Keynote
Dr Haydee Sheombar
Founder Kankan-Tree' Digital Age Research&Consulting
Dr Haydee Sheombar
Founder Kankan-Tree' Digital Age Research&ConsultingHaydee is an experienced business consultant, academic researcher and speaker who works with leaders and teams in both the public and private sector. She has advised (the board room) on various topics, including digital transformation, strategy and governance, organisational redesign, and customer experience. Furthermore she helps managers, leaders and policy makers to implement actual change. With a MSc degree in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Economics she has mostly worked at the intersection of information technology, business, and society. Haydee has over 20 years international experience at PWC and IBM as a Consultant, Smarter Cities Director, Client Executive, and Business Development Executive. To better understand the exponential and fundamental change of today Digital Age, Haydee researches how digital technologies shape business, society, governance, and behaviour. She has a research affiliation with the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics. In 2015 Haydee founded Kankan-Tree BV, a Digital Transformation research led Consultancy committed to transforming organisations and the way they engage citizens, customers and employees.
Speakers
Nikhil Chaudary
Strategic Learning Lead EIT Climate-KIC
Nikhil Chaudary
Strategic Learning Lead EIT Climate-KICNikhil is a sustainable urban development & climate policy professional with 12+ years of transdisciplinary experience in co-developing and implementing programmes for global non-profit orgs - with cities in 18 European, Asian and Latin American countries. He has undertaken substantial policy research and cross-geographical capacity building for local governments and civil society organisations, having trained over 600 municipal officials in 13 countries in sustainable development and climate transition practices. Nikhil is also an internationally published and exhibited comics artist and visual communications trainer. In this capacity, he has helped several NGOs, communities, and research organisations in crafting outreach and communications tools.
Laura Ribotta
Environmental engineer and PhD in geo-environmental engineering for hydrocarbon transport in soil, Turin Municipality
Laura Ribotta
Environmental engineer and PhD in geo-environmental engineering for hydrocarbon transport in soil, Turin MunicipalityLaura is an Environmental engineer and PhD in geo-environmental engineering for hydrocarbon transport in soil. She has been a public servant at Turin Municipality since 2005. She worked for the Environmental Division on environmental impact assessment, soil remediation, Integrated Environmental Authorisation. Now she is in charge of smart-city projects in the field of environmental adaptation, mitigation strategies, Nature Based Solutions, and circular economy.
Fedra Francocci
Biotechnologist and researcher National Research Council
Fedra Francocci
Biotechnologist and researcher National Research CouncilFedra Francocci is a biotechnologist and researcher National Research Council of Italy. In the last years she focused her activity on the development of innovative and sustainable solutions through co-creation and a collaborative approach at the local scale. She is project manager of BlueMissionMed CSA “Supporting the Mediterranean Sea basin for the implementation of the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters†aimed at setting up, structuring and empowering a multi-actors ecosystem able to offer to the Mediterranean stakeholders the knowledge and tools to protect and restore the health of our Ocean and waters.
Pablo Cabanelas
Tenure professor Universidade de Vigo and Coordinator of the FARCLIMATE project
Pablo Cabanelas
Tenure professor Universidade de Vigo and Coordinator of the FARCLIMATE projectTenure professor at Universidade de Vigo for more than twenty years, belonging also to post-graduate staff of UNAM and Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico). He has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals, and he is associate editor of Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing and European Research on Management and Business Economics. As Principal Investigator of the research group OE7 is participating in several European, National and Regional research projects, dealing with competitiveness, business models, networks and regional development.
Francesca Rizzo
Full professor, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Francesca Rizzo
Full professor, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano, ItalyProf. Francesca Rizzo is full professor at Politecnico di Milano, where she also serves as the Rectors’ delegate for European Projects. She published numerous books and articles on public management innovation and co-design. She is the principal investigator of several EU-funded projects and is heavily involved with the NetZeroCities project.
Sabrina Bresciani
Associate professor, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Sabrina Bresciani
Associate professor, Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano, ItalyProf. Sabrina Bresciani has published books and scientific articles on the topic of impact assessment, social innovation and visual communication to improve organizational communication. She has been a visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge, at the National University of Singapore and at Harvard University.
Martina Desole
Director ENoLL
Martina Desole
Director ENoLLMartina is currently the Director of ENoLL, the European Network of Living Labs where she promotes globally the Living Lab concept and methodology and the Network of our certified Members. She has been working in the field of science diplomacy and promotion of research and innovation, helping researchers and entrepreneurs to find a way to be funded by Europe for their ideas, and Europe to implement Cooperation policies in science and innovation with other Countries. She holds a master’s degree in international law and a Master in Global Environmental Policies. As project manager she coordinated and managed several international cooperation projects, focusing in the past years on Canada, India, South Africa and the US.
Valentino Piana
Senior Academic Associate HES-SO, Coordinator of the ENoLL WG on Energy and Environment
Valentino Piana
Senior Academic Associate HES-SO, Coordinator of the ENoLL WG on Energy and EnvironmentValentino Piana is an economist and international consultant. Coordinator of the ENoLL Energy & Environment Working Group. Senior Academic Associate at the Institute of Energy and Environment of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland. KTT Manager and PI for the Sustainable Electrification task in the Sweet Lantern project putting Living labs at the forefront of the energy transition. IPCC Reviewer. Co-facilitator of the Swiss Social science & Humanities Energy Research Group (including https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14474405/). Author of "Innovative economics policies for climate change mitigation".
Ewelina Moszyk
Project Manager PSNC Future Labs
Ewelina Moszyk
Project Manager PSNC Future LabsEwelina 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, tools and methods locally in municipalities, hospitals, clinics and libraries. She strives to engage in social projects which change lives and contribute to improving our planet.
Hanna-Greta Puurtinen
Head of RDI, School of Built Environment and Bioeconomy  Senior Specialist, Project Management Office 
Hanna-Greta Puurtinen
Head of RDI, School of Built Environment and Bioeconomy  Senior Specialist, Project Management Office My work experience consists of various duties and assignments related to international scientific and applied research & innovation. I cherish my extensive networks and partnerships within education and R&I community both in Finland and internationally. I continuously strengthen my expertise in EU policy frameworks as well as European and national project funding instruments, especially in knowledge valorisation. I contribute to European projects, initiatives and conferences, representing TAMK Living Lab in the Council of the European Networking of Living Labs (ENoLL).
Madeleine Lyes
Coordinator of the Citizen Innovation Lab and leader of the Smart Buildings Living Lab (SMARTLAB) project
Madeleine Lyes
Coordinator of the Citizen Innovation Lab and leader of the Smart Buildings Living Lab (SMARTLAB) projectDr Madeleine Lyes is coordinator at the Citizen Innovation Lab, Limerick and engagement lead on the Smart Buildings Living Lab (SMARTLAB) project. She specialises in policy-oriented research and community engagement towards the climate transition. She works in stakeholder engagement, research and publication on the European energy transition, and the development of strategies for citizen involvement in energy communities in Ireland.  The Citizen Innovation Lab is a collaborative initiative between the University of Limerick and Limerick City and County Council, using a living lab approach to harness the insights of multiple partners and communities towards innovation. It fosters research relevant to LCCC’s climate action plan, leverages opportunities within the EU research funding landscape, and connects that research with citizen and community projects that drive climate action in Limerick.
Dr Ioanna Giannouli
2ISECAP Project coordinator, BPM S.A
Dr Ioanna Giannouli
2ISECAP Project coordinator, BPM S.ADr. Ioanna Giannouli is an industrial engineer. She holds Ph.D. in Management Science, focused on Supply Chain Management. She has over twenty years of experience in systems analysis and impact assessment. She has participated as a primary investigator in over twenty EU-funded projects focused on sustainable transportation and energy systems. The last decade she is involved on national, and EU funded projects focused on renewable energy technologies uptake and energy transition.
Toñi Caro
Evaluation Expert of the EC, Eoh-for-Good CEO, Associate Professor and Director of International Research Project Office at VIU
Toñi Caro
Evaluation Expert of the EC, Eoh-for-Good CEO, Associate Professor and Director of International Research Project Office at VIUWith over 25 years of international experience in fostering multi-actor, multi-sector and interdisciplinary collaborations, Toñi Caro is specialised in co-designing new generation of quadruple helix living labs and innovation ecosystems. As a pioneer in social innovation in Spain, Toñi excels in driving systemic change and translating R&I results into tangible development targets. She has a versatile profile that combines academic, entrepreneurship and expertise positions in different roles and capacities (e.g. evaluation expert for the European Commission (Horizon Europe, member of the Board of Directors of the European School of Social Innovation, member of the GaragErasmus Ethics, Disciplinary and Private Relations Committee, CEO of Eoh-for-good, founding Member of MAVERICKS Global, Associate Professor & Director of the International Research Project Office (VIU, ES). Toñi is also collaborator of the ENoLL’s Energy & Environment Working Group, focused on the transition toward a more sustainable society.
Barbara De Micheli
Head of Social Justice Area Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini
Barbara De Micheli
Head of Social Justice Area Fondazione Giacomo BrodoliniBarbara De Micheli has over 25 years of experience on social policies, fundamental rights, diversity inclusion and gender equality. Since 2019, she is the Head of the Social Justice Area in Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. She has been focusing on gender and innovation and has coordinated complex multiannual and transnational projects concerning the analysis, assessment and elaboration of the Gender Equality Plans, both grounding on qualitative and quantitative research methods, she has recently co-authored the chapter "Promoting Structural Change in Small Organisations: Strengths, Resistance and the Quest for Excellence" in the edited book “Overcoming the Challenge of Structural Change in Research Organisations – A Reflexive Approach to Gender Equality†for the project TARGET funded by DG Research Programme H2020. She is particularly focused also on diversity and inclusion issues as the designer and coordinator of the Master in ‘Gender Equality and Diversity Management’. She holds a PHD on organizational innovation and she is member since 2012 of the Board of Ingenere.it, an Italian web magazine contributing to the debate on gender equality in the country .
Marta Martorell Camps
Director of the Digital Social Technologies Research Area, i2CAT Foundation
Marta Martorell Camps
Director of the Digital Social Technologies Research Area, i2CAT FoundationMarta Martorell Camps is a leading figure in participatory process innovation at local, regional and national levels. She is the director of the Digital Social Technologies Research Area of the i2CAT Foundation, which works on research lines such as the impact of digital technologies on society, the implementation of facilitation techniques and methodologies for the adoption of new technologies in line with healthy lifestyles and cultural values, or the design and implementation of innovation policies and strategies for social and digital transformation.
Andra Tanase
Head of Strategy and Green & Digital and Future Competences Programme Manager at Transilvania IT Cluster
Andra Tanase
Head of Strategy and Green & Digital and Future Competences Programme Manager at Transilvania IT ClusterCurrently serving as Head of Strategy and Green & Digital and Future Competences Programme Manager at Transilvania IT Cluster as well as Expert, Trainer and Strategist on digital transformation and education, Andra works on strategic programme design, capacity building, policymaking and organisational development from mainly the perspective of sustainability, collaborative leadership and digital innovation. She is involved in training and competence - building activities and engagement with other civic and educational actors and is eager to engage with professionals who dare with vision, challenge with passion and think critically in order to inspire and be inspired, to create impact and achieve sustainable growth at personal, community and world-wide levels.
Flavia Marzano
Digital Transformation Consultant, President of the Scientific Committee of AMPIORAGGIO Foundation, Software Heritage Ambassador, Member of the Scientific Committee of ANGI
Flavia Marzano
Digital Transformation Consultant, President of the Scientific Committee of AMPIORAGGIO Foundation, Software Heritage Ambassador, Member of the Scientific Committee of ANGIComputer scientist, university lecturer and consultant on: Digital Transformation, Innovation Strategies, Formulation of regulations on innovation, Open Government and Open Data, Smart City, Reduction of cognitive biases in AI. Former PA Consultant for Digital Skills and Open Government. President of the scientific committee of the Ampioraggio Foundation. I am actively involved in inclusive innovation and policy-making to enhance female participation in technology and entrepreneurship.
