Future Labs: Making the Future Tangible Today

Book chapter, 2023

This chapter summarizes the important knowledge of open innovation (OI), Design Thinking (DT), and living labs (LL). It highlights the need for collaboration and co-creation among stakeholders from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to co-generate new business opportunities. The role of users in the innovation process is emphasized, with the concept of user-driven innovation and participatory design being crucial. The authors also introduce two case studies, iHomeLab and KTH Live-in-Lab, as examples of living labs and field tests that enable testing of innovative technologies and methods in real environments. The feasibility of innovation in human, technical, and economic domains is highlighted, and the potential of technology, data security, ethics, and new processes for enhancing innovation capabilities is mentioned. Overall, the chapter sets the stage for discussing the importance of openness, collaboration, and user-centric approaches in the future of innovation.