Keynote Speaker
Delicia Govender
CEO of Push Local Ventures
Delicia Govender
CEO of Push Local VenturesDelicia Govender is a UCT alumni and Graduate School of Business social innovation and entrepreneurship Professor that serves as a United Nations, Google, as well as De Beers GreenTech expert driving inclusive innovation through African indigenous knowledge systems across five continents. With 13 years experience in impact investing and venture building, through the Push Local Ventures cross-continental offices in partnership with Workshop17, this youth leader is pioneering triple bottom line transformation in Africa’s emerging Green economy markets.
Speakers
Aurora Crespo
Head of Innovation, Andorra Research + Innovation (Andorra Living Lab)
Aurora Crespo
Head of Innovation, Andorra Research + Innovation (Andorra Living Lab)Innovation Coordinator at Andorra Recerca i Innovació, with expertise in strategy, open innovation, and digital transformation. She brings experience from consulting for multinational companies as well as entrepreneurial projects. Holding a degree in Business Administration and Management from IQS University, she has further enhanced her skills through advanced programs at ESADE and IESE. Passionate about driving projects that deliver tangible results, she focuses on connecting teams, startups, and key stakeholders to foster dynamic and impactful innovation ecosystems.
Xavier Llort
CPO at Hyds
Xavier Llort
CPO at HydsM.Sc. in Maths and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. He joined the CRAHI-UPC in 2002, where he did his dissertation on the error structure of radar rainfall and its errors. Until May 2011, he worked as the Development Head of CRAHI-UPC. Since June 2011, he has been enrolled as Head of R&D and now CPO at HYDS. His interests include precipitation estimation with focus on applied solutions: design, development, operation and maintenance of Early Warning Systems and Decision Support Systems for organisations involved in emergency management at all levels (National - Regional - Local).
Pere Barnola
CTO & Founder, Yasyt Robotics
Pere Barnola
CTO & Founder, Yasyt RoboticsComputer Science and Multimedia Engineer, with a PDG from IESE Business School, and certifications in Management 3.0, CSM, and CSPO from the Scrum Alliance. With over 20 years of experience in the technology and entrepreneurship sectors, has led projects in digital transformation, strategy, product development, and innovation across a variety of industries. Currently serves as CTO and co-founder of YASYT Robotics and CEO of Identitat, two initiatives that leverage purposeful technology to improve people’s lives through innovative and socially impactful solutions. Also teaches Agile methodologies, Martech, and Digital Product Management in master’s programs at La Salle – Universitat Ramon Llull, The Valley Digital Business School, and the Luxembourg School of Business. Passionate about digital strategy, user experience, and sustainable growth, applying frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and Lean to design solutions that meet the real needs of people, teams, and organizations.
Oriol Travesset
Coordinator of the Sustainability area, Andorra Research + Innovation
Oriol Travesset
Coordinator of the Sustainability area, Andorra Research + InnovationOriol Travesset is the coordinator of the Sustainability area at Andorra Research + Innovation. He holds a PhD in Sustainability from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and specializes in complex systems modeling, energy planning and sustainable mobility. His initial education is in Telecommunications Engineering, later complemented with a Master's degree in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management. He has developed his researcher career mainly in Andorra, previously working at the Andorra Sustainability Observatory. He has led multiple European competitive research projects, co-supervised a doctoral thesis, and serves as a reviewer for international scientific journals.
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.
Josep Maria Salanova Grau
Principal Researcher, CERTH/HIT
Josep Maria Salanova Grau
Principal Researcher, CERTH/HITDr. Josep Maria Salanova Grau is a Principal Researcher at the Hellenic Institute of Transport/Center for Research and Technology Hellas where he leads the operations research and data analysis laboratory supporting the Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab. He is a former member of the Board of Directors at the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), where he currently leads the mobility working group. His expertise includes transport modelling, ITS and cooperative ITS, Operations Research for optimizing passenger and freight transport and Data Science. He accounts for more than 60 journal publications, 18 book chapters, more than 200 conference papers and more than 2000 citations in google scholar.
Kaloyan Karamitov
City Living Lab Manager, Gate Living Lab
Kaloyan Karamitov
City Living Lab Manager, Gate Living LabKaloyan Karamitov is City Living Lab Manager at GATE Institute, Sofia University. He works at the intersection of urban planning, mobility, and data-driven policy, focusing on digital twins, pedestrian accessibility, and sustainable development. He leads applied research and innovation projects, contributes to EU-funded initiatives, and played a key role in shaping Sofia’s long-term vision, strategic spatial planning, and urban governance reform through evidence-based approaches.
Riccardo Saraco
Project Manager, EU Funds and Innovation Department of the Municipality of Turin
Riccardo Saraco
Project Manager, EU Funds and Innovation Department of the Municipality of TurinRiccardo Saraco is a project manager at the EU Funds and Innovation Department of the Municipality of Turin. He has a BA in Political Sciences and a master's degree in public policies. Having gained previous experience in various municipal sectors, he has held his current position since 2016, managing EU and national-funded projects, especially those related to the environment, nature-based solutions (NBS), emerging technologies, and the ethical impact of AI systems.
Anastasia Ponomareva
Researcher at Energy Living Lab
Anastasia Ponomareva
Researcher at Energy Living LabAnastasia Ponomareva is a researcher at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (Energy Living Lab@HES-SO), specialising in urban innovation and systemic transitions. With a multidisciplinary background in strategic urban planning and innovation management, her work bridges urban, climate, energy, digital and social transitions. Her expertise also includes the design and coordination of interactive tools, ranging from serious games to digital platforms, aimed at fostering stakeholder engagement and collaborative decision-making. She actively contributes to both national (SWEET Lantern, Smart City for communes, INCIT) and international (MICAD, oPEN Lab, 2ISECAP, Multigination) initiatives focused on sustainable development and experimentation. Currently, her research is centered on the Living Labs methodology and interdisciplinary collaboration, with a focus on co-creating strategies and scaling innovative solutions for resilient and inclusive urban transformations.
Marta Martorell Camps
Director of Digital Society Technologies Research Group
Marta Martorell Camps
Director of Digital Society Technologies Research GroupMarta Martorell Camps is an expert in digital social innovation, inclusive technologies, and participatory governance. She directs the Digital Society Technologies area at i2CAT, leading projects on ethical and inclusive digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, including a term as Mayor of Tiana, she has led key EU projects such as INTEGER (completed) and FORGING. Her work promotes 4-helix innovation ecosystems, digital rights, and gender equity in tech. She holds an Executive master’s in public administration (ESADE) and is a PhD candidate in Sustainability at UPC. Marta is a frequent speaker in international conferences and active in networks like ENoLL and ESSI.
Marta Domènech
Director & Researcher, Andorra Research + Innovation, (Andorra Living Lab)
Marta Domènech
Director & Researcher, Andorra Research + Innovation, (Andorra Living Lab)As Research Coordinator at Andorra Research + Innovation (AR+I), Marta brings over 20 years of experience in strategic research leadership, managing multidisciplinary teams and complex projects in landscape and forest management. With a Ph.D. in Forest Engineering, her expertise lies in sustainable mountain resource management, forest fire prevention, and adaptation to global change. She focuses on developing innovative strategies to ensure water availability and ecosystem resilience in mountain regions. At AR+I, she leads efforts to align scientific research with territorial innovation, driving cross-sector collaboration to generate high-impact, actionable solutions. Her leadership combines strategic vision with practical execution, fostering high-performing teams and ensuring results in complex environments.
Holger Hoff
Transdisciplinary Interface Manager at Graz University
Holger Hoff
Transdisciplinary Interface Manager at Graz UniversitySenior Scientist, currently working in the Field of Excellence Climate Change Graz, responsible for transdisciplinarity in research and education, 3rd mission and co-creation of scientifically and societally robust solutions with different societal actors. Previously Holger worked as knowledge broker at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in Sweden and at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany. His main research interests are transdisciplinary approaches and methods, sustainability transformation, integrated SDG implementation, climate adaptation and mitigation, integrated natural resource management (“the nexus”), planetary boundaries and teleconnections in the Earth system.
Martin Galvin
Head of Research Culture, Engagement and Impact in University College Cork Ireland
Martin Galvin
Head of Research Culture, Engagement and Impact in University College Cork IrelandDr Martin Galvin is Head of Research Culture, Engagement and Impact in University College Cork Ireland. Martin’s expertise is in the area of public engagement, engaged and participatory research. He is a Member of the Council of Europe’s (COE) CDEDU Sub-Group on Higher Education Policy. Co-Director of the UNIC Centre for City Futures and Principal Investigator of the Horizon SWAFS funded UNIC4ER (2021-2025) (£2M) initiative to embed Engaged Research and public participation in research across ten European Universities and their Cities. He is Co-Chair of the EU Commissions Coalition of the Willing ‘Innovation Hub on Living Labs in higher education in Europe’. He is the Principal Investigator of the Wellcome Trust Funded ERICA initiative (2025-2027) (£1.2M), to transform UCC’s institutional research culture. He is Principal Investigator of the EU Horizon Europe CATALISI initiative (2023-2026) (£3.2M) to transform research culture via the development of Living Labs and inter-university acceleration services. He is a visiting researcher at the CRADLE Institute in the University of Helsinki with Professor Yrjö Engeström, where he is interested in cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and theories of power, identity and space.
Matteo Pallocca
European Living Lab Hub (ELLH) Coordinator
Matteo Pallocca
European Living Lab Hub (ELLH) CoordinatorCoordinator of the European Living Lab Hub, which focuses on creating a forum for European University Alliances to discuss, share and create common ground surround Living Lab experiences in the EU HEI ecosystem. The ELLH, mandated by the EC, brings together over 20 European University Alliances. Matteo Pallocca is also a Research Support Officer for University College Cork’s (UCC) CATALISI Team for Evaluation and Impact Assessment and is Coordinator for UCC’s collaboration Work Package in the GreenInCitites initiative.
Dr Liliya Terzieva
Liliya Terzieva, Professor Designing Value Networks, the Hague University of Applied Sciences
Dr Liliya Terzieva
Liliya Terzieva, Professor Designing Value Networks, the Hague University of Applied SciencesDr Liliya Terzieva is Professor Designing Value Networks at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands. Her PhD is in the field of Economic and Organizational sciences of Leisure and Tourism. Within her career pathway of around 20 years of international experience (Bulgaria, China, France, Malta, Vietnam, the Netherlands, etc.) she worked in non-governmental, public, as well as educational and business organizations, related to the domains of (among others): entrepreneurial learning and mindset, value generation, leadership, tourism, leisure, strategic and human-centred design. Her research interest is in the impact and value diverse multi-stakeholder collaborative interactions lead to and the role design plays to foster and nurture the above. Liliya is a member of the editorial board of various (scientific) journals. She is an active partner and member of the Worldwide Association of Female Professionals. Additionally, she works as an external evaluator and co-creator of projects funded by the EU. Liliya collaborates with institutions such as Beijing International Studies University, the Bulgarian Chamber of Education, Science and Culture, Fachhochschule Graubünden, the University of Montpellier, and Fachhochschule Joanneum. She is frequently invited as a speaker at (inter)national academic and applied research conferences.
Alexandra Petcu
Innovation manager, West University of Timișoara
Alexandra Petcu
Innovation manager, West University of TimișoaraAlexandra Petcu is Coordinator of the Digital & Green Living Lab and Head of the Innovation & Technology Transfer Office at West University of Timișoara (WUT), where she also teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation for sustainable development. She co-leads WUT’s sustainability strategy within the UNITA European University Alliance and has over 15 years’ experience in education and environmental policy, and sustainable entrepreneurship. She fostered a student-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem, launching 73 businesses aligned with sustainability goals. Holding a PhD in Human Capital Accounting, her research explores Living Lab methodologies in education to advance the EU twin transition in schools and universities.
Heleen Geerts
Coordinator Learning Community Haagse (Living) Labs THUAS, South Holland Impact Alliance (ZHIA)
Heleen Geerts
Coordinator Learning Community Haagse (Living) Labs THUAS, South Holland Impact Alliance (ZHIA)Heleen Geerts is Liaison Manager Entrepreneurship, Researcher Designing Value Networks, and Coordinator of the Learning Community Haagse (Living) Labs at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS), Netherlands. She coordinates Living Labs & Triple Helix collaborations (Public-Private Partnerships) with a focus on educational innovation. As an External Relations Coordinator and lecturer, she has extensive experience in higher education and the Triple/Quadruple Helix context. Skilled in stakeholder management, international trade, marketing, 21st-century skills, and business strategy, Heleen holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Management and is author of ‘How to innovate with Living Labs’.
Giulia Campodonico
Head of Projects, ENoLL & Coordinator of the SOILL-Startup Project
Giulia Campodonico
Head of Projects, ENoLL & Coordinator of the SOILL-Startup ProjectSince joining ENoLL in 2022, Giulia has coordinated the preparation of more than 60 proposals to European funding opportunities, with more than 30% of success rate as partner and 100% success rate as Coordinator. Alongside, Giulia is supporting the implementation of the 20 active projects of the organization and coordinating the SOILL and SOILL-Startup projects supporting the Mission Soil Health Living Labs. Before ENoLL, she has led for 9 years the EU proposals team of the Italian Institute of Technology where she coordinated the preparation of 80+ collaborative projects proposals per year in various applied research themes as Robotics & AI, Computation, Smart and nano materials, and Life sciences. She is also an experienced trainer on EU affairs and EU funding, bridging her hands-on experience on proposal and project management with deep knowledge of the EU policy landscape. Before ENoLL, she has led for 9 years the EU proposals team of the Italian Institute of Technology where she coordinated the preparation of 80+ collaborative projects proposals per year in various applied research themes as Robotics & AI, Computation, Smart and nano materials, and Life sciences. She is also an experienced trainer on EU affairs and EU funding, bridging her hands-on experience on proposal and project management with deep knowledge of the EU policy landscape.
