To enrich and test the findings of the SmarterLabs project in different city contexts so-called "dissemination workshops" are part of the agenda. The first one took place at the end of October in Helsinki with local support by the project's external advisor Tuija Hirvikoski, president of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
Essential background for the three-day meeting was the "Retrospective analysis on urban mobility governance", the latest deliverable of the SmarterLabs project. In this document the most typcial constraints for Living Labs in terms of upscaling and social inclusion were identified on the basis of past mobility projects in the four partner cities of Bellinzona, Brussels, Graz and Maastricht.
Having these constraints and possible solutions in mind, the SmarterLabs project members met with practitioners in Helsinki to exchange about their experiences. Therefore, on the first day the group visited Helsinki's district of Kalasatama where the Smart Kalasatama Living Lab is based. During a field trip the participants gained insights into several pilots that are tested there. Afterwards all together reflected upon the before mentioned constraints and presented examples of how each city tries to address them.
On the second and third day Tuija Hirvikoski joined the group and gave valuable feedback on the outcomes so far. She provided input on where to set the focus for future research and make the project's results most beneficial to Living Labs practitioners, governments and citizens in general.
The event in Helsinki was the first out of three dissemination workshops - Istanbul and Santander will follow in 2018. In the meantime the SmarterLabs project will concentrate on action research in the Living Labs that are ongoing in the four partner cities.