Silvia Sironi
Ecosystem Lead United Nations World Food Program Innovation Accelerator
Silvia Sironi
Ecosystem Lead United Nations World Food Program Innovation AcceleratorSilvia Sironi is Ecosystem Lead at the United Nations World Food Program Innovation Accelerator, where she serves as the gender focal point, supporting innovators working towards gender equality. She also founded "She is a Scientist," advocating for gender equality in science and innovation. Silvia holds a PhD in Human Biology from Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich.
Emma Sarin
Project manager HSB Living Lab
Emma Sarin
Project manager HSB Living LabEmma Sarin is the Manager of HSB Living Lab. She works for HSB, the largest housing cooperative in Sweden, and has been a part of the process of forming HSB Living Lab since 2015. In this session she is going to share the experiences on how to get the most out of partnerships, project portfolio and cooperation between a broad group of actors, how to take results into impact and why there is a need for free zones like living labs.
Linda Teng​​​​
Head of Concept studenthousing & Innovationguide Akademiska Hus
Linda Teng​​​​
Head of Concept studenthousing & Innovationguide Akademiska HusLinda Teng is an architect with a Master of Arts in Architecture from the Royal Danish Academy. As the Head of Concept for student housing at Akademiska Hus, Linda leads efforts in innovation management and facilitates co-creation and multidisciplinary projects. Her expertise lies in developing concepts and business strategies that enhance student living environments. Her work focus on integrating living and learning communities, driving social sustainability, and reducing the climate footprint. Her work emphasizes the promotion of shared spaces that foster collaboration and community within the campus environment.
Anna-Johanna Klasander
Director R&D at White arkitekter, Artistic professor Chalmers University of Technology
Anna-Johanna Klasander
Director R&D at White arkitekter, Artistic professor Chalmers University of TechnologyDr. Anna-Johanna Klasander is an architect with experience from research, municipal planning, consultancy, and associations within the profession. She has a long-standing interest of the interplay between architecture and urban design, and human and societal conditions. As director of White’s R&D organisation White Research Lab, she leads the company’s practice-based research, which focuses on climate impact, circularity, and health and wellbeing. In parallel to White, Anna-Johanna works as artistic professor at Chalmers University of Technology.
Elena Malakhatka
Post Doc Researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, co-founder of VR Sci-Fest
Elena Malakhatka
Post Doc Researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, co-founder of VR Sci-FestElena Malakhatka is a Post Doc Researcher at Chalmers University Chalmers University of Technology (Architecture and Civil Engineering). Last eight years Elena works with Living Labs, mostly focusing on stakeholders’ engagement, user-centric research, and everyday experimental settings. Her current research is primary focused on the Energy-related behaviour strategies and User Research withing residential buildings.
Georgia Ayfantopoulou
Deputy Director and-Research Director at CERTH/HIT
Georgia Ayfantopoulou
Deputy Director and-Research Director at CERTH/HITGeorgia Ayfantopoulou is CERTH/HIT's Deputy Director and-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.  
Anton Sentic
Senior Research Associate ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences 
Anton Sentic
Senior Research Associate ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences Anton Sentic (sent@zhaw.ch) 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.
Artur Serra Hurtado
Deputy Director i2cat
Artur Serra Hurtado
Deputy Director i2catArtur Serra Hurtado is Deputy director of i2cat research center and Former Vicepresident of European Network of Living Labs. He is conducting now the research project Catalunya Collaboratory, based in the vision of universal innovation ecosystems. He is 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 Dévelopement du Service Universel de Telecomunications de Senegal promoting the first national network of Living labs in this African country. 
Maria Konstantinidou 
Research Associate CERTH/HIT 
Maria Konstantinidou 
Research Associate CERTH/HIT Maria Konstantinidou is urban planner with MSc degrees in Transport management, Environmental planning and Business Administration. Since 2018 she is research associate in Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT/CERTH), participating in several national and European mobility related projects. Within Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab she is dealing with topics related to the implementation of Living Lab methodologies, stakeholders’ capacity building and users’ engagement strategies in mobility. 
Stefano Tarantola
Scientific Officer JRC
Stefano Tarantola
Scientific Officer JRCStefano Tarantola is a Scientific Officer at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. With a background in Nuclear Engineering and a PhD in Science and Technologies for Engineering from the Polytechnic of Milan, he has been at the forefront of groundbreaking work in the Directorate for Energy, Mobility, and Climate. His expertise lies in conducting methodological work and pre-normative research, particularly in the interoperability of smart electricity grids and electric vehicles. Currently, he leads the living lab for testing digital energy solutions at the JRC Ispra site, engaging citizens in testing digital energy technologies and gamification tools. His work supports the Directorates Generals of the European Commission and other European Institutions. He has experience in simulation modelling and quasi-Monte Carlo methods. He is author of 80 papers in the peer-reviewed literature, and co-author of four books on sensitivity analysis. He has contributed to the dissemination of sensitivity analysis organising summer schools, training courses and conferences.
Marius Geantă
President at Centre for Innovation in Medicine, 4P-CAN Project Coordinator
Marius Geantă
President at Centre for Innovation in Medicine, 4P-CAN Project CoordinatorMarius Geantă is the President of the Center for Innovation in Medicine, a civil society organisation based in Bucharest, Romania, focused on innovation in the healthcare sector. He is an expert in innovation policy and has contributed to Romania's groundbreaking law that recognizes access to personalized medicine as a citizen's right. He is also involved in various research and innovation European projects. He is currently coordinating the 4P-CAN Project, focused on living labs for cancer primary prevention.
Jan-Willem van de Loo
Scientific and Policy Officer of the Cancer Mission at the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation
Jan-Willem van de Loo
Scientific and Policy Officer of the Cancer Mission at the European Commission, DG Research and InnovationSenior Expert at the European Commissions’ directorate general for research and innovation and involved in the European Mission on Cancer. From Sep 2019 - Jul 2021, he led a team co-creating the Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer. Other policy initiatives include contributions to the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, public-public and public private R&I partnerships. He has extensive experience with collaborative project management, international cancer research and innovation policy activities and stakeholder interactions.
Panagiotis Bamidis
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL Founder, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Director, LifeChamps H2020 Coordinato
Panagiotis Bamidis
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL Founder, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Director, LifeChamps H2020 CoordinatoPanagiotis Bamidis is a Professor of Medical Physics, Informatics and Medical Education and Director of the Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation in the School of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece. He is the co-ordinator of ten large European projects, and the principal investigator for many national and international funded projects. He is the President of the Hellenic Biomedical Technology Society, HL7 Hellas, the international Society of Applied Neuroscience, a member of the Administration Boards of other societies and patient associations, the Chairman/Organiser of some 20 international conferences and several national Biomedical Technology conferences. In 2013 he established the Thessaloniki Action for HeAlth & Wellbeing Living Lab (ThessAHALL) which in 2018 became a full member of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
Antonis Billis
LifeChamps H2020 Scientific Coordinator, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Postdoctoral Researcher
Antonis Billis
LifeChamps H2020 Scientific Coordinator, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Postdoctoral ResearcherDr. Antonis Billis is an Electrical & Computer Engineer and holds a PhD in the research area of digital biomarkers facilitating the remote monitoring of chronic patients as well as older people. As of today, he is a PostDoc Researcher at the Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His main research interests lie in the areas of: e-health/mhealth, health living labs, digital biomarkers, clinical decision support systems, cancer informatics, smart patient remote monitoring systems, smart hospital applications, as well as assistive technologies for vulnerable populations. In addition, he has 15 years of research experience, having participated in many national and EU funded, digital health research projects, focusing on the QoL support of older adults. He has been the scientific coordinator of the LifeChamps H2020 project aiming at improving older cancer survivors’ QoL after treatment using BigData and AI technologies. He is the PI of two EU projects and has received more than 1 million euros of funding. He is also an associate editor at the Healthcare Technologies Letters Journal and member of the editorial board of the SAGE Health Informatics Journal.
Athanasios Mavropoulos
ONCODIR Project Coordinator, ITI/CERTH Postdoctoral Researcher
Athanasios Mavropoulos
ONCODIR Project Coordinator, ITI/CERTH Postdoctoral ResearcherDr. Athanasios Mavropoulos received his PhD degree in Computational Linguistics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hellas and is working as a postdoctoral research fellow at Centre for Research and Technology, Hellas (CERTH) since 2016. His research interests revolve around Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning (Named Entity Recognition, Relation Extraction, term conceptualisation, PDF text classification, generative AI). He has successfully participated in several national and European projects, while his scientific work has been featured in international conferences and journals. Currently Dr. Mavropoulos is working on Knowledge Representation tasks in pervasive environments, virtual agent-focused Knowledge Extraction and AI chatbot development.
Despoina Mantziari
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Research Associate
Despoina Mantziari
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Research AssociateDespoina Mantziari is a Ph.D. candidate at AUTH School of Journalism and Mass Communication, researching Active Patient Involvement and Patient Empowerment with new technologies and telemedicine. She holds a postgraduate degree in "Journalism and New Media" from AUTH and is pursuing a Master's in "Aging and Chronic Disease Management" at Hellenic Open University. Since 2018, she has been a Research Associate in the AUTH Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation. She is assistant coordinator in the EC JRC City Science Initiative “Thessaloniki: Mental Health & Wellbeing†Working Group since 2019, as well as in the 3-starred “Thessaloniki AHA Ecosystem†Reference Site of the European Innovation Partnership on Active & Healthy Ageing since 2018. Her research interests include Citizen Science, participatory research, and Living Labs. She has experience in stakeholder networking, event organization, and research dissemination
Irina Kolomiiets
Project Manager Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
Irina Kolomiiets
Project Manager Lithuanian University of Health SciencesIrina Kolomiiets is a project manager at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, with 5 years of experience in developing the Health Innovation ecosystem in Lithuania. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Management, which underpins her strategic approach to health innovation and management. She has collaborated extensively with the European Institute of Technology (EIT Health), focusing on fostering entrepreneurial culture, innovation, and entrepreneurship training in the health sector. Currently, Irina leads the implementation of Living Labs and serves as the task leader in the ONCOSCREEN and ONCODIR projects. She is also an active mentor and coach, dedicated to nurturing the next generation of health innovators.
Christine Chommiene
Vice-Chair of the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission Board
Christine Chommiene
Vice-Chair of the Horizon Europe Cancer Mission BoardDr. Christine Chomienne is vice-chair of the Mission Board Cancer at the European Commission. She is also Professor of Cellular Biology at the Université de Paris, France. Formerly, she was Director of Research and Innovation at the French National Cancer Institute and past president of the European Hematology Association. Qualified in medicine with a PhD in 1989, she has led numerous scientific committees in oncology and stem cell research. Committed to education, she coordinates courses at Université Paris Diderot and has published over 270 peer-reviewed articles, earning multiple prestigious awards.
Yasmin Fonseca
Project Manager ECHoS
Yasmin Fonseca
Project Manager ECHoSYasmin Fonseca is an International Project Manager at AICIB - Agência de Investigação ClÃnica e Inovação Biomédica, with a strong track record in managing EU-funded projects in digital health, research, and innovation. She holds expertise in biochemistry and healthcare management, particularly in change management. She is currently Project Manager with ECHoS, a project which aims to support the implementation of the Cancer Mission activities through the establishment and development of Cancer Mission Hubs.