Alexandra Vakrou
Head of Unit at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV)
Alexandra Vakrou
Head of Unit at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV)Alexandra Vakrou is currently Head of Green Knowledge and Research Hub, LIFE Unit in the Directorate for General Affairs, Knowledge and Resources at the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) in the European Commission. She leads teams in charge of the management of the LIFE programme, the coordination of work with the European Environment Agency and the JRC, the co-creation activity of Cluster 6 of Horizon briefings, as well as environmental knowledge and foresight. Ms Vakrou has worked for nearly three decades in European affairs and environment holding various positions in DG Environment and DG Climate Action. Before joining the Commission, she worked for 6 years as researcher on various environmental, agriculture, economic and forestry issues in the National Agricultural Research Foundation of Greece, as well as for 3 years in the Greek Forest Service. Ms Vakrou is a forester and holds a PhD in Environmental and Forest Economics from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. She has co-authored many scientific articles and is one of the co-authors of the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) reports.
Uchechi Obinna
Researcher, Center for Expertise Water Technology
Uchechi Obinna
Researcher, Center for Expertise Water TechnologyDr. Uchechi Obinna is a researcher at the Center of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) Leeuwarden Netherlands, a knowledge and innovation centre for applied research and product development in the field of water technology. CEW, together with Wetsus and Water Alliance are the managing partners of the Water Campus Innovation Ecosystem in Leeuwarden, where scientific, applied research and businesses in the area of water technology are combined. With a background in Environmental sciences and Environmental & Energy Management, he is involved in connecting water technologies to broader social and societal topics, International project development & management, & Water-oriented living labs development and facilitation.
Alexia Stokes
Senior scientist, INRAE Montpellier
Alexia Stokes
Senior scientist, INRAE MontpellierStudying vegetation in different biomes around the world, Alexia Stokes focuses on plant root growth and biophysical interactions in soil. She uses knowledge to find solutions for stabilizing soil on slopes and improving tree anchorage during storms. More recently working on microbial interactions in soil, Alexia aims to link belowground biodiversity with soil structure and examine the implications for ecosystem services. Alexia has published more than 140 journal papers and edited three books since her PhD at the University of York (UK).
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.
Yannis Fallas
Director, CluBE
Yannis Fallas
Director, CluBEDr. Yannis Fallas, a Mining Engineer from NTUA, has a PhD on ”Clusters in Traditional Sectors” from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He established and is currently the Director of the Bioeconomy and Environment Cluster in Western Macedonia (CluBE) with more than 60 members from the quintuple helix of the regional economy, where he coordinates the efforts of more than 50 employees on more than 50 European Innovation projects. Representing CluBE, he is a member of international networks at European and global level, acting as the ambassador of Western Macedonia to the rest of the world.
Koen Vervoort
Senior Stakeholder Strategist at ENoLL
Koen Vervoort
Senior Stakeholder Strategist at ENoLLHelping Living Labs since 2006 @i-City, IBBT, iMinds, City of Thing, iMec as Stakeholder engagement specialist and now as a Senior Stakeholder Strategist at ENoLL, building bridges and opportunities for all members and interested parties. With nearby 20 years of experience in User Involvement, Panel Management and Stakeholder Engagement, Koen is constantly trying to strengthen the Living Lab community around the globe.
Paula Rodriguez Müller
Scientific project officer – Digital Transformation of Governance & Innovative Public Services, JRC
Paula Rodriguez Müller
Scientific project officer – Digital Transformation of Governance & Innovative Public Services, JRCPaula works at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, where she conducts and leads research on digital governance, and the societal and organisational impact of emerging technologies in the public sector. Based in the Directorate for Digital Transformation and Data, her work bridges science and policy. In parallel, she explores how innovation and co-creation can strengthen public sector capabilities and support the EU’s digital policies. She holds a PhD from KU Leuven, where she explored how co-creation can reshape the relationship between citizens, governments, and businesses in delivering digital public services.
Mădălin Bunoiu
Vice-Rector for Research, Development & Innovation, Sustainability, Technology Transfer and Diaspora Relations, West University of Timișoara
Mădălin Bunoiu
Vice-Rector for Research, Development & Innovation, Sustainability, Technology Transfer and Diaspora Relations, West University of TimișoaraMădălin Bunoiu has a distinguished career in higher education and scientific research, with expertise in academic strategy, quality assurance, and innovation. He currently serves as Romania’s representative to the European Science Advisors Forum (ESAF), a network of advisors and scientists providing evidence-based guidance to national governments and European institutions. Since 2014, he has been a member — and president — of Romania’s Consultative College for Research, Development, and Innovation, advising the Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, and chairs the national Performance Evaluation Commission for research organizations. At the West University of Timișoara, he is Vice-Rector for Research, Development & Innovation, Sustainability, Technology Transfer, and Diaspora Relations. Under his leadership, UVT became the first and only Romanian university functioning as a living lab across all its missions and hosted the Open Living Lab Days 2024. He is a physicist, specialized in materials science, crystal growth and characterization, and educational physics. He actively promotes innovative approaches to research, education, and societal engagement.
Arturo Castelló
Deputy Technical Director,Valencia Innovation Capital
Arturo Castelló
Deputy Technical Director,Valencia Innovation CapitalArturo Castelló is the Deputy Technical Director of Valencia Innovation Capital, leading strategic projects in urban innovation, digital transformation, and citizen engagement. With extensive experience in fostering public-private partnerships, he is driving initiatives that shape Valencia’s future as a smart, inclusive, and sustainable city.
Javier Burón-García
Associate Professor, UL and Fab Lab Limerick Director
Javier Burón-García
Associate Professor, UL and Fab Lab Limerick DirectorJavier Burón-García is an Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Product Design at the University of Limerick, Ireland. He is founding Director of Fab Lab Limerick, which is part of Limerick’s Citizen Innovation Lab. His research focuses on the role of the creative industries in local socio-economic development, the use of personal digital fabrication in architecture and the impact of open-source technologies and participatory processes in design. He has been member of the Limerick Urbact Local Group, member of the board of directors of Fab Foundation Ireland and part of the Irish team at the 11th edition of the Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Helene Gallis
Director of Innovation and International Projects, MiA (Museene i Akershus), Norway
Helene Gallis
Director of Innovation and International Projects, MiA (Museene i Akershus), NorwayHelene Gallis is Director of Innovation and International Projects at MiA – Museums in Akershus, Norway. She is an urbanist and innovation strategist with over 15 years of experience in co-creative processes, systems innovation, and place-based transformation. Helene is a pioneer in linking cultural institutions to urban development and has led numerous transdisciplinary initiatives across Europe. She is a co-developer of the Transformation Lab methodology in the NatureScape project, bringing deep expertise in participatory design, strategic foresight, and governance for sustainability transitions.
Hai-Ying Liu
Senior Scientist, Department of Environmental Impacts & Sustainability, NILU – The Climate and Environmental Research Institute, Norway
Hai-Ying Liu
Senior Scientist, Department of Environmental Impacts & Sustainability, NILU – The Climate and Environmental Research Institute, NorwayDr. Hai‑Ying Liu is a Senior Scientist at NILU, specializing in monitoring and evaluating nature‑based solutions for improved urban environmental quality and public health. She holds an MSc in Environmental Protection from Inner Mongolia University and a PhD in Environmental Biology from the University of Oslo. Over a 20‑year multidisciplinary career, she has coordinated numerous EU research projects, employing participatory methods and citizen science to drive climate adaptation and ecosystem resilience in cities.
Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek
Assistant Professor, University of Life Sciences in Lublin
Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek
Assistant Professor, University of Life Sciences in LublinDr Malwina Michalik-Śnieżek is an Assistant Professor at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland. She holds an MSc in Landscape Architecture and a PhD in Geography and Earth Sciences. For over 15 years, she has been engaged in academic and applied work in the fields of ecosystem services, nature-based solutions (NBS), and geographic information systems (GIS). She conducts expert studies in nature conservation, prepares protection plans, and develops environmental impact assessments for investments. Her research focuses on integrating spatial planning with ecological and social values to support sustainable development and adaptive landscape management.
Annija Danenberga
Project Assistant – scientific institute “Baltic Studies Centre”, Latvia; former spatial planning specialist at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Latvia
Annija Danenberga
Project Assistant – scientific institute “Baltic Studies Centre”, Latvia; former spatial planning specialist at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, LatviaAnnija Danenberga is a project assistant at the Baltic Studies Centre, contributing to transdisciplinary research on sustainable development and socio-ecological transformations. Within the EU-funded NatureScape project, she guides the coordination of the Riga-based Transformation Lab highlighting the post-implementation phase of nature-based solutions. With a background in spatial planning, she specialises in environmental policy, landscape design, land and water management. Annija has previously worked in the public sector, coordinating national urban greening initiatives in Latvia, and has contributed to multiple EU research projects on NBS, multi-level governance, and participatory approaches in urban, regional and marine planning.
Despoina Petsani
Research Associate, Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, AUTH
Despoina Petsani
Research Associate, Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, AUTHHaving a background in computer engineering, Despoina Petsani pursued her passion to support people health and social wellbeing, by becoming a Living Lab researcher, with experience in assistive technologies and decision support systems for the continuum of care. With years of experience in the IT and healthcare sector and passionate about improving health and social well-being, she specializes in assistive technologies and decision support systems. She has extensive experience managing EU-funded projects and collaborating with international research teams. She holds an MSc in Medical Informatics and diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She is currently PhD Candidate and Research Associate in the Assistive Technologies and Silver Science Research Group in the Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, School of Medicine of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She was also the Harmonization Body Coordinator of the VITALISE H2020 project and currently, she is co-chairing the ENoLL Living Lab Harmonization Working Group and the ENoLL Health & Wellbeing Working Group. She was also member of the Organizing Committee of the Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2024 and 2025.
Anton Sentic
Living Lab and Transitions Researcher, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
Anton Sentic
Living Lab and Transitions Researcher, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)Anton Sentic is a Living Lab and Transitions researcher working at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Currently leading/co-leading LL methodology work packages in the SWEET SWICE and SWEET Lantern energy research consortia, he is also acting as scientific co-lead of the WinLab LL in Winterthur and advisor to several Swiss Living Labs. In parallel with his current work with Living Labs, Anton is also an active member of the Sustainable Transitions Research community, having co-founded the NEST early career Transitons Researcher Network and serving as a member of the STRN Steering Group since 2019. Holding a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Environmental System Sciences with a focus on sustainable business management, as well as a PhD in Innovation Studies from the University of Greenwich, Anton’s main research interests lie in the intersection between Living Lab research and (sustainable) system transition processes, focusing on the role of LL in large-scale transitions and, on the practical side, the development and utilization of management tools and concepts in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of innovation processes in LL.
Evdokimos Konstantinidis
Postdoc Researcher at Thess-AHALL
Evdokimos Konstantinidis
Postdoc Researcher at Thess-AHALLDr. Evdokimos I. Konstantinidis is the Chairperson of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) with more than 170 members worldwide, coordinator of the Health and Wellbeing Living Labs Working Group and postdoc researcher at the Medical Physics and Digital Innovation Lab, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He coordinated the Research Infrastructure H2020 project, VITALISE – aiming to harmonize the procedures of Health Living Labs. He is currently the coordinator of the RAISE Horizon Europe funded project on services for the European Open Science Cloud and the Horizon Europe project Engaging the Value of Living Labs to Innovate Care and Regulatory Environments as a response to the call for experimentation frameworks.
Senem Turhan
Senior Lecturer School of Innovation, Design and Engineering (IDT), Mälardalen University
Senem Turhan
Senior Lecturer School of Innovation, Design and Engineering (IDT), Mälardalen UniversitySenem Turhan is a design researcher and educator specializing in design thinking, sustainable product development, and user-centered research methods. She aims to bridge the gap between research insights and idea generation phases in the innovation process. Her work emphasizes sustainability, speculative reasoning, co-design, and user experience, integrating innovative tools and methods into education, research and practice.
Artur Serra
Deputy Director, i2Cat
Artur Serra
Deputy Director, i2CatArtur Serra Hurtado is Deputy director of i2cat research center and Former Vicepresident of ENoLL. He is conducting now the research project Catalunya Collaboratory, based in the vision of universal innovation ecosystems. He was co-leading with Antonia Caro, the new Horizon Europe project INTEGER (2022-2024), integrating social innovation into the European Innovation Ecosystems in three European regions: Catalonia, Krakow and Hamburg. Currently he is the head of the ENoLL Action Oriented Task Force on Social Innovation, promoting the collaboration between the ENoLL and the European School of Social Innovation (ESSI) supporting a more human-centric innovation ecosystems. Finally, he is leading a cooperative project with FDSUT, Fondation pour le Developement du Service Universel de Telecomunications de Senegal promoting the first national network of Living labs in this African country.
Hae-Yung Song
Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID), Yonsei University, South Korea
Hae-Yung Song
Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID), Yonsei University, South KoreaHae-Yung Song studied sociology, international political economy and development studies in South Korea and the UK. She has worked for the Korean government and public institutions in the areas of international cooperation, diplomacy and human rights. She has taught at Birkbeck, Warwick and SOAS in the UK and at Korea University in South Korea. She has published articles in internationally acclaimed journals and a monograph, The State, Class and Developmentalism in South Korea (Routledge). She is currently a research professor at IPAID, and works on the contact points between critical pedagogy and active learning including living labs.
