IST-Africa Updated Living Lab Report available online

Living Labs is one of the key priority areas of the Second Action Plan of the 8th Africa - EU Strategic Partnership (Science, Information Society, Space).

The inaugural IST-Africa Living Labs Workshop (10 May 2011, Gaborone) was organized by IIMC as a Pre-Conference event to IST-Africa 2011 in support of the 8th Africa-EU Partnership. Key stakeholders invited included EC, AUC, Co-Chairs of 8th Africa - EU Strategic Partnership, IST-Africa National Partners, World Bank, LLiSA Network (Living Labs in Southern Africa), ENoLL (European Network of Living Labs), researchers and private sector.

This workshop was very successful and based on the level of enthusiasm and engagement demonstrated, the European Commission (EC) and African Union Commission (AUC) established an EC - AUC Living Labs Task Force for Africa to develop an implementation strategy to support the rollout of Living Labs across Africa.

The IST-Africa Initiative launched a survey of existing and emerging Living Labs in Africa. An extensive consultation was undertaken from June - December 2011.

As part of this consultation a series of Living Labs Workshops within the framework of the IST-Africa Initiative were organised and delivered by IIMC and hosted by the national IST-Africa Partner. Workshops in East Africa were hosted by Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Burundi (26 - 27 September 2011); Tanzania National Commission for Science and Technology (29 - 30 September 2011), Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (06 - 07 October 2011), Ministry of Science and Technology, Ethiopia (24 November 2011). Workshops in Southern Africa were hosted by the National Commission for Science and Technology, Malawi (17 November 2011); Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Swaziland (29 November 2011) and Ministry of Communications and Transport, Zambia (02 December 2011).

LLiSA participated in the IST-Africa Living Labs Validation Workshops in Burundi and Tanzania to share their experiences supporting Living Labs in Southern Africa.

The updated report authored by IST-Africa in cooperation with LLiSA "Supporting the evolution of sustainable Living Labs and Living Labs networks in Africa", ISBN: 978-1-905824-28-1 is now available online

It positions Living Labs and Living Labs Networks within the context of current literature in this domain and shares lessons learnt from establishing the LLiSA (Living Labs in Southern Africa) Network and perspectives from LLiSA Members and different stakeholder groups (government, industry/commercial, research/academia, civil society and funders) involved in supporting LLiSA. It also provides an overview of some of the Living Labs related activities across Africa as well as international good practices to provide a better perspective on potential differences in context between Living Labs and Living Labs Network priorities in developing and developed countries, and ensure cultural and other differences are taken into account. It provides recommendations for the next steps to prepare for Regional Living Lab Networks and ultimately a Pan-Africa Living Lab Network.

A follow up IST-Africa Living Lab Workshop will take place in Dar es Salaam on 08 May 2012