Kara Mensing
Analyst Innovating Mobility at AustriaTech
Kara Mensing
Analyst Innovating Mobility at AustriaTechKara Mensing is an analyst from Germany who works at AustriaTech, a government-owned company in Austria that focuses on promoting and implementing innovative technologies in the transportation and mobility sectors. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in Sociology in Vienna, focusing on inclusive urban planning. Her primary areas of work include youth mobility, and she collaborates closely with her colleagues on the management of the Austrian Mobility Labs. They also represent the Austrian experience in the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) working group, helping to develop new ideas for mobility solutions.
Vivekanand Kotikalapudi
Transport, Infrastructure Advisor at GIZ
Vivekanand Kotikalapudi
Transport, Infrastructure Advisor at GIZVivekanand is an Urban Mobility expert focused on tackling issues with urbanisation like improving air quality and solving traffic problems. He has held various leadership roles on Strategy during his 9-year long career at Bosch in India and had started and led the Urban Mobility practice there in 2018. He has been advising various government authorities in Bangalore over the past 6 years on developing solutions to bring about a modal shift from private to public transport. He is instrumental in setting up the Green Urban Mobility Innovation Living Lab in Bengaluru since November 2021.  
Dr. Vijay Kumar D
Member of the Indian Administrative Service
Dr. Vijay Kumar D
Member of the Indian Administrative ServiceDr. Vijay Kumar D is a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with 18 years of experience in public policy formulation and program implementation in a range of sectors - Public Finance, Private Sector Development, Agriculture and Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation, Technology, Youth Engagement, Sports, Climate Change and Tourism. He has worked at the national, regional and local level engaging deeply with communities and the political system in India. Over the past four years, he has been working as the administrative head of Meghalaya’s Chief Minister’s Office in addition to leading the key economic departments of Finance, Agriculture, Tourism and Investment Promotion. He has worked closely with multi-lateral agencies like the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), and Asian Development Bank (ADB) and raised investments to the tune of USD one billion. Dr. Kumar also worked in the national government as Private Secretary to the Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation. He holds a PhD from Blavatnic School of Government, Oxford University, United Kingdom and a Master’s in Public Affairs (Economics and Public Policy) from Princeton University.
Martha Gutierrez
Leader and coordinator of the SIMUS Network community
Martha Gutierrez
Leader and coordinator of the SIMUS Network communityMartha Gutierrez is a lawyer, specialized in Administrative Law, with Master's degrees in Public Management, and planning, Economics and Operation of Urban and Metropolitan Transportation (Thesis awarded with Cum Laude mention). Professor of the Master's Degree at the Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain; International speaker on Sustainable Urban Mobility and columnist for international magazines. With more than 25 years of experience, she has led and coordinated the SIMUS Network community for the last 10 years, accompanying the implementation of mobility actions in more than 9 countries in Latin America.
Andrei Son
Country Innovation Manager and Head of Research/Advanced Engineering, AI Romania
Andrei Son
Country Innovation Manager and Head of Research/Advanced Engineering, AI RomaniaAndrei Son is a seasoned manager in the automotive industry, currently serving as Country Innovation Manager and Head of Research/Advanced Engineering AI Romania, with over a decade of experience at Continental. In his current roles, Andrei focuses on leading organizations that are delivering innovative projects and services both internally and to external partners. He works to drive regional innovation strategy of Continental, connect regional opportunities with global innovation fields and develops internal programs to enhance innovation skills within the company. Before his current positions, Andrei held various roles at Continental, including Team Leader for the ADAS Advanced Engineering Group and ADAS Innovation and Patents Coordinator after he started his career at Continental as a Software Requirements Engineer.
Brian Taliesin
Global Director, PATH Living Labs
Brian Taliesin
Global Director, PATH Living LabsBrian Taliesin serves as both the Global Director for PATH’s Living Labs portfolio and leads the Data for Action team within the Center for Digital and Data Excellence (CoDE). Mr. Taliesin has over 30 years of experience in product management, user centered design, application development and implementation, including projects with the World Health Organization, Gavi, USAID, CDC, non-government organizations and multinational firms. While at Microsoft and Intrepid he implemented user-centered design practices within a suite of product development activities.
Sue Wairimu
Researcher – EPIC People
Sue Wairimu
Researcher – EPIC PeopleSue Wairimu has extensive experience coaching, facilitating, and utilizing the human-centered design approach and agile methodology to address complex issues in global health. As a design researcher, she is attentive to detail, observant and a great listener. Sue is currently serving as an Associate Product Manager at PATH's Living Labs, where she manages the product development portfolio in maternal and child health. Her deep understanding of design and ethnographic methods and her love for thinking differently has enabled her to deliver outstanding results and spark transformative change.  Sue has worked in both academic and development sectors, partnering with local governments, organizations, clinical leadership, and technical teams throughout the complete innovation cycle. Sue is a trained engineer, has certification as a product manager from Cornell University and is currently a research fellow at EPIC People, a global community of advancing ethnography for business and organizations.
Andrew Buhayar
Program Director, Sonder Collective
Andrew Buhayar
Program Director, Sonder CollectiveAndrew Buhayar is a program director at the Sonder Collective and also has over 15 years of consulting, product management, and project leadership experience across non-profit, technology, and design sectors, targeting improvements in health system performance by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health delivery systems in low-income countries.
Nelson Cheruiyot
ICRC Design Centre Studio Lead
Nelson Cheruiyot
ICRC Design Centre Studio LeadNelson Cheruiyot is currently the ICRC Design Centre Studio Lead. He leads a high functioning team of UI/UXR designers using design methodologies to improve the user experience within the organization and for affected populations. He has successfully set up a team that works with hundreds of staff developing ideas from the bottom and amplifying user voices across product lines and the process improvement intiatives. He works with project teams across the ICRC in enabling a HCD approach to drive customer centricity as well as improving ICRCs objectives to affected population. In his previous role at PATH, he supported the set up and development of the Living Lab human-centered design and led the Immunization Portfolio while ensuring he worked with user at the bottom of the pyramid across different continents. At PATH he also was the project manager for USAID’s M-RITE (Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity) in partnership with JSI (John Snow Inc.). In other projects he has worked with country teams to develop solutions with users in contraceptive care and counseling, further highlighting his dynamism to innovate in any field. Nelson’s master’s degree in design focused on the set up of Living labs within the african context as an alternative to traditional innovation hubs. For over 10 years he has been able to adapt living labs tools and methodologies to navigate different challenges in and out of the continent. As a passion he extends his experiences as a design researcher to support various institutions focused on innovations for improving health outcomes. He is also a Certified Professional Coach CDI-Africa.
Jaisiel Madrid
Living Lab & Digitalisation Manager, AMBIT
Jaisiel Madrid
Living Lab & Digitalisation Manager, AMBITaisiel 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 the R&D Department of former Technosite (currently ILUNION), the ICT company of ONCE Foundation. Jaisiel also is the inventor of business application BUSINESS4ALL®, the first 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.
Alexandru Roja
Head of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Transilvania IT Cluster
Alexandru Roja
Head of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Transilvania IT ClusterAlexandru has been active for over twenty years in the academic and research environment, specializing in the field of strategic management, innovation management, digital organizations and entrepreneurship. Alexandru has contributed to the development of innovation ecosystems by implementing innovation projects in companies and universities and developing capacities and competencies for innovation and strategic competitiveness and digital transformation. Currently, Alexandru is the Head of Innovation and Digital Transformation at Transilvania IT Cluster, being also involved in the activities of the Transilvania Living Lab in Cluj - Napoca, Romania.
Max Ros Petrov
Lecturer and Researcher,CETT-UB; Coordinator, Alimara Living Lab Project
Max Ros Petrov
Lecturer and Researcher,CETT-UB; Coordinator, Alimara Living Lab ProjectLecturer and Researcher at CETT-UB Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy. He has a hospitality management professional background and entrepreneurship across Europe. Currently, he is the Alimara Living Lab Project Coordinator.
Rosina Malagrita
Head of Living Lab for Health, Irsi Caixa
Rosina Malagrita
Head of Living Lab for Health, Irsi CaixaHead of the Living Lab for Health at IrsiCaixa, which aims to set up and facilitate systems innovation networks where different stakeholders work on complex and persistent health challenges to increase their collective impact advancing towards integrated care. We contribute to transform the R&I health system making it more open, inclusive, collaborative and distributed with a transdisciplinary and systems approach. We perform research and offer consultancy services with participatory research processes for strategic planning, training and facilitation of multistakeholder innovation processes.
Silvia Fierăscu
Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Communication Sciences, Founder and Director of FabLab, Researcher at the Big Data Science Laboratory - West University of Timișoara
Silvia Fierăscu
Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Communication Sciences, Founder and Director of FabLab, Researcher at the Big Data Science Laboratory - West University of TimișoaraDr. Silvia Fierăscu is a Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy and Communication Sciences, the Founder and Director of FabLab - Social Fabrics Research Lab, and Researcher at the Big Data Science Laboratory, all at West University of Timișoara. She holds a PhD in Political Science with a specialization in Network Science from Central European University in Budapest, and she is Head of OrgMapper Academy at Maven7 Network Research Inc. Her research interests are on applications of network and data science to social science problems. Dr. Fierăscu work in various international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary projects, translating complex problems into solutions for organizational development, change management, public policy, and social impact.
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
Senior Project Manager at ENoLL
Gabriella Quaranta
Senior Project Manager at ENoLLGraduated in Aerospace Engineering at University of Rome “Sapienzaâ€, has been working as project manager in EC funded projects 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. She happily joined ENoLL as senior project manager and network builder, after a long period in APRE, the Italian Agency for the Promotion of European Research, and two years in EMSO ERIC, the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and Water Column Observatory.
Arianna Marucci
Junior Project Manager at ENoLL
Arianna Marucci
Junior Project Manager at ENoLLArianna 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.
Riccardo Saraco
Project Manager, EU Funds and Innovation Dept., City of Torino
Riccardo Saraco
Project Manager, EU Funds and Innovation Dept., City of TorinoWith a background in Political Science and Public Policy evaluation, he works for the City Council as project manager. He is engaged mainly in urban renovation plans and projects promoting innovative approaches for digital and ecological transition aimed at developing a sustainable and competitive urban ecosystem.
Agathe Fourquet
Head Of Innovation, Greater Paris Metropolis
Agathe Fourquet
Head Of Innovation, Greater Paris MetropolisAgathe Fourquet is an expert in Urban Innovation and is currently leading the Innovation division within the Greater Paris Metropolis. Before that, she helped build Terra Numerata, Roland Berger’s network of innovative partners. In 2013, she co-funded Usine IO, a service dedicated to accelerating hardware projects. She also ran the communication departments of two business clusters in the Paris Region : Cap Digital & Systematic and worked as a PR expert for tech companies.
Jokin Garatea
International Business Director of International projects, GAIA.
Jokin Garatea
International Business Director of International projects, GAIA.International Business Director of International projects I 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. Jokin is counsellor for sustainability in the municipality of Forua, at the Reserve of the biosphere of Urdaibai. Its cultural and natural heritage is critical to be maintained trough innovative projects. Jokin has a Law Degree, from Deusto University, Spain, a Msc in CSR in Football Clubs and is a phd candidate in Industrial Psicology.
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 (intergovernmental organizations www.iamb.it), 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.
Andrea Calori
President - EStÃ
Andrea Calori
President - EStÃAndrea Calori PhD expert in territorial policies, local development and sustainable food systems with participatory approach; since the early ‘90s he has been working with local, national and international institutions (OECD, EU Commission, Council of Europe, FAO, UNDP, etc.). From 2000 to 2010 Contract Professor at Politecnico di Milano in regional planning and local development. In 2002 co-founder of RES (Rete italiana Economie Solidali), then president of Urgenci, world coalition of networks of Community Supported Agriculture (2010-2015) and active member in the Civil Society Mechanism within the FAO World Committee on Food Security.  President of EStà , an independent and non-profit research centre that works on a systemic approach to sustainability and, with EStà , scientific responsible of methodologies and research supporting the Food Policy of Milan, the MUFPP (Milan Urban Food Policy Pact) and other researches and activities on local food policies in EU and international contexts.