Georgia Ayfantopoulou
Research director, CERTH/HIT
Georgia Ayfantopoulou
Research director, CERTH/HITGeorgia Ayfantopoulou is CERTH/HIT's Research Director. She is head of the Research Department ‘’Infrastructure, Networks, Mobility & Logistics’’ with high expertise in Traffic Management, Transport Systems Management, Use of Telematics Applications in: Maritime, Road and Combined Transport, GIS, Vehicle Fleet Management, Operations Research and in Road Safety. She has been assigned as Project Coordinator, Technical and Evaluation Manager for several EU as well as Greek projects. She manages Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab, which is an efficient member of ENoLL.
Panagiotis Ptochoulis
Head of Department for Strategic Planning & Programmes’, ANKO Western Macedonia S.A -Regional Development Agency of Western Macedonia
Panagiotis Ptochoulis
Head of Department for Strategic Planning & Programmes’, ANKO Western Macedonia S.A -Regional Development Agency of Western MacedoniaPanagiotis Ptochoulis is a Topography Engineer and holds MSc in Planning and Management of Local and Regional Development. Since 1999 he is working for ANKO, being Head of Department since 2011, working as project manager for the implementation and administration of National and European Projects in several Programmes (FP6, INTERREG IVC, INTERREG EUROPE, HORIZON, INTERREG MED, BALKAN MED, INTERREG GREECE - ALBANIA, INTERREG GREECE - NORTH MACEDONIA). Also, he has coordinated the elaboration of Development Studies and Strategic Plans for Regional, Prefectural and Local Authorities, along with sectoral master and operational plans. In the field of his activities is also the Technical support of Regional, Prefectural and Local Authorities according to administrative issues. Since 2021 he is representing the Grevena - Kozani UNESCO Global Geopark, in which ANKO is Co-ordinating Body, in the Management Delegation of the European & Global Geoparks Networks (EGN, GGN). He also worked for a decade as scientific expert teaching Topography at the Geotechnology and Environment Department of the former Technological Educational Institution (now University) of Western Macedonia.
Claudia Schreider
Scientific staff, Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change (KAT) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Claudia Schreider
Scientific staff, Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change (KAT) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)Claudia Schreider is a research associate at the Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change (KAT) at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Her research focuses on sustainability research, real-world laboratory research and sustainable urban development, transdisciplinary science and education for sustainable development. She is part of the real-world lab Quartier Zukunft in Karlsruhe's Oststadt district and works on various projects at the interface of sustainability, university development and urban research. She is also a co-founder of Frankfurt's Transition Town - Stadt im Wandel.
Miguel Angel Herrera
Mayor of Genalguacil (Malaga, Spain)
Miguel Angel Herrera
Mayor of Genalguacil (Malaga, Spain)Miguel Angel Herrer is the Mayor of Genalguacil (Malaga, Spain), leveraging his entrepreneurial acumen to revitalize the municipality. Genalguacil is now one of the three real world labs with Galway and its International Arts Festival (Ireland) and Nowa Huta and its C.K. Norwid Cultural Center (Poland). These labs are supported by the HE project Pacesetters. Notable achievements include the reopening of the Museum of Contemporary Art and spearheading cultural initiatives, positioning Genalguacil as a hub for contemporary art in Andalusia Today, the Genalguacil Pueblo Museo project stands as a benchmark for rural innovation and combating depopulation in Europe, underscoring Miguel Ángel's commitment to sustainable development and cultural promotion.Finally last May 2025, Genalguacil was accepted as a member of Red Innpulso, the network of cities of science and innovation in Spain.
Antonio Trasobares
Director of the Catalan Center for Forestry Technology
Antonio Trasobares
Director of the Catalan Center for Forestry TechnologyAntonio Trasobares is director of the Catalan Center for Forestry Technology. The Center for Forestry Technology of Catalonia is associated to the European Forest Institute, sited in Finlandia, with an office in Barcelona. Besides CTFC direction, Antoni is coordinating the FIRE-RES project, the largest R&I project in Europe on the mitigation of extreme wildfire events by the promotion of resilient landscapes and the bioeconomy, and has been a key catalyzer for the development, adoption and implementation of the 2030 Circular Bioeconomy Strategy in Catalonia. He is the leader of a European and international network of living labs on fire resistant territories in the EU and also regions in North Africa and Latin America.
Jordi Ascensi Sala
Head of Technology, Andorra Research and Innovation
Jordi Ascensi Sala
Head of Technology, Andorra Research and InnovationJordi Ascensi Sala serves as Head of Technology at Andorra Research + Innovation (AR+I), the principality's premier research and innovation agency that hosts the Andorra Living Lab. His research focuses on the ethical implications of technology in human communities, leveraging data science to enhance understanding of society and environment, while spearheading initiatives to develop Andorra as a country-scale Living Lab. He represents Andorra as a technical expert and focal point for prestigious international organizations including UNESCO and the Council of Europe. With over 25 years of experience in Strategy, Innovation, and Project Management across Information Technology platforms, networks, and systems, Jordi has worked across diverse sectors and geographical regions. His academic credentials include a Telecommunications Engineering degree from UPC-Barcelona Tech, an MBA from HEC Montreal, an Executive Master in Marketing Management from EADA Barcelona, and a Master's Degree in Philosophy from the Open University of Catalonia.
Dr Toñi Caro
CEO, EOh-for-Good
Dr Toñi Caro
CEO, EOh-for-GoodDr. Toñi Caro is a seasoned capacity builder with over 25 years of experience in European R&I strategy, institutional innovation and international project leadership. She has led or contributed to more than 100 EU-funded initiatives and serves as an expert evaluator for Horizon 2020, COSME and Horizon Europe. As founder of Eoh-for-Good Ltd, she supports systemic transformations for the common good. Her expertise lies in enabling multi-actor co-creation and implementing next generation living labs through tested, participatory methodologies. She is a member of the Board of Directors of ESSI, active in the ENoLL Research community and regularly engaged by the European Commission in high-level expert groups on innovation ecosystems and digital transformation. Dr. Caro empowers institutions to turn complexity into actionable, inclusive solutions with high societal impact.
Jokin Garatea
International Business Director of International projects - GAIA
Jokin Garatea
International Business Director of International projects - GAIAInternational Business Director of International projects at GAIA. He is an expert on dissemination and exploitation plans. Has participated in more than 80 EU projects. Member of different European networks (ENoLL, Greenovate Europe, EIIT culture KIC), promoter and evaluator of Living Labs, coordinator of the Basque District of Culture and Creativity Vice-president of Ocean Living Lab for promotion and technological innovation of water-related culture and sport activities in a preserved environment of Urdaibai.
Martha King
Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) Bristol’s Living Lab
Martha King
Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) Bristol’s Living LabMartha King is the Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) Bristol’s Living Lab in Knowle West, UK. KWMC is an arts and community tech organisation with a mission to ‘make fair and thriving neighborhoods together, with arts tech and care’. She is also co-founder and director of Control Shift, an international arts and tech festival, based in Bristol. She has developed and delivered numerous participatory and critically engaged arts and tech projects and ran community tech co-creation programmes exploring topics such as data ethics, AI and commons-based approaches to citizen sensing. Martha has a background in theatre and performance making which means collaborative and embodied practices are central to her work. She has a UCL accredited service design qualification and is a currently on the Clore Leading Systemic Change Programme. She is co-author on HCI published paper ‘A City in Common: A Framework to Foster Technology Innovation from the Bottom up’ and co-author of the chapter ‘We Can Make: Co-Creating Knowledge and Products with Local Communities’ in ‘Co-Creation in Theory and Practice Exploring Creativity in the Global North and South’.
Marco Conti
Artist, IPER-collettivo
Marco Conti
Artist, IPER-collettivoMarco Conti is a member of IPER-collettivo, a multidisciplinary collective united by the passion for experimentation, creativity, sustainability, and interactive forms of expression. IPER-collettivo’s research investigates the relationship between the territory and its communities, aiming to express the visions of the group through socially engaging projects.
Damiano Petruzzella
Scientific Administrator, CIHEAM Bari
Damiano Petruzzella
Scientific Administrator, CIHEAM BariDamiano is Scientific Administrator of CIHEAM BARI- International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Coordinator of the Unit “Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem” dedicated to training, research and international cooperation on empowering the entrepreneurial culture of young people and supporting the open innovation processes of businesses in the mediterranean region. Responsible of the Mediterranean agrifood Innovation Hub and the MIP Network – Mediterranean Innovation Partnership with ten Mediterranean countries members, and MEDIL Living Lab for Mediterranean Rural development (ENoLL Certified) and from this year is chair of the ENoLL WG on agriculture and rural development. He is Scientific Coordinator of the Master in “Open Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship in the mediterranean agrifood sector“ in Bari and Tirana. He is component of the steering committee of Italian network on local food policies. He coordinates many international projects on food system transition, innovation and startups empowerment and local food policy, mainly in mediterranean region and Africa.
Rosalinda Scalia
Deputy Head of Unit, EC DG Research & Innovation, Unit Bioeconomy & Food Systems (B2), Healthy Planet Directorate
Rosalinda Scalia
Deputy Head of Unit, EC DG Research & Innovation, Unit Bioeconomy & Food Systems (B2), Healthy Planet DirectorateRosalinda Scalia is Deputy Head of Unit for “Bioeconomy and Food Systems” in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission. Previously, she worked for the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety as policy officer for plant health. Before moving to Brussels, Rosalinda worked for almost a decade as Food Inspector for the Italian Ministry for Agriculture and for one year under the Spanish Food Safety Agency. Her main role was to investigate frauds and irregularities in the food market. Rosalinda obtained a PhD in Environmental Agronomy from the University of Palermo and has been visiting scientist twice to the University of California, Davis and to the University of Alabama (US).
Christine Hvitsand
Senior researcher PhD, Telemark Research Institute
Christine Hvitsand
Senior researcher PhD, Telemark Research InstituteChristine Hvitsand is a senior researcher at Telemark Research Institute, Research group Social and Ecological Sustainability, Norway. Hvitsand has a master’s degree in Economics and Resource Management and a PhD within Agroecology and agri-food sustainability transitions, both from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Hvitsand facilitates and analyses processes and outputs from agri-food living lab processes, including the FATE living lab. Often her research projects regarding food system changes take cross-sectorial and multi-actor approaches to address grand societal and interwoven challenges and opportunities.
Florian Senger-Weiss
Founder & Director, Orbolo
Florian Senger-Weiss
Founder & Director, OrboloFlorian founded ORBOLO to transform the relation of food systems to nature. Buzzword: regenerative agroecology. Inspired by farmers who deliberately shifted from conventional to nutrient-rich, life-supporting practices, he now scales these models through education hubs and farm projects in Paraguay and Brazil. He bridges ecological insight with technology, supported by partners like WWF and Fundación Paraguaya, and draws on experience from Daimler and IE University. His next step is to build investment vehicles that let impact investors back the farms of the future. When not transforming landscapes, he's skiing, riding, or exploring nature.
Saša Štraus
Senior Expert in Sustainable Food Systems & F2F Green Point Living Lab Manager
Saša Štraus
Senior Expert in Sustainable Food Systems & F2F Green Point Living Lab ManagerSaša Štraus holds a PhD in agriculture and has over 15 years of experience leading EU-funded projects focused on sustainable food systems, innovation, and rural development. She leads the Green Point Living Lab in the Pomurje region (Slovenia), a multi-actor ecosystem for agri-food innovation, co-creation, and stakeholder engagement. She works on bridging research and practice with a focus on resilient agri-food supply chains, inclusive governance models, and digital transformation across agri-food value chains.
Helena Fitzgerald
Head of Societal Engagement, Technological University Dublin
Helena Fitzgerald
Head of Societal Engagement, Technological University DublinHelena is Head of Societal Engagement at TU Dublin. Her team work across university functions and implement innovative programmes to engage society in the University’s research, education and operations activity. Her role has a particular focus on creating positive societal impact in the Greater Dublin Region. An architect by profession, she is passionate about enabling individual and collective creativity, and in engaging cross-sectoral stakeholders in the full lifecycle of innovation. She has extensive experience in the orchestration of community-led open innovation processes, and she leads the initiation of the TU Dublin Living Lab.
Sam Rye
Senior Research Officer, Monash University
Sam Rye
Senior Research Officer, Monash UniversitySam leads Monash University's Living Lab Infrastructure. Working with Living Labs across the university, he works with academics to integrate education, research, campus operations, industry and community engagement. With a background in strategic and systemic design, participatory processes, knowledge translation and with 15+ years supporting cross-sectoral collective action through the likes of social innovation labs, Sam aims to further grow Monash University's capability and supporting structures to tackle the Grand Challenges of our age.
Beata Jałocha
Associate Professor, Campus Living Lab Manager, Jagiellonian University
Beata Jałocha
Associate Professor, Campus Living Lab Manager, Jagiellonian UniversityBeata is an Associate Professor of Management at the Institute of Public Affairs, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Her research focuses on project management, the processes of projectification, action research, and living labs. She has a particular interest in the effects of projectification on organisations and the individuals within them. She investigates participatory research methods and the role of experiential knowledge in addressing organisational and societal challenges. As a co-creator she currently serves as the manager of the Campus Living Lab at Jagiellonian University.
Konstantinos Kourkoutas
Coordinator CORE Sustainable and Smart Cities, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Konstantinos Kourkoutas
Coordinator CORE Sustainable and Smart Cities, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaKonstantinos works as the coordinator of the Strategic Research community on Smart and Sustainable Cities in the Unit of Strategic Development of the Research Office, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain. This is a transdisciplinary collaborative community focused on addressing key societal challenges in the Barcelona territory, and creating valuable shared knowledge that can contribute to larger shared agendas. An engineer and urbanist by profession, he has a vested interest in cities and urban processes and has collaborated in the creation of various living labs and other experimentation spaces. He currently leads the Smart Campus Living Lab in the University’s Bellatera campus.
