DATE & TIME
30 September 2026, 14:00 – 15:15
TRACKS
TRACK 2: Living Labs for Policies, Governance, Collaboration and Innovation Ecosystems
TRACK 4: Living Labs for Business and Emerging Technology
TRACK 5: Living Labs Operation, Methods, Tools, and Impact
ROOM
Darwin
TYPE OF SESSION
Topic Debate
Description
As Europe strengthens its competitiveness, resilience and innovation capacity, innovators are increasingly challenged to bring solutions to market that effectively address societal, environmental and economic needs. Yet many innovations fail to progress beyond proof of concept due to uncertainty, limited early user involvement, regulatory complexity and fragmented innovation ecosystems, leaving a persistent gap between innovation and real-world adoption.
In this context, the session will explore how Living Labs can help bridge this gap by enabling co-creation, experimentation and validation of innovations in real-life environments. By involving companies, startups, researchers, public authorities and citizens, Living Labs reduce innovation risks, improve user acceptance, and accelerate the uptake and scaling of new solutions.
The session will feature perspectives from industry and innovation ecosystem actors, followed by a panel discussion on how Living Labs support entrepreneurship and industrial innovation. It will highlight how user-centred experimentation helps de-risk investments, improve product-market fit, and foster stronger connections between innovators and markets.
By linking industrial innovation, entrepreneurship and ecosystem collaboration, the session contributes to the OLLD26 focus on impact and value, emphasising Living Labs as key enablers of Europe’s innovation capacity and competitiveness.
Agenda
| Timeslot | Item | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 14:00 – 14:05 | Opening and context setting | Wim De Kinderen, ENoLL President |
| 14:05 – 14:10 | Industry perspective | Philips (video intervention) |
| 14:10 – 15:00 | Roundtable discussion | Dimitri Schuurman (imec / ENoLL); Teemu Santonen (ENoLL Council Industry Task Force); Ewelina Moszyk (ENoLL Council Industry Task Force); Kyle Steele (Rally USA); Inés Sylverans (The Beacon) |
| 15:00 – 15:10 | Audience interaction | All participants |
| 15:10 – 15:15 | Closing remarks | Wim De Kinderen, ENoLL President |
Speakers
Wim De Kinderen
Programme Director European Affairs Brainport Eindhoven, EU Office, Chairman of ENoLL
Wim De Kinderen
Programme Director European Affairs Brainport Eindhoven, EU Office, Chairman of ENoLLWim De Kinderen is a EU affairs professional, representing the City of Eindhoven, Brainport Development, and regional stakeholders at the Brainport Eindhoven EU Office in Brussels. With expertise in policy lobbying, strategic communication, and project development, he plays a key role in advancing the region’s interests within European institutions and networks. He has a strong background in regional development, having held senior roles in Belgium’s socio-economic policy landscape, and holds master's degrees in international politics, European Politics, and Public Management. Wim is fluent in Dutch, French and English, and actively engaged in networks such as ENoLL, Vanguard Initiative, Eurocities, ERRIN and OASC.
Dimitri Schuurman
Senior Research Strategist, ENoLL
Dimitri Schuurman
Senior Research Strategist, ENoLLDimitri is a university business developer at research group imec-MICT-Ghent University where he is responsible for research on inclusive design, impact via Living Labs, and futures studies, all in the context of emerging technologies. He is a visiting professor of strategic design and innovation management at Ghent University and works part-time for the European Network of Living Labs as Senior Research Strategist. His PhD on innovation management in Living Labs developed a three-layered model that is widely used in Living Lab research and practice. Finally, Dimitri is active as an independent consultant in open innovation, user innovation and strategic innovation management.
Teemu Santonen
Principal Lecturer, Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Teemu Santonen
Principal Lecturer, Laurea University of Applied SciencesDr Teemu Santonen holds a DSc (Econ.) degree in Information Systems Science. He has published over 90 scientific articles, including 25 focused on Living Lab methods, services, business models, innovation network orchestration, and case studies. Santonen has coordinated and participated in numerous international and national Living Lab and open innovation projects across various domains, including health and wellbeing, creative industries, circular economy and sustainability, pedagogical development, and forestry, agriculture, and fisheries. He has been an ENoLL Council member since 2022 and is co-leading ENoLL’s Harmonisation Working Group, which aims to reconcile differences and promote coherence in Living Lab practices. He also serves on the scientific panels of both ENoLL and the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), and is a former board member of the Finnish Strategic Management Society. Before his academic career, Santonen worked for over a decade as a development manager in leading Finnish financial, media, and ICT sector organisations.
Ewelina Czujko – Moszyk
Project Manager,PCSS – Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center
Ewelina Czujko – Moszyk
Project Manager,PCSS – Poznań Supercomputing and Networking CenterEwelina Czujko - Moszyk works in a research center – PSNC Future Labs – located in Poznań, Poland. As a project manager, she coordinates diverse projects in such areas as energy & environment, health and education. Being a living lab methodology enthusiast, she has been successfully spreading living lab ideas, tolls and methods locally in municipalities, hospitals, clinics and libraries. She strives to engage in social projects which change lives and contribute to protecting our planet.
Kyle Christian Steele
Executive Director & COO, Rally
Kyle Christian Steele
Executive Director & COO, RallyKyle Christian Steele envisions, designs, and guides the organizations, systems, and spaces that are sustainable and affirm human dignity. His mission is to help people find and fearlessly move into the power of their unique story. As co-founder and Managing Partner at The Conduit, he has spent ten years building Central Florida's top workspace, anchored by an 18,000-square-foot flagship and a community of more than 380 members who stay three times longer than the national average. As Executive Director and COO of Rally, civic innovation infrastructure wholly owned by the Central Florida Foundation, he designed the strategy the organization now executes across the region, helping it source, build, test, and scale solutions to its most pressing challenges alongside partners that include the City of Orlando, Orange County, the University of Central Florida, and regional healthcare systems. He has also served as a Visiting Social Entrepreneur at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation. A Detroit native, Kyle lives in Orlando with his wife and son, where his focus has turned to improving the systems and infrastructures that quietly decide who gets to flourish.
Inés Sylverans
General Manager, The Beacon
Inés Sylverans
General Manager, The Beacon
Inés Sylverans is General Manager of The Beacon, Antwerp’s innovation hub at the crossroads of the city and its port, bringing together a community of over 100 tech companies working on smart industry, ports and logistics, and smart mobility.
Over the past years The Beacon has evolved from a closed innovation lab into an open, operational testing environment where industry, government and research institutions co-develop and validate real-world solutions, from autonomous vehicles and digital twins to cybersecurity technology. This happens in close collaboration with the founding partners: City of Antwerp, imec, Lantis, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the University of Antwerp.
Inés also co-founded Hubs4Growth, a nationwide network connecting Belgium’s leading innovation hubs. At OpenLivingLab Days 2026 she brings a practitioner’s perspective on how Living Labs can move beyond experimentation to become genuine strategic partners for industry.