Dolinda Cavallo
Junior Project Manager
Dolinda Cavallo
Junior Project ManagerDolinda Cavallo is a Project Manager at the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). She holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of Bologna - Forlì Campus, along with a bachelor's degree in foreign languages and cultures where she studied English, Spanish, and Russian at the University of Pavia. Her career spans various European countries where she has contributed to non-profit organizations as both a Project Manager and Coordinator of EU-funded projects covering diverse areas such as agriculture, soil, environment, migration, and social inclusion. Currently, Dolinda is actively engaged in ENoLL's portfolio of Agri and Soil-related projects and co-chairs the working group on Agriculture, Agrifood, and Rural issues.
Anna Krzywoszynska
Associate Professor in Transdisciplinary Human-Environment Relations - University of Oulu, Finland
Anna Krzywoszynska
Associate Professor in Transdisciplinary Human-Environment Relations - University of Oulu, FinlandAnna Krzywoszynska is an Associate Professor in Transdisciplinary Human-Environment Relations at the University of Oulu, Finland. She is an environmental social scientist with expertise in the study of agricultural and environmental knowledge communities and practices. Her current research interests include human-soil relations and knowledge systems, the co-production of knowledge between science and society, and the role of local and regenerative food systems in achieving socio-environmental justice. Anna is a member of the Advisory Board to the Horizon Europe Mission ‘Soil Deal for Europe’, and a Co-Chair of the International Union of Soil Science’s Commission 4.5: Soil Humanities and Social Sciences, and an Artic Five Chair.
Anthony van de Ven
Head of office - Brussels representative office Brainport, Eindhoven
Anthony van de Ven
Head of office - Brussels representative office Brainport, EindhovenAnthony completed studies in Political science and European law and started work as EU public affairs consultant following legislative developments for several companies in the fields of Environment, healthcare and ICT. He then joined EUROCITIES in 1995 as project development officer. After 11 years, in 2005, he left EUROCITIES as Policy and Project Director and established the Brainport-Eindhoven Brussels Representation. He also was instrumental in establishing the ERRIN network of Brussels offices with a focus on Research and Innovation.
Dijana Vuletić
Senior scientific advisor, Croatian Forest Research Institute
Dijana Vuletić
Senior scientific advisor, Croatian Forest Research InstituteDijana Vuletić is experienced scientist with main interest in forest ecosystems services assessment and valuation, bit recently she is more focused on policy side. Currently she works on several EU projects and in the scope of the TRANSFORMIT project she lead WG4 with main aim to establish network of Living Labs dealing with integrative forest management.
Jo Bijttebier
Senior Researcher, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - ILVO
Jo Bijttebier
Senior Researcher, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - ILVOJo Bijttebier is bio-engineer with a PhD in Veterinary Sciences. She works at the Social Sciences Unit of ILVO (Flanders). She is involved in the coordination of the Living Lab on Agroecology and Organic Farming in Flanders (LLAEBIO) as one of the living labs coordinated by ILVO. Her research focus is on interactive innovation and learning processes to support transition to more sustainable agriculture.
Elvira MarÃn Irigaray
Ambassador Living Lab AlVelAl - Director Aland
Elvira MarÃn Irigaray
Ambassador Living Lab AlVelAl - Director AlandI was born in Granada, Spain. I studied environmental science at the University of Almeria. I pursued a master’s degree in water management in the Netherlands and an international master’s degree in landscape restoration. Since 2016, I have worked as the coordinator of the AlVelAl Association, which is developing a large-scale landscape restoration project in southeastern Spain’s steppe plateau. I am currently Director of Aland Foundation, which aims to create a network of landscape restoration projects in the Iberian Peninsula, and I continue as an ambassador in AlVelAl LL.
Fernando Vilariño
Associate Director at Computer Vision Centre and Associate Professor at UAB. Co-Funder of the Library Living Lab.
Fernando Vilariño
Associate Director at Computer Vision Centre and Associate Professor at UAB. Co-Funder of the Library Living Lab.Fernando Vilariño is Associate Director at the Computer Vision Center and Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science UAB in Barcelona, Spain, where he gives lectures about Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Multimedia Systems. His research has been linked to different areas of Computer Vision, and Artificial Intelligence with especial attention to Medical Imaging, fieldwork in which he has developed different projects together with paramount hospitals and companies. His work is published in the main Journals and Conferences of the area and he has also contributed to a number of patents in the field. In addition, during the last years, he has participated in the design of different initiatives, both at local and international level, with the aim of developing novel paradigms of digital social innovation.
Helena Clavero Sousa
Project Officer and Action Programme of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in Malaga
Helena Clavero Sousa
Project Officer and Action Programme of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in MalagaHelena Clavero Sousa, has been working for 6 years as a Project Officer in the Biodiversity Knowledge and Action Programme of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in Malaga (Spain), where she is in charge of carrying out projects for the conservation of Mediterranean species and habitats, mainly through the promotion of knowledge of their conservation status, as well as cooperation, training and beneficial practices for biodiversity. She has a degree in Environmental Sciences and has previously worked and studied in Switzerland, the United Kingdom and France.
Leidy Vanessa Enriquez Florez
International Project Manager and Senior Event manager at ENoLL
Leidy Vanessa Enriquez Florez
International Project Manager and 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 educational journey spans four continents: South America, North America, Europe, and Asia. Leidy’s professional experience includes supporting non-profit organizations with communications and media, and developing and implementing educational materials for the (TAACCT) grant program from the U.S. Department of Labor. 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.
Lustina Boaja Popescu
Scientific Director, Geological Institute of Romania
Lustina Boaja Popescu
Scientific Director, Geological Institute of RomaniaLustina Popescu is the Scientific Director of the Geological Institute of Romania and Associate Professor at the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest. With over 15 years of experience in environmental research, Iustina has been a key player in advancing sustainable practices and managing Romania’s natural resources. She coordinates an interdisciplinary research group that aims to participate in the research areas that help improve life quality through responsible management of natural resources to meet society's economic needs. Iustina is also a prominent member of the Mission Soil Board, where she contributes to shaping strategies for soil sustainability and health across Europe. Moreover, she is a member of the EU Soil Observatory Working Groups on Soil Pollution and on Soil Data Integration and a member of IMPEL - The European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law.
Cristòfol Vidal
Project Manager - BIOIB
Cristòfol Vidal
Project Manager - BIOIBIn his current role as a Project Manager at BIOIB, he is deeply involved in developing the healthcare innovation ecosystem in the Balearic Islands. He has been part of the Health Living Lab at the Hospital Universitario Son Espases since its inception, playing a key role in its creation and development. Together, they have successfully launched and driven over 10 internal innovative projects aimed at enhancing the healthcare system within the hospital and through the Health Living Lab. His participation in the OLLD session will be in representation of the Health Living Lab as a member of BIOIB.
Alexandra Petcu
Coordinator of Head of Innovation & Technology Transfer at West University of Timisoara
Alexandra Petcu
Coordinator of Head of Innovation & Technology Transfer at West University of TimisoaraCoordinator of the Digital & Green Living Lab within the West University of Timișoara (WUT), Head of Innovation & Technology Transfer Office (WUT) and Visiting Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (WUT). With previous experience in public policy on higher education and flexible learning paths for students and a special focus on the impact of the European Universities Initiatives towards a social and innovative EEA and EHEA, Alexandra Petcu coordinates the sustainability strategy of the UNITA - Universitas Montium European University Alliance within WUT. Alexandra Petcu has 15+ years’ experience in hazardous waste management and entrepreneurship for environmental protection; also, she has contributed to Romanian policymaking on environmental protection prior to Romania’s adherence to the European Union. She has managed the creation and financing of a sustainability driven student entrepreneurial ecosystem in the West Region of Romania, concluded through the launch of 73 new businesses in the region, all of which have adopted lower CO2 emission targets, biodiversity conservation objectives, the reduction of waste generation or adopting new digital solutions. From a scientific perspective, Alexandra Petcu holds a doctoral degree in Human Capital Accounting and her current research focuses on Living Lab methodologies in schools and Universities to support the education pillar of the EU twin transitiom.
Martin Galvin
Head of Civic & Community Engagement at University College Cork
Martin Galvin
Head of Civic & Community Engagement at University College CorkDr. Martin Galvin is Head of Civic & Community Engagement at University College Cork, Ireland. He is UCC’s university representative to the Irish Universities Association (IUA) Campus Engage initiative. He is a member of the Irish Government’s National Volunteering Strategy Research Group, and is a Higher Education Reform Expert with the EU Erasmus+ SHERE Programme, a network of experts supporting the modernisation of higher education in countries neighbouring the EU. Martin is an Adjunct Lecturer in Education, with an interest in democratic education and participation. He previously worked in the US in multicultural settings as an administrator, teacher and adult educator. He has published in leading journals, including the Journal of Education Policy.
Maria Carmela Fierro
Head of Management Unit at APRE and CATALISI Project coordinator
Maria Carmela Fierro
Head of Management Unit at APRE and CATALISI Project coordinatorMaria Carmela Fierro is head of management Unit in APRES and CATALISI project coordinator. She has an academic background in Political Science. She worked for private and public organizations supporting them in the management of EU Research and Innovation projects in different fields, financed by the European Commission, private foundations, regional and national administrations.
Mariem Chakroun
International Project Manager at ENoLL
Mariem Chakroun
International Project Manager at ENoLLMariem Chakroun is currently serving as an International Project Manager at the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), Mariem Chakroun holds an Advanced Master’s degree in European Business and Economic Policy from UCLouvain in Belgium. Her lifelong passion for the social aspects of the economy and international development has been a driving force in her career. Within CATALISI, Mariem plays a pivotal role in coordinating the implementation of Living Lab principles and methodologies in CATALISI HEIs’ ecosystems to facilitate their institutional transformation. Mariem’s international project management experience spans a range of domains, including public health, education and employment, arts and culture, and trade facilitation. Her unique educational background in engineering, combined with her dedication and interest in international cooperation, has shaped her successful career in this field.
Jose Carlos Porto
Forestry Engineer, University of Vigo
Jose Carlos Porto
Forestry Engineer, University of VigoJose Carlos Porto is a forestry engineer from the University of Vigo (Spain), holding a Double Master’s Degree in Forest Management based on Data Science from the University of Valladolid (Spain) and in Forest and Their Environment (Master AETPF) from AgroParisTech - Université de Lorraine (Nancy, France). Throughout his academic journey, he has specialized in data science, becoming an expert in the R programming language, particularly in statistics, modeling, and remote sensing. His background combines a technological forestry profile with a research-oriented focus. Currently, his work is centered on sustainable forest management and the adaptation of forest stands to climate change, with extensive experience in European projects.
Christer Adelaide Anditi
Development strategist and innovation researcher
Christer Adelaide Anditi
Development strategist and innovation researcherChrister Anditi is a development strategist and innovation researcher passionate about sustainable and inclusive transformation. Her main interests are creating and codesigning change by integrating social systems into development agendas. With a PhD in public and development management, she recognises the imminent need for pragmatic human-centred approaches, to demystify ill-defined societal challenges, especially in low-income countries. She has particularly worked in the energy and health sectors doing social energy research for over seven years and is currently the founder and director of the Miji Africa Cocreation Lab (MACoL). MACoL is a living lab, which aims to accelerate innovation adoption in African cities, with particular focus on marginalized and underserved communities.