Claudia Stuckrath
PhD Researcher & Advisor, Utrecht University | Chair, Campus & Higher Education Thematic Group, ENoLL
Claudia Stuckrath
PhD Researcher & Advisor, Utrecht University | Chair, Campus & Higher Education Thematic Group, ENoLLClaudia is a PhD researcher at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, studying campus living labs for sustainability transitions with a focus on the circular economy. She also advises at the Centre for Living Labs UU (CLU) and chairs ENoLL’s thematic group on campuses and higher education. With a background in engineering, sustainability, and innovation, she bridges academia and practice. Claudia holds degrees in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Biomaterials from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and an MSc in Sustainable Business and Innovation from Utrecht University. Her work explores how universities can serve as experimental spaces, driving sustainability transitions.
Dimitri Schuurman
University Business Development Manager, imec-MICT-Ghent University & Senior Research Strategist, ENoLL
Dimitri Schuurman
University Business Development Manager, imec-MICT-Ghent University & 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 design for futures, all in the context of new and emerging technologies. He is a visiting professor of strategic design and innovation management at Ghent University and works in part for the European Network of Living Labs as their senior research strategist. His PhD on innovation management in Living Labs developed a three-layered model that is now widely used in Living Lab research and practice. Finally, Dimitri is active as an independent consultant in the domains of open innovation, user innovation and strategic innovation management.
Viviana Pérez Clausen
Sociologist & International Project Leader
Viviana Pérez Clausen
Sociologist & International Project LeaderViviana Pérez Clausen is a sociologist and international project leader specializing in social and digital innovation. Currently leading European and international projects at the i2CAT Foundation's Digital Society Technology area, she focuses on creating inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative innovation ecosystems. Viviana drives the development of Living Lab methodologies and Quadruple Helix collaborations to bridge social and digital divides. Her work includes managing the Living Lab Senegal initiative, a pioneering project that promotes social innovation and digital transformation in Africa through community-led experimentation and open innovation. This project reflects her broader commitment to inclusive digital policies and public sector transformation. With over 20 years of experience in public administration, European project management, and international cooperation, Viviana has designed and implemented strategies fostering sustainable economic development and digital inclusion. She also serves as a European expert for the SOCIEUX+ program, advising third countries on employment and social protection policies. Her dynamic approach combines strategic vision with practical methodologies, fostering partnerships between governments, academia, civil society, and industry. She effectively navigates multicultural and multidisciplinary environments to promote innovative, citizen-centric solutions.
Gerard Graells del Bas
Director, Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation
Gerard Graells del Bas
Director, Catalan Agency for Development CooperationGerard Graells del Bas was born in Sabadell in 1981, he is the Director of the Catalan Agency for Cooperation Development in the Catalan Government. He has an extensive experience in cooperation development policies, peace and human rights, both from the field and headquarters. He has a degree in Political Science and Administration from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He also has been specialized in Strategies, Agents and Policies of Cooperation for Development by the HEGOA Institute (University of the Basque Country) and a master's degree in Renewable Energies from the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid.
Busisiwe Ntuli
Director: Innovation for Local Economic Development National Department of Science, Technology and Innovation – South Africa
Busisiwe Ntuli
Director: Innovation for Local Economic Development National Department of Science, Technology and Innovation – South AfricaMs Busisiwe Ntuli is a South African development strategist, policymaker and public administrator with a focus on Innovation for Development. She started her higher education with a junior degree from the University of Cape Town and proceeded to obtain an honour’s degree in Development Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). She also holds a master’s degree in Public Policy Management from Wits. She is currently reading for her PhD in Public Management and Governance with specialisation in innovation at the University of Johannesburg, where she also completed a diploma in Advanced Business Management. As a scholar of corporate governance, she trained at the Institute of Directors of South Africa. Her research interests include innovation and local economic development; participatory local economic governance; intersectionality of innovation, poverty and inequalities. Her career spans private, public and non-governmental organisations. Currently, in the National Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), she is the Director responsible for policy, strategy and programmes in Innovation for Local Economic Development. Some of her notable achievements in national government include pioneering and advancing the Innovation for Local Economic Development agenda of South Africa (SA) and crafting programmes to democratise innovation and support innovation-driven local economies. She in one of the co-authors of South Africa’s Framework for Local Economic Development of 2018-2028, which foregrounds science, technology and innovation as enablers of inclusive development for the first time in the history of LED policy in SA.
Sue Wairimu
Associate Product Manager, PATH Living Labs Initiative
Sue Wairimu
Associate Product Manager, PATH Living Labs InitiativeSue works at the intersection of health systems, product development, and human-centered design — helping teams and organizations build solutions that actually work for the people they’re meant to serve. At PATH’s Living Labs, she leads design and innovation efforts across Africa to improve health equity through co-creation, usability evaluation, and systems-level thinking. She has facilitated collaborations between developers, nurses, policymakers, and even hospital cleaners — because she believes inclusive innovation starts with lived experience. Her superpower lies in asking the questions no one else is asking, then building momentum around what matters. She trains teams, coach startups, and help organizations integrate human-centered design into everyday decision-making — not as a buzzword, but as a practice. Whether it’s influencing donor strategy, designing with communities, or mentoring the next wave of changemakers, she brings curiosity, clarity, and care to everything she does. Currently pursuing her Master’s in Inclusive Innovation at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.
Emma Tilquin
Food Security Programs Coordinator and Policy Officer Inequality, Inclusion, and Social Cohesion, Enabel
Emma Tilquin
Food Security Programs Coordinator and Policy Officer Inequality, Inclusion, and Social Cohesion, Enabel
Patrick Rembe
Communication Manager, Greenovate Europe
Patrick Rembe
Communication Manager, Greenovate EuropePatrick is a Project Manager who has more than 19 years of experience in creative content creation paired with over eight years of knowledge in content marketing and operations. Since February 2024, he is managing the INGUMA, InteractionSeeds and MarginUp! projects where G!E is leading communication and dissemination work packages.
Stéphanie Petit
Senior Consultant, Coordinator of the InteractionSeeds project, DOWEL
Stéphanie Petit
Senior Consultant, Coordinator of the InteractionSeeds project, DOWELStéphanie holds a Ph.D. in microbial ecology from the University of Lyon and has over 15 years of experience in national and European collaborative projects. She began her career in research labs before moving to Québec, where she worked as a consultant and program coordinator for Réseau Environnement on climate change adaptation, sustainable mobility, and water management. Since 2019, Stéphanie has been an innovation management consultant at DOWEL, supporting the design, coordination, and valorisation of research and innovation projects. Her multidisciplinary expertise includes strategy development, co-creation processes, stakeholder engagement, and the facilitation of technical committees. She leads a wide range of missions, from roadmap definition to communication strategies, and is currently coordinating the InteractionSeeds project, which aims to bridge science, citizens, and the arts. Stéphanie is passionate about creating impact-driven collaborations for a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Magnus Eriksson
Senior Researcher & sociologist, RISE
Magnus Eriksson
Senior Researcher & sociologist, RISEMagnus Eriksson is a senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, and a sociologist specializing in sociotechnical systems and their transformations. Current research projects address topics such as resilience, participation, and inclusion in sustainable transitions and systemic design approaches.
Hayley Ho
Researcher & senior designer, RISE
Hayley Ho
Researcher & senior designer, RISEHayley Ho is a researcher & senior designer at RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden, with expertise on dialogues, processes and speculative prototypes from citizen and more-than-human perspectives for inclusive participation, systems thinking, and societal transformations. Previously, she has experience working in design consultancy and cultural initiatives internationally.
Ioana Stoicescu
Environmental scientist and photographer, NaturDive, France
Ioana Stoicescu
Environmental scientist and photographer, NaturDive, FranceIoana is a marine educator, environmental scientist (PhD) and professional underwater photographer and videographer, dedicated to blending Arts and Sciences for ocean literacy. A certified scientific diver and National Geographic Educator, she has worked since 2019 with the French association NaturDive, where she creates underwater documentaries, photo exhibitions and 360° videos, develops educational content and works with students through the 'Educational Marine Areas' program. A certified photographer since 2012, Ioana also taught photography to primary school students. Her passion for education led her to co-author nationally accredited Arts textbooks used by thousands of children across Romania. Her multidisciplinary approach—using visual storytelling, hands-on science, as well as arts and crafts —aims to foster curiosity, emotional connection and environmental responsibility among the audience. Through her work, Ioana invites learners to explore the beauty of the Blue Planet and aims to inspire the next generation of explorers and change-makers.
Anita McKeown
Co-founder and director, FutureFocus21
Anita McKeown
Co-founder and director, FutureFocus21Dr. Anita McKeown is an award-winning artist, curator, educator, and researcher working at the intersection of socially engaged art, equitable placemaking, and ethical technology. With nearly 30 years of interdisciplinary practice, she integrates arts-led community resilience with education, focusing on place, equity, and ecological awareness. As co-founder and director of Future Focus21c, she develops creative, place-based strategies for inclusive, climate-literate STEAM education across formal and community contexts. She is also Director of SMARTlab Skelligs, a regional hub of the SMARTlab Research Institute (UCD), supporting innovation in education and regeneration. Dr. McKeown is the creator of permaCultural resilience (pCr), a critical praxis combining arts, ecological design, and local governance to drive community-led, systemic change. Through her strategic platform, Art Services Unincorporated (ASU), she delivers context-responsive, ecologically sensitive interventions. With over 110 international exhibitions and performative works, her research and practice continue to shape ethical, inclusive futures through co-design, systems thinking, and open culture.
Fatima Canseco
Head of Research, Digital Society Technologies at i2CAT Foundation
Fatima Canseco
Head of Research, Digital Society Technologies at i2CAT FoundationFàtima Canseco-López is Head of Research of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at the i2CAT Foundation. She holds PhDs in Social Innovation (La Salle-URL) and Electrical Engineering (BIU), as well as degrees in Engineering Management (MEng), Industrial Engineering (BEng), and an MBA (UPC). Her experience spans academia and public administration, including roles at La Salle–URL, UPC, and the Traffic Control Centre of Catalonia. Her work focuses on the intersection of social innovation, digital transformation, and technology governance.
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Associate Professor in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Associate Professor in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Managing Director of Botnia Living LabAbdolrasoul (Rasoul) Habibipour is an Associate Professor in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab. He is the Program Director for the Data Science Master’s Program at LTU and also holds a research fellowship at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research focuses on participatory design, user engagement, and Living Labs, among other areas. He has published several journal and conference articles and supervised students at all levels, including bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. levels. Rasoul actively contributes as a guest editor, track chair, and reviewer for international conferences and journals. He has led multiple international research and innovation projects, particularly in the areas of digital transformation, Living Labs, and higher education research.
Vicky Van der Auwera
Research manager and co-founder of LiCaLab, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Vicky Van der Auwera
Research manager and co-founder of LiCaLab, Thomas More University of Applied SciencesVicky holds a master’s degree in Engineering Sciences from Brussels University Belgium, where she graduated as civil mechanical-electrical engineer. She worked for 14 years in private sector in the area of mechanical engineering as Research Manager and Project manager, where she built up experience and knowledge of machine construction, mechatronics, opto-mechanical measurements, semiconductor measurements. Since 2010 she works for Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in the unit Research. She is one of the team members that started up LiCalab in 2012 (www.licalab.be/en ), in close collaboration with the City of Turnhout. At LiCalab she is responsible for the operational management of the team and she leads EU-projects as well as private assignments.
Leon Cruickshank
Professor of Design and Creative Exchange at Lancaster University
Leon Cruickshank
Professor of Design and Creative Exchange at Lancaster UniversityLeon Cruickshank is Professor of Design and Creative Exchange at Lancaster University. His research focuses on open, co-design processes and understanding and amplifying the impact of these living projects. These range from the £1.2 million Leapfrog project looking at new forms of engagement and mapping impact to Born Into Care, a codesign project to map the process whereby babies are taken into the care system and separated from their parent(s) at birth. He is the President of the European Academy of Design and his latest co-edited book ‘Flourish By Design’ published by Routledge and available as an open access publication here - https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003399568, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9145-4635
Arianna Marucci
Junior Project Manager - ENoLL
Arianna Marucci
Junior Project Manager - ENoLLArianna Marucci is a Junior Project Manager at ENoLL. Fascinated by the intersection of new technologies and cultural diversity, she holds a Master’s degree in International Relations in the Digital Era. At ENoLL, Arianna contributes to the Projects Unit and the Proposals Writing team, where she supports the management and implementation of various projects, as well as the preparation of proposals for competitive bids.In her role, Arianna is also part of the coordination team for the GILL (Gendered Innovation Living Labs) project, where she is gaining valuable experience in the coordination of EU projects.
Inés Sánchez de Madariaga
UNESCO Chair on Gender in Science, Technology and Innovation & Chair of the UNESCO Advisory group on Gender Issues
Inés Sánchez de Madariaga
UNESCO Chair on Gender in Science, Technology and Innovation & Chair of the UNESCO Advisory group on Gender IssuesInés Sánchez de Madariaga is UNESCO Chair on Gender in STI and Professor of Urban Planning at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. She has been Visiting Scholar at Harvard University GSD, MIT, UCLA, the Bauhaus, LSE, and Columbia University, as well as a Fulbright and a Real Colegio Complutense-UPM Fellow. She is a leading international expert on gender in transportation, urban planning, architecture and STEM, with extensive experience spanning public office, policy, practice, and research. Author of over 100 articles in professional journals and a dozen books, including: Fair Shared Cities, 2013, and Engendering Cities, Routledge 2020. She is Chair of the Advisory Group on Gender Issues to the Executive Director of UN-Habitat. In 2021 she received the Matilde Ucelay Award in recognition for her professional trajectory granted by the Spanish Government.
