastelic to present the Living Labs approach and the process of engaging different stakeholders in an energy project during the annual community event.

More information on the Lucerne Energy Lab

Sustainability Forum of the Swiss Academy of Sciences in Bern (30 November)

How can scientific contributions support the acceleration of change towards sustainability more strongly and directly? Various lectures were given by Swiss sustainability scientists. Keynote speaker Thomas Vellacott, Director of WWF Switzerland, encouraged universities to change their paradigm, embracing research with high impact on society and the environment. Joëlle Mastelic also participated in a panel discussion on research methods for transition. 

More information on the event 

Smart City Suisse Romande workshop in Lausanne (2 December)

The communes in Switzerland regularly use tools such as co-design or co-construction. However, few of them are aware that these approaches are fully in line with a Smart City approach that places the actors at the centre of the municipality's development. Joëlle Mastelic and Mary Jean Bürer had the opportunity to present the Design Thinking approach and how to engage citizens in their climate risk mitigation strategies to various representatives of municipalities and cities. 

More information on the Smart City Suisse Workshop 

FabLiving Lab in Nancy - France (7-9 December)

In the framework of a PhD thesis defence on Living Labs and the future of forests, during which Joelle Mastelic was part of the expert jury, the Energy Living Lab team of the HES-SO Valais-Wallis was invited to discover the ecosystem of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Génie des Systèmes et de l'Innovation (ENSGSI) and the laboratory of the Equipe de Recherche sur les Processus d'Innovation (ERPI) as well as the FabLivingLab of Nancy. This meeting helped to develop the first lines of a France-Switzerland framework agreement between the Hautes Ecoles as well as the presentation of the Energy Living Lab at AgroParistech. 

More information on the FabLivingLab de Lorraine

Energy Living Lab - Pilot project of the HES-SO Valais-Wallis

Institute of Sustainable Energy

Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management