Dr. Joseph Kayaya
Medical doctor, innovative leader in healthcare, and lead of PATH LL
Dr. Joseph Kayaya
Medical doctor, innovative leader in healthcare, and lead of PATH LLJoseph Kayaya is a medical doctor and innovative leader in healthcare, known for his pivotal role in transforming Zambia's electronic health record systems. With over 2 years of clinical experience and over 8 years expertise in managing national health projects in digital health and inclusive innovation, he now leads the PATH Living Labs team in Zambia, driving inclusive innovation through Human-Centered Design (HCD) in public, global health and digital health programing. He is currently leading support  in HCD capacity building for Nigeria, DRC and Pakistan as part of a global funding mechanism.
Teodor Pop
Director of Information Technology - Polytechnical University of Timisoara
Teodor Pop
Director of Information Technology - Polytechnical University of TimisoaraWith more than 20 years of experience in IT&C domain, in the area of advanced technical consulting, as well as business strategy and executive management, Teodor is an IT entrepreneur and Director of Information Technology at the Polytechnical University of Timisoara, and also coordinates the activities inside DIGIVEST consortium, as part of the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH).
Adeeb Sidani
Project Manager – Porto Digital
Adeeb Sidani
Project Manager – Porto DigitalProject Manager at Porto Digital, specializing in technology-driven projects to advance smart cities and urban innovation. He leads large-scale national and international initiatives, collaborating with major cities and companies. He holds a PhD from the University of Porto, focused on using BIM, automated rule checking, and immersive technologies for Occupational Safety in Construction. An experienced architect and academic, he also lectures at the University of Porto, with expertise in immersive reality tools.
Facilitators
Andree Woodcock
Chair Educational Ergonomics and Design
Andree Woodcock
Chair Educational Ergonomics and DesignI am a longstanding member of Coventry City lab, and a member of ENOLL executive committee and the Land C subcommittee. I have worked at Coventry as a researcher since 1999 and am Chair of Educational Ergonomics and Design, Driving my research is the belief that applying systems-thinking and user-centred design principles drawn from ergonomics and design research can be applied to and solve many of the wicked problems we face today. In this, the key for greater inclusion and recognition of the needs and contributions of all sectors of society is paramount. This requires the development and application of inclusive methods to understand these needs, empathy fed by an in depth understanding of the lived experience and a willingness on the part of stakeholders (such as designers, municipalities and agencies) to use this information in the application and development of inclusive approaches, systems and products. Most of my research has been located within design departments, looking at applying systemic design research to wicked problems in health, education, mobility, sustainability and gender. I have led successful national and EU funded projects in excess of £15m, all featuring ‘hard to reach groups’ most recently within the field of transport. The proposal builds on the following projects. H2020 TInnGO (2019-2021): to develop a Pan European Transport innovation Gender Observatory and 10 hubs across Europe creating a step change in gender and mobility across transport through use of gender action plans and gender mainstreaming. (approx. 3 million euros): role PI WEMOBILE (2018-2019) project to understand the lived experiences of women in Malaysia and Pakistan and the effects of gender transport poverty and everyday harassment (approx. £45 K): role PI H2020 CIVITAS SUITS 2016-2020): capacity building to develop sustainable mobility projects in small to medium local authorities (approx. 4 million euros) : role PI Empathic design and elders: Frank Jackson Foundation (2016-2019) looking at ways to encourage transport design and engineering students to be empathic in consideration of older transport users. (approx. 30K). Role PI FP7 METPEX: (2013-2016) project to develop pan- European tool to measure the quality of multimodal, end to end traveller journey (approx. 3 million euros) P1: role PI Elder’s mobility needs University pump priming (2016) to deliver co-design workshops in UK and USA. PI: £10K Evaluation of early adopters experiences of the use of e-vehicle: EPSRC, n/d A multistakeholder evaluation of a full scale, working electric bus: Consultancy: 2010 Developing intelligent zero-emissions vehicles, Science city project with Birmingham, RDM and Microcab, 2009 Investigating the safety and security of women drivers and their passengers DETR (2001): PI £100K
Geraldine Quetin
Project Manager GAC Group – Gendered innovation / Business incubation and innovation expert
Geraldine Quetin
Project Manager GAC Group – Gendered innovation / Business incubation and innovation expertSenior expert in Business Incubation and Innovation - Project Manager at GAC Group - leader for designing GILL’s Pan-European collaboration hub Geraldine Quetin is a Senior Expert in business incubation and innovation, with 20+ years of experience as Co-Founder, developer, and manager of 3 incubators/accelerators in France and in the USA. She has also contributed to designing entrepreneurial ecosystems, policies, communities, and supported the development of nearly 10 programs around the world (Chile / Mexico / EU / Senegal / Morocco / Algeria) and coached or advised 200+ entrepreneurs – mainly science-based. Geraldine is currently leading economic development activities and several European projects as senior project manager at G.A.C. group. More specifically, she is leading the conception of the Pan-European collaboration hub under the GILL (Gendered Innovation Living Lab) project, that will include services, community platform and tools dedicated to a stronger integration of diversity and gender equality in innovation design, conception and distribution.
Laura Varisco
Consultant in Regional economic development, European cooperation and Innovation at GAC Group
Laura Varisco
Consultant in Regional economic development, European cooperation and Innovation at GAC GroupLaura Varisco is a Consultant in Regional Economic Development, European cooperation and Innovation at GAC Group. Over the past years she has been working with local public authorities to develop and implement cross-border cooperation projects and strategies on different topics, from territorial attractiveness to environmental protection and sustainable mobility. She is 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. Email - lvarisco@group-gac.com
Patricia Carbonell
Head REVOLVE Barcelona Office
Patricia Carbonell
Head REVOLVE Barcelona OfficeWorking on the CIRAWA project, Patricia is an experienced communicator with a solid background in multimedia storytelling, media relations, and events organisation. She is currently leading the REVOLVE Barcelona office, growing a community of journalists and researchers to improve scientific reporting and reporting skills around the Mediterranean region, and leading strategic communication for EU-funded. Research and Innovation projects and meaningful partnerships. She holds a Master’s degree in Media, Communications, and Critical Practice from the London College of Communication (2013), with a thesis on communicating climate change in the media. Before joining REVOLVE in 2017, she was a content producer and communications manager promoting sustainability in London's water & energy sectors.
Marilena Reinhard-Kolempas
PhD candidate Wageningen University
Marilena Reinhard-Kolempas
PhD candidate Wageningen UniversityAs PhD candidate at Wageningen University, she is conducting her PhD research in the frame of the EU Horizon project NATAE (North African Transition to AgroEcology). Her research aims to identify place-based and stakeholder-driven agroecological transition strategies in Northern African Living Labs and assess their effects on food system sustainability and resilience. During her Graduate studies in Organic Agriculture at the University of Kassel and her Master's studies in Sustainable International Agriculture at the universities of Kassel and Goettingen she developed a strong interdisciplinary socio-ecological systems thinking. Effective and locally adapted agroecological strategies, demand an in-depth understanding of the specific farming context and the perspectives of local actors. Thus, her thesis will work on integrating local and scientific knowledge sources and quantitative and qualitative methods, such as focus group discussions, participatory multi-criteria assessments, agronomic experiments, and bio-economic modelling. The methods used will be evaluated for their contribution to building transformational capacities among system actors in the Living Labs.
Kiki Argyropoulou
Project Manager and Head of the Dissemination and Communication Unit Q-PLAN International
Kiki Argyropoulou
Project Manager and Head of the Dissemination and Communication Unit Q-PLAN InternationalAn engineer with studies in urban and spatial planning and regional development. She has 15 years of professional experience in supporting entities of the Public and Private Sector for the planning, management, monitoring and implementation of financed and co- financed projects of cross-border/ inter-regional/ transnational cooperation as well as research and innovation in several fields, including social Sciences and humanities, culture, environment, energy, entrepreneurship and health. The domain of expertise includes management and coordination, dissemination and communication, intellectual property and other intellectual assets management, data and innovation management, and business planning. She is the Project Manager and Head of the Dissemination and Communication Unit at Q-PLAN International and holds the Communication and Exploitation Manager position for the CANALLS project.
Margherita Trestini
Co-Founder and General Manager Apodissi
Margherita Trestini
Co-Founder and General Manager ApodissiAn entrepreneur with 30 years of experience, including a decade dedicated to Research and Innovation projects funded by the European Commission. As the Co-Founder and General Manager of Apodissi, operating in Lagos, Nigeria, Windhoek, Namibia, and Dubai, UAE, Margherita excels in business development, start-ups, innovation, and go-to-market strategies across various industries, including FMCG, telecommunications, engineering, international sports events, and luxury brands. With a passion for EU-Africa collaboration, Margherita has significantly contributed to various high-impact projects. She has been instrumental in initiatives like the Policy and Regulation. Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) and Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and ERASMUS+ projects, including DIGILOGIC, PrAEctiCe, SMART STEP, and GreenVETAfrica. Her roles have encompassed project management, scientific dissemination, community engagement, and capacity building, ensuring successful outcomes and fostering innovation ecosystems. She has successfully led initiatives to foster EU-Africa Research and Innovation collaboration, supporting the European Union Delegation in the organisation of the first EU-Nigeria Research and Innovation Days and presenting at several international conferences. Margherita's work has been instrumental in shaping SME and startup growth strategies in emerging markets, particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa and the Gulf, delivering scalable program toolkits, market data, and customer insights. In her role as a national expert and principal Investigator for GIZ programmes, National Contact Point for the European Institute of Innovation & Technology and the European Innovation Council programmes in Nigeria, Margherita has focused on supporting the establishment of digital innovation hubs and healthcare innovation assessments, contributing to the empowerment of innovators. Her global career has equipped her to navigate diverse cultural environments. Margherita holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Turin University. She leads the Disssemination & Communication activities of PrAEctiCe.
Nele De Witte
Senior Researcher Centre of expertise Care and Well-being, LiCaLab/Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Nele De Witte
Senior Researcher Centre of expertise Care and Well-being, LiCaLab/Thomas More University of Applied SciencesNele A.J. De Witte works at the Centre of expertise Care and Well-being at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. She holds a PhD in Psychology and has over 10 years of research experience, mostly in practice-oriented research. She is the scientific coordinator of LiCalab Living and Care lab. At LiCalab, dr. De Witte is committed to the scientific valorization of living lab methodologies and supports the design of user research.
Leen Broeckx
Panel Manager LiCalab/Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Leen Broeckx
Panel Manager LiCalab/Thomas More University of Applied SciencesLeen holds a Master’s degree in Communication Science and a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies. In 2013, Leen joined the LiCalab team at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences as panel manager. Her role within the team is to manage and guide the panel of more than 350 citizens, care organisations and caregivers. She supervises the Living Lab activities: from recruitment, scenario writing, guiding group discussions and real-life tests through the processing the results. Leen champions Human Centered Design and she strongly believes in the participatory approach to healthcare innovation.
Annouck De Cat
Panel Manager LiCalab/Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Annouck De Cat
Panel Manager LiCalab/Thomas More University of Applied SciencesAnnouck De Cat holds a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences and physiotherapy and a Master’s degree in Health care Management and Policy. She joined the LiCalab team in early 2023 as panel manager. She is passionate about design thinking, innovation, and the living lab approach. Her experience in health care, education and business analysis is an asset in managing the LiCalab panel database and in setting up living lab activities. Together with the team, she submits ethical applications for studies, drafts protocols, does recruitment for activities and conducts co-creation sessions, real life testing, human factor studies and surveys. Finally, she engages in reporting on these activities.
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.
Yashna Pande
Project Officer Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)
Yashna Pande
Project Officer Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)Yashna Pande works as a project officer for Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs). Coming from a background in Law, Psychology and Sociology and having completed a MSc in Clinical Psychology, Yashna is motivated to explore ways to curate experiences for people and promote a sense of belonging in both individual and group settings. Yashna is passionate about mental health and bringing people together through co-creation, facilitation, and peer support.