Nicola Marsden
Professor of social informatics at Heilbronn University
Nicola Marsden
Professor of social informatics at Heilbronn UniversityNicola Marsden is a professor of social informatics at Heilbronn University, where she leads the Lab for Social Informatics. The lab focuses on gender-responsive innovation and inclusive tech development, using feminist living lab methods like co-creation and participatory design to tackle social and technological challenges. She has served as an expert for bodies such as the EU's ERA Committee on Gender, the German Government’s Equality Report, and the UNESCO Commission on AI and Gender. Trained in psychology, her work bridges tech, design, and organisational behaviour, with a research focus on debiasing design processes and developing socially responsible AI.
Patricia Borges
Researcher in the Sustainability area, Andorra Research + Innovation
Patricia Borges
Researcher in the Sustainability area, Andorra Research + InnovationPatricia Borges is a researcher in the Sustainability area at Andorra Research + Innovation, the national reference research group of the Principality of Andorra, where she has been working since its foundation in 2021. She is a Building Engineer and holds a PhD in Sustainability from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. She actually leads projects related to the built environment and energy. She is part of the Andorra Living Lab and member of the ENOLL working group Energy & Environment (WG E&E).
Antonius Schröder
Managing Director of the European School of Social Innovation (ESSI)
Antonius Schröder
Managing Director of the European School of Social Innovation (ESSI)Antonius Schröder is senior researcher and member of management board of sfs (Social Research Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences at the TU University Dortmund), responsible for international research. His focus is on Social Innovation (esp. combining technological and social innovation) and Vocational Education and Training. He has worked in and managed more than 30 European projects, recently co-ordinating the large scale Skills Alliance for the Green, Digital and Social Transformation of the Energy Intensive Industries (Skills4EII) and the Large Scale Partnership Energy Intensive Industries (LSP EII) under the Pact for Skills. He is Managing Director of the European School of Social Innovation ESSI, Chairman of the Focus Group People within the European Steel Technology Platform ESTEP, Leader of the Permanent Working Group “Societal Innovation” of the Advisory and Programming Group for Processes for Planet, Member of the Executive Board of the European Workplace Innovation Network (EUWIN), and Chair of the Senate of the German Professional Association of Social Scientists (BSiD). Beneath publishing more than 80 books or articles, he is editorial member of the Atlas of Social Innovation and the Social Innovation Research Agenda.
Gabriella Quaranta
Head of Network - ENoLL
Gabriella Quaranta
Head of Network - ENoLLGraduated in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Rome “Sapienza”, she has been working as project manager in EC funded projects, including GILL, working with multidisciplinary teams and driving collaboration across a diverse range of stakeholders for the last ten years and, she has been very active in the EU R&I Framework Programmes being also an Italian National Contact Point (NCP) in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe following mobility and security areas in particular. She has been personally coordinating EC funded projects, dealing of course with project management but also with dissemination & communication activities and with stakeholder engagement, acquiring a deep knowledge in these matters as well; furthermore, she has been a trainer, delivering dozens of trainings on Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe related issues.
Victorine Che Thöner
Senior Programme Officer, Forest and Grasslands, IUCN
Victorine Che Thöner
Senior Programme Officer, Forest and Grasslands, IUCNEnvironmental justice expert with 15+ years fo global experience in policy, campaigning, and program design. Main focus on synergies between biodiversity and climate agendas advocating for equity-centred environmental action and reparative justice. Work closely with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities with a focus on co-powering. investing in their growth and recognising the value they bring.
Chiara Roticiani
Project Coordinator, Eurocities
Chiara Roticiani
Project Coordinator, EurocitiesChiara Roticiani has over seven years of experience in the non-profit sector across several European countries and has been with Eurocities for more than five years. She is currently a project coordinator on the food team, where she focuses on the Horizon Europe project CLEVERFOOD. In this role, she facilitates a peer-learning programme for food policy labs and food policy councils, and coordinates the FOOD 2030 Connected Lab Network, with a strong focus on bridging local initiatives and policymaking to foster the transition towards inclusive, healthy, and sustainable food systems.
Francesca Volpe
Resilient Local Food Supply Chain Alliance
Francesca Volpe
Resilient Local Food Supply Chain AllianceFrancesca Volpe is the focal point of the Resilient Local Food Supply Chain Alliance, launched during the UN FSS in 2021, Rome. Her main activity is to gather experiences and knowledge on local food systems to be transformed towards more sustainable solutions validated by participatory processes (Living Labs). She is the secretary of the Italian Observatory of Local food policy and she manages projects to improve the quadruple helix stakeholders’ capacities to co-design integrated urban food policies to tackle the millennium challenges, even in the smallest territories. For 15 years, she worked as innovation manager at the Apulian regional food technology cluster providing support services to public-private partnerships to test and validate research results on agrifood, renewable energy, circular economy and biobased processes. As a political scientist, her view is to mix vertical and cross-cutting issues related to food that can support advocacy and change.
Facilitators
Viviana Pérez Clausen
Sociologist & International Project Leader
Viviana Pérez Clausen
Sociologist & International Project LeaderViviana Pérez Clausen is a sociologist and international project leader specializing in social and digital innovation. Currently leading European and international projects at the i2CAT Foundation's Digital Society Technology area, she focuses on creating inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative innovation ecosystems. Viviana drives the development of Living Lab methodologies and Quadruple Helix collaborations to bridge social and digital divides. Her work includes managing the Living Lab Senegal initiative, a pioneering project that promotes social innovation and digital transformation in Africa through community-led experimentation and open innovation. This project reflects her broader commitment to inclusive digital policies and public sector transformation. With over 20 years of experience in public administration, European project management, and international cooperation, Viviana has designed and implemented strategies fostering sustainable economic development and digital inclusion. She also serves as a European expert for the SOCIEUX+ program, advising third countries on employment and social protection policies. Her dynamic approach combines strategic vision with practical methodologies, fostering partnerships between governments, academia, civil society, and industry. She effectively navigates multicultural and multidisciplinary environments to promote innovative, citizen-centric solutions.
Marta Martorell Camps
Director of Digital Society Technologies Research Group
Marta Martorell Camps
Director of Digital Society Technologies Research GroupMarta Martorell Camps is an expert in digital social innovation, inclusive technologies, and participatory governance. She directs the Digital Society Technologies area at i2CAT, leading projects on ethical and inclusive digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, including a term as Mayor of Tiana, she has led key EU projects such as INTEGER (completed) and FORGING. Her work promotes 4-helix innovation ecosystems, digital rights, and gender equity in tech. She holds an Executive master’s in public administration (ESADE) and is a PhD candidate in Sustainability at UPC. Marta is a frequent speaker in international conferences and active in networks like ENoLL and ESSI.
Álvaro Arrieta
Professor & Academic Director in Hospitality Management, CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy
Álvaro Arrieta
Professor & Academic Director in Hospitality Management, CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and GastronomyÁlvaro is the Director of the Alimara Living Lab, the first living lab within a university hotel setting, where he drives disruptive innovation in the hospitality and gastronomy sectors. Passionate about nurturing new talent and with a holistic vision, he connects education, cutting-edge trends, and business to design academic programs that integrate sustainability, technology, and customer experience. His research focuses on the intersection of innovation and sustainability within the hospitality industry.
Jaisiel Madrid Sánchez
Leader, Interiors Living Lab at AMBIT Living Spaces Cluster
Jaisiel Madrid Sánchez
Leader, Interiors Living Lab at AMBIT Living Spaces ClusterJaisiel Madrid Sánchez is leading Interiors Living Lab at AMBIT Living Spaces Cluster. The specialities of this industry-led open innovation space are neuroarchitecture, technology and Shared Value Creation. Jaisiel has developed his professional career around research, innovation and consultancy on new digital solutions, leading more than 70 innovation projects. He has received several awards such as the Vodafone Award for Innovation in Telecommunications. Prior to that, he was also the leader of R&D Department of former Technosite (currently ILUNION), the ICT company of ONCE Foundation. Jaisiel also is the inventor of business application BUSINESS4ALL®, a co-creation business tool inspired by Design for All principles aimed at accelerating understanding and adoption of business model innovation to a broader base of people, projects and situations.
Lie Kerremans
Researcher at LiCalab Care Living Lab
Lie Kerremans
Researcher at LiCalab Care Living LabLie Kerremans holds a bachelor's degree in office management with a major in Medical Management Assistance/Health Care Management and a Master's degree in Health Care Management and Policy. She also completed specific teacher training in Health Sciences at KU Leuven. Lie has a passion for optimising care by bringing together medical, organisational and technical elements with an eye for all parties involved. She previously worked on several implementation projects in the hospital sector and has been a researcher at LiCalab since 2023. She is also a lecturer on the Health Care Management course where she shares her expertise in data management and project management.
Sascha Vermeylen
Panel manager & Researcher at LiCalab
Sascha Vermeylen
Panel manager & Researcher at LiCalabSascha holds a Master’s degree in social economic sciences from University of Antwerp. Since 2018, she’s a panel manager and researcher at LiCalab (living and care lab) at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Belgium. LiCalab focuses on health technology and new collaborative models in health by applying user-centric research. Sascha manages the LiCalab panel and maintains the panel database, following GDPR. This panel consists of ca 1.500 elderly and over 600 caregivers and care organizations. In addition, she is responsible for the operational side of the living lab activities, such as setting up co-creation sessions, real life testing, human factor studies and surveys.
Femke Drijkoningen
Researcher at LiCalab
Femke Drijkoningen
Researcher at LiCalabFemke obtained her master's degree in Psychological Sciences at KU Leuven with distinction. Since 2024, she has been working as a researcher at the care research lab LiCalab at Thomas More University, where she conducts practice-oriented research with a focus on projects on care innovation and technology. Her experience in the healthcare sector adds valuable insights to the research and provides a practical perspective. Within LiCalab, Femke is involved in a variety of tasks, from drafting questionnaires and supporting co-creation sessions, to analysing research data and drafting (scientific) reports. In addition, she holds a Good Clinical Practice certificate and continues to continuously hone her knowledge through training in (qualitative) research.
Andree Woodcock
Professor of education ergonomics and design at Coventry University & Member of Coventry City Lab
Andree Woodcock
Professor of education ergonomics and design at Coventry University & Member of Coventry City LabAndree is professor of education ergonomics and design at Coventry University, and a member of Coventry City Lab. She has led and contributed to a number of EU funded projects in the areas of mobility and gender and British Council grants to support research development in Pakistan. Her work focuses on user centred design and encouragement of design research methods. She is leader of the WG in Gender and Innovation.
Laura Varisco
Senior Innovation Consultant at GAC Group
Laura Varisco
Senior Innovation Consultant at GAC GroupLaura Varisco is a Senior Consultant at GAC Group where she supports the design, management and impact maximisation of different EU-funded collaborative projects and EU tenders. She’s Thematic Expert in Research and Innovation for the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform, in charge of delivering targeted policy learning services to policy makers across Europe. Under GILL project she supports the Pan-European collaboration hub.
Sofiane Bari
Innovation Consultant at GAC Group
Sofiane Bari
Innovation Consultant at GAC GroupSofiane is an Innovation Consultant at GAC Group. He supports the management of different tasks related to impact maximisation of EU projects and cooperation enhancement. He holds a master’s degree in business management and public Affairs.
Gabriella Quaranta
Head of Network - ENoLL
Gabriella Quaranta
Head of Network - ENoLLGraduated in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Rome “Sapienza”, she has been working as project manager in EC funded projects, including GILL, working with multidisciplinary teams and driving collaboration across a diverse range of stakeholders for the last ten years and, she has been very active in the EU R&I Framework Programmes being also an Italian National Contact Point (NCP) in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe following mobility and security areas in particular. She has been personally coordinating EC funded projects, dealing of course with project management but also with dissemination & communication activities and with stakeholder engagement, acquiring a deep knowledge in these matters as well; furthermore, she has been a trainer, delivering dozens of trainings on Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe related issues.
Arianna Marucci
Junior Project Manager - ENoLL
Arianna Marucci
Junior Project Manager - ENoLLArianna Marucci is a Junior Project Manager at ENoLL. Fascinated by the intersection of new technologies and cultural diversity, she holds a Master’s degree in International Relations in the Digital Era. At ENoLL, Arianna contributes to the Projects Unit and the Proposals Writing team, where she supports the management and implementation of various projects, as well as the preparation of proposals for competitive bids.In her role, Arianna is also part of the coordination team for the GILL (Gendered Innovation Living Labs) project, where she is gaining valuable experience in the coordination of EU projects.
Ingrid Adriaensen
Business manager, LiCalab
Ingrid Adriaensen
Business manager, LiCalabIngrid holds master degrees in communication and business management. Throughout her career, she built a large experience in (international) sales, with a focus on business development, strategy and communication. At Thomas More University College, Ingrid lectured in the business management program. At the research group/living lab LiCalab, Ingrid consults businesses and organisations about innovation projects in healthcare and facilitates the collaboration with and between companies, care organisations, knowledge institutes/academia, end users and other actors. This role also includes the management of (international) projects. Her motivation is making the right fit between healthcare solutions and citizens and care providers, ensuring full inclusion, for both digital skills and accessible communication.