Joep Wijnhoven
Project and Portfolio Manager Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)
Joep Wijnhoven
Project and Portfolio Manager Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)Joep Wijnhoven manages the portfolio of Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs). He graduated as a biologist but spent most of his career as a connector and facilitator in the fast-paced IT industry. He specializes in optimizing collaborations within and between organizations to achieve mutually agreed goals. “Dream big, start small†and “Fail fast, learn fast†are always in the back of his mind to keep up with the ever changing world around him. Joep likes a challenge, and nothing is more challenging than turning strategy into reality when we talk about sustainability. That is why he decided to help the Utrecht University reach their sustainability ambitions using Living Labs as a powerful tool.
Claudia Stuckrath-Alvarado
Doctoral Researcher Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Advisor Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)
Claudia Stuckrath-Alvarado
Doctoral Researcher Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Advisor Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)Claudia Stuckrath is a doctoral researcher at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and an advisor in Utrecht University Living Labs. Her ongoing research is understanding how living labs can be facilitated at university campuses for a sustainable transition. Claudia has experience in the intersection of Academia and Industry, closing the gap between the two worlds, to find innovative solutions to complex problems. Claudia graduated as a Civil Engineer with an interdisciplinary MSc from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and an MSc in Sustainable Business and Innovation from Utrecht University.
Susanne Nijssen
Manager Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)
Susanne Nijssen
Manager Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs)Susanne Nijssen is the manager of Utrecht University Living Labs (UULabs) and a member of the management team of Utrecht University’s Sustainability Office. With a background in intercultural communications and sustainability, Susanne has much experience with building bridges between people, disciplines, departments and organizations, coaching various teams towards successful living labs, co-creations and collaborations.
Tom Van Nieuwenhove
Urban Innovation Strategist City of Ghent
Tom Van Nieuwenhove
Urban Innovation Strategist City of GhentMy name is Tom. I'm all about making our city a better place through new and creative solutions. My job is to find the time and space for innovative ideas to grow, helping to solve the problems we face in urban life. I support projects that test and implement these ideas, aiming to make a real social impact. I also focus on working closely with universities and colleges. With over 80,000 students and researchers in our city, I see a lot of potential for collaboration. How can their expertise help improve our city, and what opportunities can we offer them in return? Together, we look for ways to partner up and drive innovation. If you have a cool idea, a tough city problem, or a research question, I'd love to chat. Let's connect and see how we can make positive changes together!
Ben Robaeyst
Researcher imec-MICT-UGent
Ben Robaeyst
Researcher imec-MICT-UGentMy name is Ben, and I am passionate about urban development and exploring different potential futures. Over the past six years, I have worked as a Living Lab (LL) researcher, conducting participatory action research (PAR) in the application of Urban Living Labs within the city of Ghent. This hands-on experience allowed me to gain academic insights while actively participating in the practical application of LLs. The Living Labs I worked on addressed a wide range of complex urban issues, such as reducing loneliness among elderly citizens, encouraging homeowners to invest in climate-neutral solutions, and using cultural heritage to foster neighborhood social cohesion. Currently, I am a futures researcher at IMEC, a leading research institute. My focus is on analyzing today's trends in technology development to generate forward-thinking insights that inform contemporary strategies. I am particularly interested in applying futures methodologies within the context of Urban Living Lab projects. If you enjoy discussing futures, Living Labs, urban development, and technology, I'm your guy! Let's connect and explore how we can shape the cities of tomorrow together.
Teemu Santonen, DSc
Principal Lecturer Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Teemu Santonen, DSc
Principal Lecturer Laurea University of Applied SciencesTeemu Santonen DSc (Econ.) (teemu.santonen@laurea.fi) an ENoLL council member is co-leading harmonization WG. He has published 20 research papers on various LL thematic and participated in two major projects (VITALISE and ProVaHealth) aiming to harmonize LL practices.
Despoina Petsani
Research associate, Medical Physics and Digital Innovation Lab
Despoina Petsani
Research associate, Medical Physics and Digital Innovation LabDespoina Petsani (dpetsani@auth.gr) is co-leading the LL Harmonization WG. She was the Harmonization Body Coordinator of the VITALISE H2020 project. She is a Living Lab researcher working in the Health & Wellbeing domain and has organized more than 40 workshops and co-creation sessions.
Dr. Evdokimos I. Konstantinidis
ENoLL Chairperson
Dr. Evdokimos I. Konstantinidis
ENoLL ChairpersonDr. Evdokimos I. Konstantinidis (evdokimosk@gmail.com) 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.
Panagiotis Bamidis
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL Founder, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Director, LifeChamps H2020 Coordinato
Panagiotis Bamidis
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL Founder, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Director, LifeChamps H2020 CoordinatoPanagiotis Bamidis is a Professor of Medical Physics, Informatics and Medical Education and Director of the Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation in the School of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece. He is the co-ordinator of ten large European projects, and the principal investigator for many national and international funded projects. He is the President of the Hellenic Biomedical Technology Society, HL7 Hellas, the international Society of Applied Neuroscience, a member of the Administration Boards of other societies and patient associations, the Chairman/Organiser of some 20 international conferences and several national Biomedical Technology conferences. In 2013 he established the Thessaloniki Action for HeAlth & Wellbeing Living Lab (ThessAHALL) which in 2018 became a full member of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
Rosa Almeida
RDi Researcher and Gerontologist Fundación INTRAS
Rosa Almeida
RDi Researcher and Gerontologist Fundación INTRASGerontologist with a Master’s in Projects, Human Resources, and Social Facilities, and a postgraduate in Third Generation Therapies. She has over twelve years of experience managing European RDI projects focused on health, wellbeing, and integrated care through participatory and co-creation methods at Living Lab MINDLab since 2012. Responsible for over 15 national and EU projects, she addresses aging challenges and promotes integrated interventions, along with developing ICT solutions for rehabilitation and independent living Her role includes coordinating participatory approaches within RDI cycles and Living Lab services to foster research that actively involves the community, pushing the boundaries of development in health and technology.
Josep Maria Salanova Grau
Researcher CERTH/HIT
Josep Maria Salanova Grau
Researcher CERTH/HITJosep Maria Salanova Grau (jose@certh.gr) is a researcher at CERTH/HIT and holds a Civil engineering diploma and PhD in transport modelling from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona and a MSc in civil and transportation engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He is leading the “Data analysis and modelling†laboratory and he is in the core team of Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab, which is an efficient member of ENoLL. His scientific interests concern research and developments in transport and mostly in algorithm and model development, mobility, intermodal transport and logistics as well as Data Science and Big Data at the transport domain. Additionally, he co leads with AustriaTech and JRC the ENoll Working Group on mobility.
Ömer Onur
MANAGING DIRECTOR BAÅžAKÅžEHÄ°R LIVING LAB
Ömer Onur
MANAGING DIRECTOR BAŞAKŞEHİR LIVING LABÖmer is currently the MD of Başakşehir Living Lab and has been running Başakşehir Innovation & Technology Center (Basaksehir Living-Lab) focused in development of innovative producsts and services as well as supporting enterprenuers and startupssince 2012. He is also the Project Coordinator of Başakşehir Municipality for H2020 and Horizon Europe projects. Ömer has also been a trainer in ENoLL Learning Lab sessions on various topics since 2020. Other than Başakşehir Living Lab, Ömer is an Angel Investor and as of February 2024 he is the Chairperson of the Angel Effect Pty Co which is an Angel Investment Fund based in İstanbul with 25 shareholders. He is an expert in Project Management and Organizational Development. Ömer has more than 30 years of corporate experience from Ford Motor Company, Ericsson and Turkcell Communications at various management roles in the areas of Organizational Development, Quality, IT, Strategy and Project Management. Ömer has a B.Sc in Production/Industrial Engineering from Aston University, UK and an MBA degree from Graduate School of Management, Melbourne University. Since 2020. Ömer is advisory board member of Bodrum Living Lab.
Nancy Azevedo
Research Associate Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR)
Nancy Azevedo
Research Associate Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR)Nancy Azevedo is the coordinator of the Feil & Oberfeld JRH-CRIR research center and was the research coordinator for the Montreal branch of the VITALISE project. She completed a BA in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics followed by a PhD in Rehabilitation Science at McGill University. Since obtaining her diploma, her interest in the Living Lab approach has grown and her research programme has been guided by the desire to transfer research techniques from the laboratory to the real world and to bring real-world problems to the laboratory. Nancy’s research interests mainly focus on 1) lexical access and representation across the adult lifespan and in individuals with post-stroke aphasia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 2) on better understanding the experiences and attitudes of people living with aphasia and their family regarding communication aids, and 3) developing a Living Lab Lexicon (LLL) that will facilitate and increase understanding and communication between the different ‘players’ within the LL communities and all those who come in contact with LLs. Dr Azevedo's research interests focus on lexical access and representation across the adult lifespan and in individuals with post-stroke aphasia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), on better understanding the experiences and attitudes of people living with aphasia and their family regarding communication aids, and developing a Living Lab Lexicon (LLL) that will facilitate and increase understanding and communication between the different ‘players’ within the LL communities and all those who come in contact with LLs.
Anton Sentic
Senior Research Associate ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences 
Anton Sentic
Senior Research Associate ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences Anton Sentic (sent@zhaw.ch) 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.
Hakkı Can TUNÇSAV
Project Coordinator at BaÅŸakÅŸehir Living Lab
Hakkı Can TUNÇSAV
Project Coordinator at Başakşehir Living LabHakkı Can TUNÇSAV graduated from Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Metallurgy and Materials in 1998. Sales, field marketing, channel marketing, etc. in companies operating in the field of telecommunications such as Ericsson, Sony Ericsson and Smile Holding. He has served as a manager on issues. He joined the Başakşehir Living Lab Project team in 2012. He currently serves as the Coordinator within the scope of the Başakşehir Living Lab project. He has involved in several project including EU projects such as UNaLab, Metabuilding Labs and Multigination.
Diana Filipa Correia Marques
Psychologist and Junior Project Manager Fundación INTRAS
Diana Filipa Correia Marques
Psychologist and Junior Project Manager Fundación INTRASPsychologist and junior project manager. Her academic training has focused on clinical and health psychology, with internships in neuropsychology and in the department of psychological support and crisis intervention centre. Currently, she works as a psychologist and junior project manager in the Research and Development department of the INTRAS Foundation. She is an international Snoezelen therapist and traumatic incident reduction therapist.
Raquel Losada Durán
Researcher, Project Manager and Project Coordinator Fundación INTRAS
Raquel Losada Durán
Researcher, Project Manager and Project Coordinator Fundación INTRASM.S in Psychology Certificate in Proficient Studies in Social Psychology and Organizational Anthropology. University Specialist Certificate in Organizational Intelligence. At INTRAS she has worked as researcher, project manager and project coordinator of more than 30 national and European projects under programs such as H2020, HEALTH, INTERREG, ERASMUS+ LLP, FP7, CIP, National RDI. She has coordinated cooperation for development projects with Latin-American countries such as Cuba, Argentina and Peru. Other activities in which she is engaged are Competitive Intelligence, scaling-up strategies for innovative products and services and international networking.
Vincenza Frisardi, MD
MD, SR. Geriatric unit and Center for Cognitive and Behavioural disorders, IRCCS-AOUBO, Policlinico Sant'Orsola, Bologna, Italy
Vincenza Frisardi, MD
MD, SR. Geriatric unit and Center for Cognitive and Behavioural disorders, IRCCS-AOUBO, Policlinico Sant'Orsola, Bologna, ItalyMember of CEO at the Italian Psychogeriatric Association-Emilia Romagna. Dr. Vincenza Frisardi is an accomplished geriatrician and gerontologist working at the Department of Geriatrics, Center for Cognitive and Behavioural Disorders at IRCCS-AOUBO, Policlinico Sant' Orsola in Bologna, Italy. She holds a master's degree in "Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: The Cochrane Collaboration Group" and project management in healthcare. She has also achieved high professional certification in "Head Manager for Complex Structures in the Healthcare system". Dr. Frisardi has extensive experience in mental health research, neurodegenerative disorders, lifestyle factors, mood disorders, and dementia-related disorders. She has published over 100 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals listed in PubMed. Currently, she serves as an associate editor for peer-reviewed journals and is a member of the CEO at the Italian Psychogeriatric Association-Emilia Romagna. Dr. Frisardi has won numerous awards recognizing her contributions to the field of geriatrics. She was awarded the 34th SIGOT national meeting's top prize for her communication on "Preventing Delirium in Acute Stroke: Lessons from the Comprehensive Geriatric Approach." She is also involved in European consortia for grant applications and works as the Principal Investigator in funded Horizon projects. Dr. Frisardi is a member of expert panels for guideline review on dementia and MCI and is part of the Scientific Consultant Group at the Italian Geriatric Hospital and Territory Society.
Tanja Å pes
Research Assistant University of Maribor
Tanja Å pes
Research Assistant University of MariborTanja Å pes holds a master's degree in psychology and works as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor. She is currently working on the following projects: The role of social context in bullying: promoting inclusive school by shaping positive peer culture, Empowerment of ageing adults: Self-regulatory mechanisms and support of digital technology in achieving higher quality of life, and SMILE - Mental Health in Young People: Integrated Methodology for Clinical Decisions and evidence-based interventions.
Ana Rehberger
Researcher University of Maribor
Ana Rehberger
Researcher University of MariborAna Rehberger is a psychologist by education, employed at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of University of Maribor, Slovenia, where she is working as a researcher on multidisciplinary european projects. In addition to researching anxiety in her job, she is also interested in emotion dynamics, which is also a field of research of her PhD dissertation. In Timisoara, her team will be presenting workshops that have been carried out for children and adolescents for the purposes of one of the mentioned projects.
Iris Kerst
Programme Manager Inholland University of Applied Sciences
Iris Kerst
Programme Manager Inholland University of Applied SciencesIris Kerst is program manager of the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab location Rotterdam and of the Expertise Network Sustainable Urban Tourism, both initiatives of the Inholland University of Applied Sciences. In her daily work, she tries to bridge education, research and the field.
Pieter Breek
Lecturer at Leisure & Events Management department, Inholland University of Applied Sciences
Pieter Breek
Lecturer at Leisure & Events Management department, Inholland University of Applied SciencesPieter Breek is a lecturer at the Leisure & Events Management department, Inholland University of Applied Sciences. He is coordinator of the International Music Industry Lab and senior researcher for the Innovation in the Music Industry research group. He focuses on two topics. Music ecosystems in relation to urban development and the impact of social media on the social forces involved in the construction of places. His work has been published in City & Community, the Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, the Journal of Place Management and Development, and the Journal of Urban Affairs.
Donagh Horgan
Academic & Practitioner Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Erasmus University Rotterdam
Donagh Horgan
Academic & Practitioner Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Erasmus University RotterdamDonagh Horgan is a researcher-practitioner and a 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, he follows a regenerative perspective, consulting with governments and place-based ecosystems on socio-spatial transformation.
Alba Arias
Research Associate Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Alba Arias
Research Associate Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and ArtsArchitect and expert in energy efficiency and sustainability in building and urban planning. She is researcher that mainly works on projects related to sustainable and resilient urban transition, focusing on the implementation and establishment of living lab approach. She is currently actively working in the social innovation, studying ways and tools to engage, raise-awareness and co-create with local stakeholders, especially the citizens, the future of the cities.
Machteld Combé
Project Manager at the Department of Innovation at the City of Amsterdam
Machteld Combé
Project Manager at the Department of Innovation at the City of AmsterdamMachteld Combé is an experienced Project Manager at the Department of Innovation at the City of Amsterdam. She is known for her social innovation skills, currently working at the Innovation Department of the Municipality of Amsterdam on the Horizon Europe project CommuniCity. With a passion for community building and an ability to think outside the box, she bridges the worlds of people and systems. Throughout her career, Machteld has played a key role in developing policy frameworks that promote community rights and social inclusion through participation and co-creation. Her commitment to community building and empowerment has helped to kick-start resident initiatives that have brought real change to Amsterdam's diverse communities. Above all, Machteld is a passionate and interested person committed to positively impacting the world around her.
Claudia Pennese
Researcher and Director spin-off RB3 Innovación Urbana Integrada
Claudia Pennese
Researcher and Director spin-off RB3 Innovación Urbana IntegradaDoctor of Architecture and Equality Agent. Expert in urban regeneration, social innovation, co-creation processes and urban feminism. She is a university researcher and director of the spin-off RB3 Innovación Urbana Integrada. She has always intertwined research with professional work in the conviction that the two spheres interpenetrate, and one enhances the quality and effectiveness of the other and vice versa.
Neeltje Pavicic
Project Manager at the department of Innovation at City of Amsterdam
Neeltje Pavicic
Project Manager at the department of Innovation at City of AmsterdamNeeltje Pavicic studied media, philosophy, and sociology. Her career included working as IT consultant and as editor-in-chief of the Dutch public documentary channel NPO Doc and directing a nationally aired documentary on ‘iPad schools’. Currently, she is working at the Municipality of Amsterdam as a Project Manager at the department of Innovation. Her main focus is the EU-project CommuniCity, on fostering development of tech solutions for marginalized groups in cities across Europe.
Beatriz Rivela
Co Founder - Head of Science Culturambiente inViable
Beatriz Rivela
Co Founder - Head of Science Culturambiente inViableBorn in a village in Galicia, Beatriz Rivela (BeÃña) studied Chemical Engineering and journeyed to the South of Chile to design and implement a clean production program. What she gleaned from her experience, while working in a semi-artisanal leather tannery in the Araucania Region, is that fundamental distinctions in the design and execution of programs are crucial for ensuring business sustainability. This realisation led her to embrace the Life Cycle Approach. Since then, all her academic research and professional fieldwork have revolved around the study, application, and promotion of life cycle conceptual processes and tools. BeÃña possesses a wealth of experience in environmental sustainability, showcased by her significant work in life cycle analysis and eco-innovation. Her founding roles at inViable and Culturambiente exemplify her commitment to integrating environmental considerations with social values, promoting eco-friendly cultural change. At the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (Ecuador), she led efforts to integrate sustainability across the institution's fabric, crafting a vision for a research-oriented and socially engaged university. Her guidance in sustainable campus initiatives reflected a dedication to environmental stewardship and educational excellence. Her expertise was further exemplified at Plan International Ecuador, where she advocated for sustainable livelihoods, translating research into impactful community initiatives. Her extensive experience in community engagement and outreach programs has been vital in fostering collaborations that transform academic research into societal benefits, demonstrating a keen understanding of the interconnectedness of ecological, educational, and social systems.
Sara Neves
Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Department Domus Social, E.M., City of Porto
Sara Neves
Coordinator of the Studies and Planning Department Domus Social, E.M., City of PortoSara Neves holds degrees in Architecture and in Urban Policies and Territorial Planning, with postgraduate studies in Housing Policy Instruments and in Project Management. She currently coordinates the Studies and Planning Department at Domus Social, E.M. - the municipal company dedicated to managing Public Social Housing in the city of Porto. Previously, she has worked on design and construction projects across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her work included facilitating participatory social-spatial surveys, collaborative planning processes, and guided self-construction, with a focus on promoting socio-territorial justice and preserving diversity and micro-cultures. Additionally, Sara engages in cultural and educational activities that advocate architecture, construction, and territorial planning as topics of common interest that should be discussed and participated in by everyone.
Juan Freire
Co-founder inViable
Juan Freire
Co-founder inViableJuan Freire has had a distinguished career, leading numerous multidisciplinary teams across scientific, corporate, and startup environments. His expertise spans the rapid development and prototyping of new products, ideas, and projects, as well as overseeing the entire lifecycle from market launch to operation and continuous improvement of products and services. Juan's work is firmly grounded in scientific methodologies, characterised by a critical, data-intensive, and experimental approach, as well as design principles that prioritise strategic and user-centred thinking. Much of his professional journey has been dedicated to the development and extensive utilisation of digital platforms and products, often collaborating with and leading digital teams. With a strong foundation in sustainability and environmental sciences, Juan's academic background was cultivated primarily within university and spin-off settings. In 2011, he made a significant transition from academia to strategy and innovation consultancy, simultaneously founding various entrepreneurial ventures. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found 10 companies and startups, each focused on areas such as sustainability, education, technology, innovation, and design. Notably, from 2017 to 2023, Juan played integral roles at Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of Latin America's leading universities, where he contributed significantly to educational and digital innovation and drove organisational transformation through his various leadership positions. Juan has developed a long career working with fisheries and marine ecosystem management, including participating in and leading several projects focused on Marine Protected Areas both in Europe and Latin America. In those projects, one of the strategic objectives was community participation to promote both environmental and socio-economic sustainability.
Julia Costa Carneiro
Research Lead, Knowle West Media Centre
Julia Costa Carneiro
Research Lead, Knowle West Media CentreJulia works with organisations and initiatives to design processes and interventions for civic innovation for over 10 years. In her arts-based approach on collaborative action research she applies systems thinking and knowledges for social-ecological transformation to build capacity for experimentation and collective learning towards just urban futures.
Martha King
Creative Co-Director, Bristol Living Lab (KWMC)
Martha King
Creative Co-Director, Bristol Living Lab (KWMC)Martha King is the Creative Co-Director at Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC). She has over 10 year’s experience of producing citizen led participatory arts and digital projects. At KWMC she has developed and delivered co-creation programmes exploring, data ethics, AI, commons-based approaches and citizen sensing. 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’.
Clara Collett
Data and Insights Lead
Clara Collett
Data and Insights LeadClara is a socially engaged practitioner with over 10 years’ experience specialising in working with young people and the community. Clara is a reflective practice advocator and champions data collection and embedding creative evaluation in programme design. Passionate about accessibility in the arts, tech and digital sector and ensuring participants voices are amplified throughout the programmes at KWMC and beyond.
Paper Presenters
Leen Broeckx
Panel Manager LiCalab/Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Leen Broeckx
Panel Manager LiCalab/Thomas More University of Applied SciencesLeen holds a Master’s degree in Communication Science and a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies. In 2013, Leen joined the LiCalab team at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences as panel manager. Her role within the team is to manage and guide the panel of more than 350 citizens, care organisations and caregivers. She supervises the Living Lab activities: from recruitment, scenario writing, guiding group discussions and real-life tests through the processing the results. Leen champions Human Centered Design and she strongly believes in the participatory approach to healthcare innovation.
Fumiya Akasaka
Researcher National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
Fumiya Akasaka
Researcher National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)Fumiya Akasaka Ph.D., is a Researcher in service design and co-design at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan.
Eleni Toli
Research associate and Senior Project Manager Athena RC and at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of Athens
Eleni Toli
Research associate and Senior Project Manager Athena RC and at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of AthensEleni Toli is a research associate and Senior Project Manager at the Athena RC and at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of Athens. She is a member of AE4RIA, the Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Αephoria (https://ae4ria.org/). She has been involved in the scientific and technical coordination of several EU-funded projects related to Open Science and Open Data, European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), Research Data Infrastructures, Data Repositories and Digital Social Innovation. She has been working on methodologies for specifications and requirements elicitation for the development of ICT solutions and on tools for stakeholder engagement.
Christos Marinos-Kouris
Research associate, Athena RC and at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of Athens
Christos Marinos-Kouris
Research associate, Athena RC and at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of AthensChristos Marinos-Kouris is a research associate working at project management at the Athena RC and at the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of Athens. He has been involved in the scientific and technical coordination of several EU-funded projects related to Digital Transformation, Open Data, European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), Research Data Infrastructures, Digital Social Innovation. He has been working on methodologies for specifications and requirements elicitation for the development of ICT solutions and on tools for stakeholder engagement.