Hilde Vandenhoudt
Project manager, LiCalab
Hilde Vandenhoudt
Project manager, LiCalabHilde holds a degree in Medicine and a Master of Science in Epidemiology. With over thirty years of experience in healthcare, research, and international development, she has built a strong track record in both clinical and public health settings. Early in her career, she worked in Zambia and Kenya on health system strengthening and HIV prevention, in collaboration with international partners. At Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Hilde served as a lecturer and research coordinator in the Health Care Unit. She now works at LiCalab, the Living and Care Lab, where she focuses on strengthening primary care and prevention, as well as developing seamless, transmural chronic care pathways. Her work emphasizes innovative, collaborative care models, with cross-cutting attention to (digital) health literacy, inclusion and participation, and ethical principles in healthcare innovation. Hilde is passionate about connecting people and driving innovation in healthcare. She is committed to shaping inclusive, future-oriented solutions that enhance the well-being of both citizens and care professionals.
Irina Kolomiiets
Project Manager & Junior Researcher
Irina Kolomiiets
Project Manager & Junior ResearcherIrina Kolomiiets is a project manager, Living Lab practitioner, coach, and educator. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Management and has over 8 years of experience in innovation and community engagement, including organizing hackathons and co-creation events. She previously served as the EIT Health Hub Coordinator in Lithuania, where she strengthened health innovation ecosystems and public engagement. Currently she coordinates Living Lab activities across three Horizon Europe projects focused on citizen-centered health innovation, including improving colorectal cancer screening, developing AI-driven personalized cancer prevention strategies, and advancing early schizophrenia diagnosis through multi-omics biomarkers (ONCOSCREEN, ONCODIR, VOLABIOS). Irina is a strong advocate of participatory methods, citizen engagement, and science communication. She strives to ensure that these initiatives create tangible impact.
Carmen Siller
Project Manager
Carmen Siller
Project ManagerCarmen Siller holds a university degree in Applied Linguistics and Cultural Studies. Since 2023, she is pursuing master studies in educational sciences at the University of Vienna. Since 2005, she has been working for ZSI as project manager and researcher, currently she is work package leader in VOLABIOS. From 2021 – 2024, she managed the STEP change project, assessing the training needs of different citizen science initiatives and developing suitable training formats as well as supporting mutual learning and exchange. In 2024, she was involved in MEET project dealing with mental health for young people in the Danube region. Managing EU-funded projects for the last 20 years, her key expertise includes the establishment and maintenance of extended networks as well as the organization and implementation of workshops, conferences and trainings covering a variety of topics and target groups.
Gorazd Weiss
Head of Unit, Senior RTDI Expert & Trainer
Gorazd Weiss
Head of Unit, Senior RTDI Expert & TrainerGorazd A. WEISS is a senior expert and Head of Department "Research Policy and Development". His key competencies include research on RTDI policies, Development, RRI and Open Science, Gender issues, social entrepreneurship, co-design and co-creation of technical solutions, as well as coordination and management of international RTDI cooperation projects. Since 2010, Gorazd has conducted dozens of trainings, workshops, info sessions and summer schools on the following topics: successful proposal writing for researchers, responsible research and innovation for different target groups. He has, and continues to be, involved in many RTDI projects around the world. Between 2008 and 2024 he was also involved in the organisation of in many scientific events for researchers and policy makers. Between 2005 and 2024 he was involved in more than 40 international RTDI projects funded by European Commission, other international (e.g. UNESCO, UNIDO) and national funded projects as a researcher, senior research project manager, senior expert or Coordinator. He is member of ZSI’s team for VOLABIOS and contributed to CHERRIES, a H2020 project aiming at Constructing Healthcare Environments through Responsible Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategies.
Jonas Montvidas
Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, & PhD candidate in Medical Sciences at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
Jonas Montvidas
Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, & PhD candidate in Medical Sciences at the Lithuanian University of Health SciencesJonas Montvidas is a psychiatrist, psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and PhD candidate in Medical Sciences at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. He works at Kaunas Clinics, where he also serves as an administrator of a psychiatry ward. Jonas has extensive experience in mental health care, including clinical practice, psychotherapy, medical auditing, and mental health research. He is a member of the Lithuanian Association of Psychiatrists and has been actively involved in professional organizations such as the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees and the Lithuanian Association of Junior Psychiatrists. His work focuses on bridging the gap between complex psychiatric research — including fields like biomarkers and transcranial magnetic stimulation — and real-world mental health care. At the workshop, Jonas contributes deep expertise in translating complex mental health topics into accessible and meaningful discussions for diverse audiences, supporting participatory approaches and citizen engagement in health innovation.
Vaisakh Shaji
Associate
Vaisakh Shaji
AssociateVaisakh holds an Advanced Masters degree in Law and Digital Technologies from Leiden University. He is a lawyer with ten years' post qualified experience, currently specializing as a technology lawyer. Since 2020, he has been working on issues ranging from platform governance, data privacy, product compliance for various B2C and B2C products in India, South Asia and Middle East markets. Since joining Timelex in late 2024, he has been involved in Horizon Europe projects apart from Volabios handling legal and ethics compliance frameworks and procedures compliant with GDPR, AI Act and other sectoral legislations.
Dr Donagh Horgan
Lab Lead, Urban Leisure and Tourism Lab Rotterdam
Dr Donagh Horgan
Lab Lead, Urban Leisure and Tourism Lab RotterdamDonagh Horgan is an academic and practitioner in the area of regenerative placemaking and socio-spatial transformation, and lab lead at the Urban Leisure and Tourism Lab Rotterdam. His work looks at societal transitions through a holistic lens of sustainable tourism. Trained as an architect and social designer, Donagh also consults internationally on social innovation on the built environment with cities and local government for UNDP, URBACT, universities and local governments. Specialising in participatory design and co-creation, he actively collaborates on a number of European-funded research projects on topics such as inclusive cities, climate democracy and heritage valorisation.
Ko Koens
Professor New Urban Tourism, Inholland University of Applied Sciences
Ko Koens
Professor New Urban Tourism, Inholland University of Applied SciencesKo Koens is a lecturer at the New Urban Tourism research group, part of the Applied Research x Creativity knowledge centre at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. Cities are experiencing increasing pressure due to urbanization and rapidly growing urban tourism. His research considers a new balance between visitors and residents, so that tourism and the social transformation of urban neighbourhoods can go hand in hand. Part of the research group, the living labs help to articulate knowledge on how tourism can be harmoniously integrated into the societal challenges facing cities. Koens strives to develop this knowledge in collaboration with other parties. This takes place, among other places, within the Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality, ENSUT and as part of several EU-funded research projects.
Bernadette Quinn
Senior Lecturer, Department of Tourism, Technological University Dublin
Bernadette Quinn
Senior Lecturer, Department of Tourism, Technological University DublinBernadette Quinn is a senior lecturer in Technological University Dublin. She publishes on arts festivals, being interested in how they transform space and shape place identities. Recent projects include the Irish Research Council funded project Festivals, Audiences and the Digital Experience and the Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) funded project Festivals, Events and Inclusive Public Spaces. She also publishes on urban tourism mobilities and currently is the lead PI on the funded Pathways to New Urban Tourism project which adopts a living lab approach. Bernadette sits on board of the International Geographical Union Tourism Commission.
Johanna Hautamäki
RDI-expert and Service designer at Centria University of Applied Sciences
Johanna Hautamäki
RDI-expert and Service designer at Centria University of Applied SciencesJohanna Hautamäki (MA) works as RDI expert, service designer and teacher at Centria UAS Entrepreneurship and business team and part of the Future working life research group. Developing continuous learning, entrepreneurial skills and future skills are a central part of her work. Her work as RDI expert includes doing multidisciplinary human centered development work with companies on services, strategies, continuous learning, business operations and organizational culture. Methodologically her focus is especially on empathy methods, participatory methods, development through trial and combining service design with future studies and multidisciplinary applied simulation pedagogy. She has been developing and running a service prototyping environment at Centria since 2014 and Makerspace since 2023.Hautamäki is working in both international and national projects.
Mari Mehtälä
Business Development | Marketing & Sales | Commercialization of Innovations
Mari Mehtälä
Business Development | Marketing & Sales | Commercialization of InnovationsMari Mehtälä, MBA, PhD (Econ. & Business), currently working as an RDI Expert at Centria. I spend my days supporting projects related to healthcare and remote work, helping turn innovative ideas into real business. With a long industry experience in the medical device sector, I have always worked at the interface between customers and technology, bridging needs and solutions. Building on my PhD research on the commercialization of deep tech innovations in the circular economy, I am particularly passionate about sustainability and creating meaningful impact, one tree hug at at time.
Pablo Cabanelas
Tenure professor, Department of Business Administration and Marketing
Pablo Cabanelas
Tenure professor, Department of Business Administration and MarketingPablo Cabanelas is tenure professor at the University of Vigo (Spain), adjunct director of the inter-university research centre ECOBAS and member of the post- graduate academic board of UNAM and University of Guadalajara (both in Mexico). He participates as Associate Editor of high impact journals and has published in more than 30 papers in relevant journals in the areas of management, marketing, environmental management and business. From a teaching experience, he has more than 25 years of experience and as coordinator of master studies, particularly, international commerce. He has leaded 4 European projects from different calls and actually he is leading the FARCLIMATE project at the University of Vigo.
Ilias Trochidis
Research and Innovation Consultant at Tero PC
Ilias Trochidis
Research and Innovation Consultant at Tero PCIlias is a Senior Researcher with over 20 years of active involvement in European research programmes (FP6, FP7, H2020, Horizon Europe). He holds a BSc in Applied Informatics from the University of Macedonia (Greece) and an MSc in Software Engineering. His main research interests include open data, open science, open innovation, and value creation in the digital economy. Ilias has extensive experience in the development and maintenance of web and business-related applications, as well as in drafting sustainability and business plans to support the exploitation of research and innovation results. He has played a key role in capacity-building initiatives and the upscaling of project outcomes across various domains. In recent years, he has gained significant experience in the establishment, operation, and monitoring of Living Labs, particularly in the areas of climate resilience and health.
Leidy Enriquez
International Project Manager & Senior Event Manager at ENoLL
Leidy Enriquez
International Project Manager & Senior Event Manager at ENoLLLeidy Vanessa Enriquez Florez is an International Project Manager and Senior event manager at ENoLL. She earned her Master’s degree in Communications, New Media, and Society from Vrije Universiteit Brussels and has a diverse background in Communications, Business Management, and ICT for innovation. Her interests lie in using ICT to enhance teaching and learning. She is also focused on expanding her expertise in event management, Project Management, user-engagement methodologies, and evaluating tools to improve learning across different Environments.
Maria Konstantinidou
Research Associate
Maria Konstantinidou
Research AssociateMaria Konstantinidou graduated from the department of Urban Planning and Regional Development of University of Thessaly in 2010. In 2011, she obtained the MSc degree in Urban planning and Transports from the University Paris-Est Marne-la- Vallée in Paris and in 2015 the MSc degree in Environmental planning from the Hellenic Open University. In 2019 she graduated from the Hellenic Open University from an MBA program. Since 2018 she is a research associate of the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT) of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). Her research interests include business/exploitation issues as well as dissemination activities and users’ engagement strategy issues.
Loli Docampo Diéguez
Project Manager
Loli Docampo Diéguez
Project ManagerLoli Docampo Diéguez is a seasoned expert in innovation management and business strategy from Bueu, with a strong background in academia and industry. She holds a Degree in Economy from the Universidade de Vigo, and a Master in Analysis and Management of Science and Technology from Universidad Carlos III of Madrid and completed a Postgraduate in Innovation Management from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. She is part of the Projects Management team in Knowledge Organization Group in the Universidade de Vigo. She has worked as a consultant, cultural manager, researcher, and professor, supporting companies in the development of projects and the capture of funds.
Pilar Muñoz Dueñas
Tenure professor, Department of Financial Economics and Accounting
Pilar Muñoz Dueñas
Tenure professor, Department of Financial Economics and AccountingAwarded a PhD in Financial Economics and Accounting from the University of Vigo in 2008. My doctoral thesis, titled 'Evolution from the Economic Enterprise Model to the Social Enterprise Model: A Proposed Adaptation of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC)', was supervised by Dr. Belén Fernández-Feijóo Souto.
Fedoua Kasmi
Research associate at the University of Lorraine
Fedoua Kasmi
Research associate at the University of LorraineFedoua Kasmi is a research associate at the University of Lorraine. Her research combines two disciplinary approaches of territorial economics andspatial and urban planning to analyze sustainable innovation trajectories in territories. Her research focuses particularly on circular economy and innovation ecosystems, Do-It-Together and industry of the future, Urban Factories and eco-responsible innovation spaces. She is interested in the role played by the collaborative innovation spaces (Living Labs, FabLab, Makerspaces...) in supporting the deployment of circular economy.
Laurent Dupont
Senior researcher at Université de Lorraine
Laurent Dupont
Senior researcher at Université de LorraineLaurent Dupont, Eng. PhD., is senior researcher at Université de Lorraine, ERPI (Research Team on Innovative Processes, France), lecturer at ENSGSI andvisiting lecturer at TELECOM Nancy. He is the scientific coordinator of Lorraine Smart Cities Living Lab and co-founder & scientific manager of the Lorraine Fab Living Lab, the research and training platform for prospective assessment of innovative usages and innovation acceptability. He oversees a Master 2 in territorial innovation. Laurent is involved in several Europeanprojects as WP leader or expert on: user-driven / collaborative innovation, Living Lab, innovation space, sustainable smart city. He is an active member ofscientific societies (IEEE-TEMS ICE conference, RNI, ENoLL).
Anaëlle Hily
Research engineer at Université de Loraine - ERPI
Anaëlle Hily
Research engineer at Université de Loraine - ERPIAnaëlle Hily holds a multidisciplinary academic background in health sciences, biomedical engineering and innovation management. Currently a research engineer at Université de Loraine - ERPI, her work investigates the integration of extended reality into innovation processes, with particular attention to UX assessment and co-creation methodologies. She works with the Lorraine Smart Cities Citizen Lab (LSCCL) and contributes to LAUDS European project.
Serena Cangiano
Senior Researcher at the Design Institute, founder & Head of FabLab SUPSI
Serena Cangiano
Senior Researcher at the Design Institute, founder & Head of FabLab SUPSIDr. Serena Cangiano is Senior Researcher at the Design Institute, founder and Head of FabLab SUPSI, faculty and board member of MA in Interaction Design with a focus on multimodal experience design and experimental practices for transformative processes in education, research, and technology innovation. Her research explores digital literacy and co-creation addressing complex social issues. She has contributed to books including "Reprogrammed Art: An Open Manifesto" (2016), "Rebelling with Care" (2019), and "Digital Transformation in Design" (2024). Serena serves on boards of Swiss Design Network and Swiss Design Association.
Robert Mies
Research associate at TU Berlin
Robert Mies
Research associate at TU BerlinI am research associate at TU Berlin. Here, I studied industrial engineering andcompleted my D.Sc. in Engineering. My research is on the intersection ofindustrial engineering, open source hardware development and open anddistributed manufacturing. Our current projects are LAUDS Local Accessible Urban Digital and Sustainable Factories (Horizon Europe), Open.Make – Implementing FAIR and open hardware (Berlin University Alliance) and Fab City. Since 2025, we also run the Making Lab at the central library TU/UDK and the BUA Mobile Lab.
Eric Seulliet
President of La Fabrique du Futur
Eric Seulliet
President of La Fabrique du FuturEric Seulliet, a graduate of HEC and the Institut d'Urbanisme de Paris, is the president of La Fabrique du Futur, an association created in 2006 whose vocation is to be a think tank reconciling technology and sustainable development and a laboratory for detecting emerging uses. As part of this think tank, Eric Seulliet has created a living label that was labelled at the end of 2008 by the ENoLL (European Network of Living Labs) network. In 2012 Eric Seulliet was co-founder of France Living Labs, the association that brings together the French network of living labs. Within this association he is a member of the board, vice-president in charge of partnerships. He also acts as an innovator and coach for enterprises. He is also involved in entrepreneurial projects as an associate or partner of various startups. Eric has launched several events (which are in 2018 at their 3rd edition):
- Innovation Ecosystems Agora®, which aims to bring together innovative ecosystems and promote their best practices
- Blockchain Agora®, which aims to explore the uses of blockchain.
- Member of the Advisory Board of the European project Liverur (www.liverur.eu), a project in the circular economy field
- Evaluator of living labs applications and academic papers for ENoLL
- European expert for the evaluation of COST proposals (www.cost.eu)
- EUSIC – European Social Innovation Competition: mentor of a startup (Plas’tri) competing in the 2019 edition (Challenging Plastic Waste) https://eusic.challenges.org/
Stephane Demarquette
Innovation, Transformation, Collective Intelligence, and Human Factor
Stephane Demarquette
Innovation, Transformation, Collective Intelligence, and Human FactorWith over 30 years of experience at the intersection of human factors, innovation, and organizational transformation, Stéphane has been involved in numerous projects as a strategic advisor to leaders, HR Directors, designers, and facilitators of transformative processes. He has worked on behalf of leading companies within their respective industries and in terms of human engagement, as well as with territories called upon to reflect on their future. Passionate about interdisciplinary approaches, systemic thinking associated with complexity, and the challenges of human adaptive evolution, he is actively involved in models of collective intelligence and the development of new capabilities or skills related to the cooperation between collective intelligence and AI. Stéphane has the ability to design and facilitate collective initiatives that foster the emergence of a forward-looking vision aimed at solving complex problems. These initiatives integrate strategic and human factors that can provide companies or organizations with increased performance as well as regenerative capacities.
- Former HR Director of Research & Innovation for the L'Oréal Group
- Former Head of Learning for Development within the L'Oréal Group, focusing on innovation, leadership model transformation, and cultural evolution
- Associate member of La Fabrique du Futur, a think tank dedicated to foresight and initiatives for creating desirable futures
- Co-initiator of a territorial innovation collective in Brittany, at the crossroads of economic, ecological, social, and cultural challenges
Bertille Auvray
Founder of Co InitiumLab and Normandy Living Lab Manager
Bertille Auvray
Founder of Co InitiumLab and Normandy Living Lab ManagerBertille Auvray is a European project manager specialised in the Living Lab methodology. She supports public and private organisations in designing and implementing open innovation projects. With experience in sectors such as tourism, mobility, healthcare, and agriculture, she focuses on co-creation, stakeholder engagement, and participatory methods. She has implemented stakeholder management plans in various projects she has been involved in and offers tailored support fostering collaboration within the quadruple helix.
Nicola Marsden
Professor of social informatics at Heilbronn University
Nicola Marsden
Professor of social informatics at Heilbronn UniversityNicola Marsden is a professor of social informatics at Heilbronn University, where she leads the Lab for Social Informatics. The lab focuses on gender-responsive innovation and inclusive tech development, using feminist living lab methods like co-creation and participatory design to tackle social and technological challenges. She has served as an expert for bodies such as the EU's ERA Committee on Gender, the German Government’s Equality Report, and the UNESCO Commission on AI and Gender. Trained in psychology, her work bridges tech, design, and organisational behaviour, with a research focus on debiasing design processes and developing socially responsible AI.
Sheena Laursen
Programme Manager at the Danish science centre Experimentarium
Sheena Laursen
Programme Manager at the Danish science centre ExperimentariumSheena Laursen is a Programme Manager at the Danish science centre Experimentarium. With a background in teaching and a master’s degree in ICT and Learning, she has specialised in science learning projects, and strategic development. She is committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion within science communication, promoting equitable opportunities for all. Sheena has been the lead on organisational change towards a more inclusive environment and inclusive science communication at the Experimentarium.
Barbara De Micheli
Head of the Social Justice Unit in Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini
Barbara De Micheli
Head of the Social Justice Unit in Fondazione Giacomo BrodoliniBarbara De Micheli has over 25 years of experience in on the field research on social policies, fundamental rights, diversity inclusion and gender related issues. Since 2019, she is the Head of the Social Justice Unit in Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. In the last ten years, she has coordinated complex multiannual and transnational projects at the ‘Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini’, concerning the analysis, assessment and elaboration of the Gender Equality Plans, both grounding on qualitative and quantitative research methods; she has coordinated the development and implementation of the GEPs of Institute Pasteur, San Raffaele Hospital, Vita-Salute University, Toscana Lifescience. Her work includes coordination of research projects funded by European Commission, FRA, Eurofound, DG Reserach and DG EMPL. In addition, she is involved in training services to different institutions and private companies. She is particularly focused on diversity and inclusion issues as the designer and coordinator of the Master in ‘Gender Equality and Diversity Management’.
Andra Tanase
Strategic Development, Membership and Partnership Manager at Transilvania IT Cluster
Andra Tanase
Strategic Development, Membership and Partnership Manager at Transilvania IT ClusterCurrently serving as Strategic Development, Membership and Partnership Manager at Transilvania IT Cluster and expert consultant on green and digital transformation, conflict management, non-formal education and development cooperation. She works on strategic programme design, capacity building, intercultural intelligence, policymaking and organisational and civil society development from mainly the perspective of collaborative leadership and innovation. Her passion is to create environments of personal, organisational and societal strategic and systemic learning and development, and this only sounds complicated it is only complex and at the same time extremely feasible and magically rewarding when there is a will.
Konstantina Tsimpita
Project Manager in European initiatives and Living Labs in the Health and Well-being sector
Konstantina Tsimpita
Project Manager in European initiatives and Living Labs in the Health and Well-being sectorKonstantina Tsimpita holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics (2021) and a Master's in Biomedical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has experience in project management, particularly in European initiatives and Living Labs in the Health and Well-being sector. Her research focuses on Assistive Technologies and the use of AI and machine learning to extract health metrics from daily life data and predict health outcomes. She is also actively working on applying Living Lab methodologies in healthcare settings.
Wanda Gaertner
Researcher at the research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies, Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, Ghent University
Wanda Gaertner
Researcher at the research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies, Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, Ghent UniversityWanda Gaertner is a researcher at the MICT research group at Ghent University and a PhD candidate exploring inclusive and collaborative design of emerging technologies. With several years of experience in participatory and inclusive design, she focuses on how co-creation spaces such as Living Labs and makerspaces can become more accessible and equitable for diverse communities.
Ben Robaeyst
Researcher at the research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies, Department of Communication Sciences, Ghent University
Ben Robaeyst
Researcher at the research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies, Department of Communication Sciences, Ghent UniversityBen Robaeyst is a researcher at Ghent University’s MICT research group. His work focuses on co-creation, design thinking, and living lab methodologies, with a particular interest in inclusive innovation and societal impact.
Bastiaan Baccarne
Professor at the research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies, Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, Ghent University
Bastiaan Baccarne
Professor at the research group for Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies, Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design, Ghent UniversityProf. Dr. Bas Baccarne is a socio-technologist and professor of design methodology at imec-mict-UGent and design.nexus. His work focuses on inclusive design, futures thinking, and societal impact through Living Labs, employing participatory design and research-through-design methodologies.
Jokin Garatea
International Business Director of International projects - GAIA
Jokin Garatea
International Business Director of International projects - GAIAInternational Business Director of International projects at GAIA. He is an expert on dissemination and exploitation plans. Has participated in more than 80 EU projects. Member of different European networks (ENoLL, Greenovate Europe, EIIT culture KIC), promoter and evaluator of Living Labs, coordinator of the Basque District of Culture and Creativity Vice-president of Ocean Living Lab for promotion and technological innovation of water-related culture and sport activities in a preserved environment of Urdaibai.
Martha King
Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) Bristol’s Living Lab
Martha King
Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) Bristol’s Living LabMartha King is the Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) Bristol’s Living Lab in Knowle West, UK. KWMC is an arts and community tech organisation with a mission to ‘make fair and thriving neighborhoods together, with arts tech and care’. She is also co-founder and director of Control Shift, an international arts and tech festival, based in Bristol. She has developed and delivered numerous participatory and critically engaged arts and tech projects and ran community tech co-creation programmes exploring topics such as data ethics, AI and commons-based approaches to citizen sensing. Martha has a background in theatre and performance making which means collaborative and embodied practices are central to her work. She has a UCL accredited service design qualification and is a currently on the Clore Leading Systemic Change Programme. She is co-author on HCI published paper ‘A City in Common: A Framework to Foster Technology Innovation from the Bottom up’ and co-author of the chapter ‘We Can Make: Co-Creating Knowledge and Products with Local Communities’ in ‘Co-Creation in Theory and Practice Exploring Creativity in the Global North and South’.
Michelle Gonzalez Torres
Junior Project Manager - ENoLL
Michelle Gonzalez Torres
Junior Project Manager - ENoLLMichelle Gonzalez Torres is a Junior Project Manager at the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), with experience in European project management and communications. She holds master’s degree in International Relations in the Digital Era from LUMSA University. Her master’s thesis, “Strategic Business Models for Living Labs: Designing Sustainable Innovation Ecosystems,” explores business model innovation and sustainability in Living Lab environments. At ENoLL, Michelle contributes to EU-funded projects, leads communication activities, and acts as the SPOC for the Culture & Creativity Working Group, as well as Co-SPOC for the Digital Urban Systems & Solutions for Transition – Urban Innovation (DUSST-UI) Working Group. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of green and digital transformation, open innovation, and sustainable urban development. She is dedicated to advancing her expertise in Living Labs, project management, and co-creation methodologies that foster inclusive and regenerative innovation ecosystems.
Francesca Sperandio
Junior Project Manager - ENoLL
Francesca Sperandio
Junior Project Manager - ENoLLFrancesca is a Junior Project Manager. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation, where her deep curiosity for foreign cultures and a strong belief in the power of intercultural dialogue were the driving forces behind her academic choices. Throughout her studies, she explored the complexities of migration phenomena, which further fueled her passion for understanding and bridging cultural divides. This foundation laid the groundwork for her current pursuit of a Master’s degree in International Relations, with a specialization in “Politics and Governance.” Topics like climate change and geopolitics, sustainable development, and cyber diplomacy have captured her interest, providing her with fresh perspectives and a deeper understanding of the intricate challenges our global society faces.
Silvia Fierăscu
Lecturer Faculty of Governance and Communication Sciences, West University of Timisoara & Founder and Leader of Social Fabrics Research Lab
Silvia Fierăscu
Lecturer Faculty of Governance and Communication Sciences, West University of Timisoara & Founder and Leader of Social Fabrics Research LabSilvia Fierăscu, PhD, is a passionate professor, a global trainer, an interdisciplinary researcher, and an RDI consultant in Applied Network Science in Social and Communication Sciences, Organizational Development and Change Management. Her work reflects entirely who she is as a professional – a purpose-driven educator and changemaker. Her diverse experience working in all sectors - business, government, academia, and civil society – feeds into her vision of a global movement towards more data-driven, evidence-informed decision making, human-centric work cultures, sustainable ecosystems of wellbeing, value creation, and innovation. At West University of Timișoara, Silvia is a lecturer in data analysis at the Faculty of Governance and Communication Sciences, where she founded and leads Social Fabrics Research Lab - a research, development and innovation lab in social sciences and digital media.
Juan Pablo Centeno
PhD researcher at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI)
Juan Pablo Centeno
PhD researcher at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI)Juan Pablo Centeno is a researcher interested in the governance of knowledge and innovation in the context of societal challenges. He is currently a PhD researcher at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI), focusing on knowledge circulation practices in agri-food and healthcare Living Labs that engage in the co-creation of social innovations. His previous research and consulting experience covers a range of topics in the fields of Innovation Policy, Policy Studies, Public Administration and Science & Technology Studies, working in the United Kingdom, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Peter Joore
Professor of applied sciences and chair of the Open Innovation Research group at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
Peter Joore
Professor of applied sciences and chair of the Open Innovation Research group at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.Peter Joore is professor of applied sciences and chair of the Open Innovation Research group at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. He is chair of the Network Applied Design Research and holds a PhD from the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of Delft University of Technology, where he is still a visiting researcher at the Design for Sustainability section. In all his work, his main aim is the realization of a smart, sustainable, inclusive society. Peter’s research focuses on the relationship between long-term societal transition processes on the one hand, and short-term product and service innovations on the other.
Aranka Dijkstra
Former Program Developer Living Labs at AMS Institute
Aranka Dijkstra
Former Program Developer Living Labs at AMS InstituteAranka Dijkstra looks to accelerate sustainable transitions through implementing real-life experiments and interdisciplinary collaborations. Since 2014, she has been guiding students and entrepreneurs in designing and implementing experiments in various urban- and festival living labs. Even after many years, Aranka maintains a strong connection to festival experimentation and aims to spread her knowledge and experience with festival experimentation through various publications and in particular the Festival Experimentation Guide, a practical guide on how to experiment at festivals, created in collaboration with Marije Boonstra, Peter Joore and with the support of NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. Recently, she wrote the Urban Living Lab Way of Working Handbook for AMS Institute - Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions.
Stach Aarts
Educational Developer at AMS Institute
Stach Aarts
Educational Developer at AMS InstituteStach Aarts is Educational Developer at AMS Institute, where he designs innovative learning environments that translate the Living Lab Way of Working into education, training, and professional development programs for the infrastructure and innovation sectors. With a background in educational sciences and innovation management, he has extensive experience in learning design, design-based education, and educational innovation. Before joining AMS Institute, Stach worked as an education advisor and researcher at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. He is a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator and combines analytical thinking with a creative, participatory approach to learning.
Heleen Vreugdenhil
PhD TU Delft & Water Research Institute Deltares
Heleen Vreugdenhil
PhD TU Delft & Water Research Institute DeltaresHeleen Vreugdenhil (PhD) holds a position both at TU Delft at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, and at the water research institute Deltares in the Netherlands. In this position she explicitly combines the theoretical and more applied knowledge as well as people and stakeholders involved. Primary interests are in innovation in water management, both the development of innovation in co-creative processes and the implementation thereof, knowledge management, Living Labs and Building with Nature.
Santiago de Larrea
Director of Innovation, Creand
Santiago de Larrea
Director of Innovation, CreandSantiago de Larrea is Director of Innovation at Creand, with 25 years of experience in banking and 9 years in intrapreneurship and innovation within the financial sector. He has led the creation of new digital investment products and services, and collaborated with startups and public institutions to strengthen the position of Andorra and Creand in the European entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem.
Astha Bhatta
PhD researcher at Delft University of Technology
Astha Bhatta
PhD researcher at Delft University of TechnologyAstha Bhatta is a PhD researcher at Delft University of Technology. Her current research on living labs aims to understand the contribution of living labs in developing climate-resilient land and water systems. Her work is focused on understanding the role of learning within the living lab environment and the effect they can have in the policy landscape. With background in Civil Engineering and Urban Environmental Management, she has interest in the field of innovation, co-creation, learning, climate-adaptation, sustainable transition, and Policy studies.
Dr. Johanna Lindberg
Senior Lecturer in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
Dr. Johanna Lindberg
Senior Lecturer in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, SwedenDr. Johanna Lindberg is a senior Lecturer in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. She defended her thesis in 2024, with a focus on how digital services can enhance the ability to live and work in rural areas. Her research is conducted in collaboration with people and organisations in rural communities, where needs required to improve everyday life are explored, to foster engagement in digital change. She and her colleagues has developed and adapted Living Labs methods specifically for rural contexts to understand and address these needs. Rural Living Labs – a method for driving everyday change involving the people affected by digitalization. Before joining Luleå University of Technology, she spent over 20 years in regional and local policy making across various fields, including environment, services, gender equality, and digitalisation.
Dr. Lotta Haukipuro
Coordinator of the Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT) Profi7 research programme (2023–2028)
Dr. Lotta Haukipuro
Coordinator of the Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT) Profi7 research programme (2023–2028)Dr. Lotta Haukipuro is a coordinator of the Frontiers of Arctic and Global Resilience (FRONT) Profi7 research programme (2023–2028). She received her doctoral degree from Oulu Business School in 2019. Her interdisciplinary doctoral dissertation focused on user-centric development of products and services with living lab approach in different contexts. Her research interests include innovation management, user-centric development, living labs and co-creation.
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Associate Professor in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Associate Professor in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Managing Director of Botnia Living LabAbdolrasoul (Rasoul) Habibipour is an Associate Professor in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, and Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab. He is the Program Director for the Data Science Master’s Program at LTU and also holds a research fellowship at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research focuses on participatory design, user engagement, and Living Labs, among other areas. He has published several journal and conference articles and supervised students at all levels, including bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. levels. Rasoul actively contributes as a guest editor, track chair, and reviewer for international conferences and journals. He has led multiple international research and innovation projects, particularly in the areas of digital transformation, Living Labs, and higher education research.
Zehra Basaran
PhD candidate and research engineer at L'Institut Agro Montpellier and CIHEAM IAM Montpellier
Zehra Basaran
PhD candidate and research engineer at L'Institut Agro Montpellier and CIHEAM IAM MontpellierZehra is a PhD student and research engineer at L'Institut Agro Montpellier and CIHEAM IAM Montpellier, where she also coordinates the RestPoll Living Labs as part of the RestPoll project. She is an ecological economist with an academic background in horticultural science as an agricultural engineer. Her agronomic background started at Ankara University in Turkey, where she completed her undergraduate studies. During this time, she also undertook short-term student exchanges at Niigata University and Fukushima University in Japan. Following her agronomic training, she transitioned into the field of agricultural economics with a master's degree in France through the Master MIDAS program and has continued her academic and professional journey in France ever since. Her doctoral research focuses on the ecological-economic modeling of pollination services, utilizing transdisciplinary approaches to promote the sustainability of pollination restoration within the Living Labs framework. Zehra has experience in various socio-economic topics, including stakeholder engagement, coordinating Living Labs, and facilitating learning across these labs
Georgios Kleftodimos
Associate Professor at CIHEAM Montpellier
Georgios Kleftodimos
Associate Professor at CIHEAM MontpellierGeorgios Kleftodimos is an Associate Professor at CIHEAM Montpellier, specializing in the economic valuation of pollination services and agri-environmental policy. His research integrates ecological complexity into bio-economic models to support sustainable transitions in agriculture. He has contributed extensively to EU-funded projects addressing pollinator decline, including RESTPOLL, BUTTERFLY, and the new ProPolSoil initiative, which investigates pollinator-soil interactions and ecosystem health. As a lead expert for ANSES (France’s National Agency for food and environmental safety), he provides scientific guidance on pollination and ecosystem services. Georgios holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Toulouse and coordinates the DIONYSUS project on WEFE Nexus resilience in the Mediterranean.
George Vlontzos
Agricultural Economics Professor, Director of the Laboratory of Agricultural Economics and Consumer Behaviour, (AGRECONLAB) University of Thessaly, Greece
George Vlontzos
Agricultural Economics Professor, Director of the Laboratory of Agricultural Economics and Consumer Behaviour, (AGRECONLAB) University of Thessaly, GreeceGeorge Vlontzos is an Agricultural Economics Professor, Director of the Laboratory of Agricultural Economics and Consumer Behaviour, (AGRECONLAB) University of Thessaly GREECE. His research interests focus on, among others, economic and environmental efficiency assessment, and on consumer behavior characteristics for agricultural inputs and foodstuff. For this, various models are being implemented like Data Envelopment Analysis, Stochastic Frontier, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Health Belief Model, etc. He has published several papers in journals under double blind peer review evaluation and participated in international congresses and seminars. Finally, he has participated, in competitive projects co-financed by the EU, national funding as well as private funding projects. He is the coordinator of the ALIANCE HORIZON EUROPE project, consortium member of the following HORIZON EUROPE projects NATAE, RESTPOLL, BUTTERFLY, FOODMISSION, GREENCOOP, and PROPOLSOILL, and consortium member of the following PRIMA projects GreenDriedFruits and DIONYSUS. Prof. George Vlontzos teaches agricultural economics and consumer behavior at the University of Thessaly, Greece. He was a visiting professor at the Center of Applied Optimization, University of Florida, USA. He is affiliated with the CIHEAM IAMM institute in Montpellier, France, where he teaches consumer behavior for agricultural products and food in the MSc program MIDAS.
Mattis Cherdon
PhD candidate in Economics at the Agricultural School and the Political Science School of Toulouse
Mattis Cherdon
PhD candidate in Economics at the Agricultural School and the Political Science School of ToulouseMattis is a PhD student in economics at the agricultural school and the political science school of Toulouse. He has an academic background in psychology, did one year exchange in Bologna (Italy), and economics. He linked both with a master's degree in economics and psychology in Montpellier and has wide professional experience. His current research is to create a Payment for Environmental Services to protect wild pollinators and to reverse their decline. In the European project RestPoll, he started to estimate the willingness to pay of farmers, citizens, and elected people to preserve wild pollinators. The Living Labs play a key role in their meetings for a better understanding of the motivations to sign this kind of contract for farmers and non-farmers. By this qualitative approach, he would like to implement and adapt the contract among the different stakeholders and Living Labs
Teemu Santonen
Principal lecturer, Laurea University of Applied Science
Teemu Santonen
Principal lecturer, Laurea University of Applied ScienceDr Teemu Santonen holds a DSc (Econ.) degree in Information Systems Science. He has published over 90 scientific articles, including 15 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. Prior to his academic career, Santonen worked for over a decade as a development manager in leading Finnish financial, media, and ICT sector organisations.
Despoina Petsani
Research Associate, Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, AUTH
Despoina Petsani
Research Associate, Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, AUTHHaving a background in computer engineering, Despoina Petsani pursued her passion to support people health and social wellbeing, by becoming a Living Lab researcher, with experience in assistive technologies and decision support systems for the continuum of care. With years of experience in the IT and healthcare sector and passionate about improving health and social well-being, she specializes in assistive technologies and decision support systems. She has extensive experience managing EU-funded projects and collaborating with international research teams. She holds an MSc in Medical Informatics and diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She is currently PhD Candidate and Research Associate in the Assistive Technologies and Silver Science Research Group in the Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, School of Medicine of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She was also the Harmonization Body Coordinator of the VITALISE H2020 project and currently, she is co-chairing the ENoLL Living Lab Harmonization Working Group and the ENoLL Health & Wellbeing Working Group. She was also member of the Organizing Committee of the Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2024 and 2025.
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.
Agnieszka Włodarczyk-Gębik
Co-founder & coordinator of Kraków Living Lab, ENoLL Council member
Agnieszka Włodarczyk-Gębik
Co-founder & coordinator of Kraków Living Lab, ENoLL Council memberAgnieszka Włodarczyk-Gębik is the co-founder and coordinator of Kraków Living Lab (since 2015) and a member of the European Network of Living Labs Council. She is an experienced project manager in a sustainable development team, focusing on EU policies, smart cities, digitally driven circular transformation, and the circular economy. Having worked at Krakow Technology Park for over 12 years, she has been deeply involved in the co-creation of regional strategies and policies, including smart specialisation strategies, policy-making improvements, and balancing diverse interests in public policy development. She has coordinated numerous regional and international projects under MRPO, Horizon 2020, InterregCE, Erasmus+, and Horizon Europe. Agnieszka has also served as a moderator and evaluator for various initiatives and competitions—such as smart city challenges, workshops, hackathons, and Living Lab waves—and is a co-author of several articles and studies on smart cities and the application of the Living Lab methodology.
Alexandra Petcu
Innovation manager, West University of Timișoara
Alexandra Petcu
Innovation manager, West University of TimișoaraAlexandra Petcu is Coordinator of the Digital & Green Living Lab and Head of the Innovation & Technology Transfer Office at West University of Timișoara (WUT), where she also teaches Entrepreneurship and Innovation for sustainable development. She co-leads WUT’s sustainability strategy within the UNITA European University Alliance and has over 15 years’ experience in education and environmental policy, and sustainable entrepreneurship. She fostered a student-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem, launching 73 businesses aligned with sustainability goals. Holding a PhD in Human Capital Accounting, her research explores Living Lab methodologies in education to advance the EU twin transition in schools and universities.
Evdokimos Konstantinidis
Postdoc Researcher at Thess-AHALL
Evdokimos Konstantinidis
Postdoc Researcher at Thess-AHALLDr. Evdokimos I. Konstantinidis is the Chairperson of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) with more than 170 members worldwide, coordinator of the Health and Wellbeing Living Labs Working Group and postdoc researcher at the Medical Physics and Digital Innovation Lab, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He coordinated the Research Infrastructure H2020 project, VITALISE – aiming to harmonize the procedures of Health Living Labs. He is currently the coordinator of the RAISE Horizon Europe funded project on services for the European Open Science Cloud and the Horizon Europe project Engaging the Value of Living Labs to Innovate Care and Regulatory Environments as a response to the call for experimentation frameworks.
Alba Arias Royo
Architect and expert in energy efficiency and sustainability in building and urban planning
Alba Arias Royo
Architect and expert in energy efficiency and sustainability in building and urban planningResearcher specializing in sustainable and resilient urban transitions. Her work focuses on the implementation of Living Lab methodologies and the development of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). Actively involved in social innovation, she explores tools and strategies to engage local stakeholders, particularly citizens, in awareness-raising, co-creation, and the collective shaping of future urban environments.