Sonja Pedell
Director of the Swinburne Living Lab
Sonja Pedell
Director of the Swinburne Living LabProfessor Sonja Pedell has 20 years of experience in evidence-based research, advocacy and participatory design processes. She carries out research working with many different user groups including older adults, culturally diverse groups, homeless people, people with low income and people living with chronic illnesses or dementia. Sonja is Director of the Swinburne Living Lab which is now the oldest accredited active Australian member in the European Network of Living Labs (EnoLL). The Living Lab has developed core development capabilities in the area of innovative socio-technical systems and design solutions for “wellbeing and enjoyment for whole of lifeâ€. Via co-design she brings those with technical expertise and lived experience together to design meaningful products, services and experiences in their environments and develop innovative solutions that people readily adopt, as they fit with their actual needs and goals. Sonja conducts evaluates the effectiveness of these products, services and experiences with a focus on how they benefit people’s lives.
Nurhan Abujidi
Professor at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Head of the Smart Urban Redesign research centre.
Nurhan Abujidi
Professor at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Head of the Smart Urban Redesign research centre.Nurhan Abujidi is an architect and urban designer , she holds a doctor’s degree in Architecture, Urban Design and Regional Planning from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) Nurhan Abujidi is currently Professor at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands, where she is the Head of the Smart Urban Redesign research centre. She leads urban renewal projects in multiple neighbourhoods and cities in Limburg,. She started and developed the concept and model of Urban Living labs in Limburg under the program UniveCity in 5 cities including Maastricht, Heerlen, Sitttard Geleen, Roermond and Weert.. Her expertise includes urban renewal, public space revitalisation, Urban Living labs, tactical urbanism, circular cities and communities.
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 PhD researcher at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI), interested in knowledge governance in the co-creation of social innovations. Prior to PGI, he worked as a consultant in research & innovation policy in the United Kingdom, Latin America and the Caribbean, and as a lecturer and researcher on the fields of Policy Studies, Public Administration and Science & Technology Studies in Colombia.
Prof. dr. Trui Steen
Director and Full Professor of Public Governance and Coproduction of Public Services, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI)
Prof. dr. Trui Steen
Director and Full Professor of Public Governance and Coproduction of Public Services, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI)Prof. dr. Trui Steen is the director of the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute (PGI) and a Full Professor of Public Governance and Coproduction of Public Services at the same institute. Her research covers the governance of public tasks, the role of public service professionals, co-creation and co-production of public services, collaborative innovation, public sector innovation, and local governance. prof. Steen holds a PhD in Social Sciences from KU Leuven.
Nele De Witte
Senior Researcher Centre of expertise Care and Well-being, LiCaLab/Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
Nele De Witte
Senior Researcher Centre of expertise Care and Well-being, LiCaLab/Thomas More University of Applied SciencesNele A.J. De Witte works at the Centre of expertise Care and Well-being at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. She holds a PhD in Psychology and has over 10 years of research experience, mostly in practice-oriented research. She is the scientific coordinator of LiCalab Living and Care lab. At LiCalab, dr. De Witte is committed to the scientific valorization of living lab methodologies and supports the design of user research.
Melania Mihalcea
Research Assistant & Filmmaker at Halmstad University.
Melania Mihalcea
Research Assistant & Filmmaker at Halmstad University.Melania Mihalcea is a Research Assistant & Filmmaker at Halmstad University. She is part of the GREEN-LOG project, and the REBEL research programme. She has an MA in English Literature & Film, and is interested in integrating audiovisual methods of participatory design in Living Lab projects centred around sustainable living."
Yui Murakami
Visiting Researcher at the Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives at Osaka University
Yui Murakami
Visiting Researcher at the Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives at Osaka UniversityYui Murakami is a visiting researcher at the Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives at Osaka University. She was involved in the establishment of a collaborative center that bridges industry, academia, government, and the private sector, driving forward various projects. Her research focuses on fostering co-creation with local communities, aiming to develop innovative solutions that benefit society.
Dr. Steffi Kohl
Senior Researcher at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Steffi Kohl
Senior Researcher at Zuyd University of Applied SciencesDr. Steffi Kohl is a Senior Researcher at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, specializing in Human Data Interaction and Visual Cognition. Her research explores the intersection of human behavior and data, aiming to enhance our understanding of how people interact with and perceive complex information. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Kohl is actively involved in the ELSA Lab on Poverty and Debt in Heerlen, Netherlands, where she contributes to interdisciplinary research addressing societal challenges related to financial hardship. Her work bridges the gap between technology and human experience, with a strong commitment to impactful, community-driven research.
Poorya Eghtesadi
Poorya Eghtesadi
Poorya is an architect and urban designer with a Bachelor’s degree from Tehran University and a Master’s degree from KU Leuven in Belgium. My work is cantered on urban transformation, with a strong emphasis on fostering just cities and advancing ecological resilience.
Despoina Mantziari
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Research Associate
Despoina Mantziari
Thessaloniki Action for Health & Wellbeing LL, AUTH Lab of Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Research AssociateDespoina Mantziari is a Ph.D. candidate at AUTH School of Journalism and Mass Communication, researching Active Patient Involvement and Patient Empowerment with new technologies and telemedicine. She holds a postgraduate degree in "Journalism and New Media" from AUTH and is pursuing a Master's in "Aging and Chronic Disease Management" at Hellenic Open University. Since 2018, she has been a Research Associate in the AUTH Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation. She is assistant coordinator in the EC JRC City Science Initiative “Thessaloniki: Mental Health & Wellbeing†Working Group since 2019, as well as in the 3-starred “Thessaloniki AHA Ecosystem†Reference Site of the European Innovation Partnership on Active & Healthy Ageing since 2018. Her research interests include Citizen Science, participatory research, and Living Labs. She has experience in stakeholder networking, event organization, and research dissemination
Sofia Scroppo
Designer and Researcher, University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany
Sofia Scroppo
Designer and Researcher, University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, GermanySofia Scroppo is a designer and researcher, currently working at the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany. She holds a MA in Eco-Social Design from the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. Her research focusses on the field of social justice in the energy transition, specifically looking at opportunities and obstacles for citizen participation in shaping a more sustainable energy sector. She is currently working on a research project, which implements the Living Lab approach to co-design and develop communication formats to engage people in actively participating in the energy transition. As a designer, she has collaborated with public administrations, social cooperatives, and research centers. In her practice, she pursues participatory design methods, visual storytelling and strategic design thinking in projects addressing social justice and environmental sustainability.
Violaine Coard
Research Program Coordinator and Project Manager, Smart Living Lab
Violaine Coard
Research Program Coordinator and Project Manager, Smart Living LabViolaine Coard is a research program coordinator and project manager specialized in stakeholder management, environment analysis, innovation, and value creation. With a deep understanding of both academic and market dynamics, she is dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge transfer in the sustainability sector, by leveraging Living Lab methods and tools. At the Smart Living Lab, she is currently developing a coaching program tailored to support Living Lab managers.
Chiara Ceseracciu
PhD Candidate in Sustainable Development and Climate Change at the Desertification Research Center of the University of Sassari
Chiara Ceseracciu
PhD Candidate in Sustainable Development and Climate Change at the Desertification Research Center of the University of SassariChiara Ceseracciu is currently pursuing her PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change at the Desertification Research Center of the University of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy). After completing her MSc in Social Policy and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2019, she has worked in the field of international development cooperation. In November 2021 she started a PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Her research focuses on participatory co-researching approaches to tackle agro-environmental sustainability challenges, with a focus on developing strategies for effective water governance, enhancing soil health, and facilitating climate change adaptation in Mediterranean rural socio-ecological systems.
Hae-Yung Song, PhD
Research Professor, IPAID - Yonsei University
Hae-Yung Song, PhD
Research Professor, IPAID - Yonsei UniversityHae-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, Yonsei University and works on the contact points between critical pedagogy and active learning including living labs.
Dr Deniz Ikiz Kaya
Assistant Professor, Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology
Dr Deniz Ikiz Kaya
Assistant Professor, Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of TechnologyDr Deniz Ikiz Kaya is Assistant Professor on Heritage and Climate Change within the Department of the Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology, NL. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Architecture awarded by the Oxford Brookes University, UK. Her expertise lies in the cultural heritage field and its conjunction with the sustainable development, climate mitigation and adaptation agendas. Her research interests concentrate on exploring and assessing how the existing buildings, cities and landscapes are transformed and reshaped under the impacts of climate change, and how their protection, continued use and adaptation can be ensured in a sustainable, inclusive, and innovative way while capturing and managing their inherent values in response to the existing societal challenges. She has coordinated an Erasmus+ KA203 project (e-CREHA, 2020-2023), and has functioned as Work Package Leader in two EU-funded Horizon RIA projects (THETIDA Horizon Europe, 2023-2026; CLIC H2020, 2017-2021), conducting Living Labs and employing participatory methods to engage a wide range of stakeholders and communities in research and innovation actions
Paloma Guzmán, PhD
Paloma Guzmán, PhD
Paloma Guzmán holds a PhD from Eindhoven University of Technology, a Master's in World Heritage Studies, and a Bachelor's in Architecture. Her research centers on integrating cultural heritage into sustainability policies, particularly climate adaptation. She examines how cultural heritage can act as a transformative agent in climate responses, aiming to align heritage management with broader urban development and sustainability goals through policy integration and the Historic Urban Landscape approach.
Magdalena Zatorska
Research Fellow at the Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw
Magdalena Zatorska
Research Fellow at the Faculty of Management, University of WarsawResearch Fellow at the Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw Magdalena is a social researcher and ethnographer, believing in open innovation and the power of dialogue and collaboration. Since 2019, she has been developing the EIT Food RIS Consumer Engagement Labs: a realm where consumers and food innovators seamlessly participate in shaping the future of food. In 2019-2023, the co-creation processes involved 106 consumer panels, 25 scientific organizations and 55 companies from 19 European countries, who worked together to design, develop and introduce to the market 30 innovative food products.
Dr Christine Mady
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Aalto University
Dr Christine Mady
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Aalto UniversityDr. Christine Mady is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Aalto University since 2022. Prior to this position, she was Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Lebanon, and Department Head 2016-2020. Her research on Beirut’s public spaces established alternative readings related to instability, divides, mobility, spatio-temporal aspects and everyday life, with implications for broader research on roles and rights to public space. Christine is an active advisory board member of the AESOP Thematic Group on Public Spaces and Urban Cultures.
Dimitri Schuurman
Program Manager, imec
Dimitri Schuurman
Program Manager, imecDimitri holds the position of university business development manager 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 also a visiting professor strategic design and innovation management at Ghent University in the industrial design studies and partly works for the European Network of Living Labs as senior research strategist. Since 2015 Dimitri holds a PhD on innovation management in Living Labs from Ghent University (UGent) and the Free University of Brussels (VUB in which he developed a three-layered model that is now widely used in Living Lab research as well as practice. He published more than 200 academic papers, acted as guest editor for multiple" journals and for over ten years leads a special interest group on Living Labs in the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM). Finally, since recently, Dimitri is also active as an independent consultant in the domains of open innovation, user innovation and strategic innovation management.
Morgan Ricard
PhD candidate of Politecnico di Milano
Morgan Ricard
PhD candidate of Politecnico di MilanoMorgan Ricard is a PhD candidate of Politecnico di Milano, where she belongs to interdisciplinary STEP-Change (Science, Technology, and Policy for Sustainable Change) doctoral program. With a PSSD (Product-Service System Design) background, Morgan is implementing design research methodologies to study learning for capability building, collective sensemaking, and systemic change. As part of her EU-funded research, Morgan is heavily involved in the NetZeroCities project.
Beata Jałocha, PhD
Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication
Beata Jałocha, PhD
Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social CommunicationBeata Jałocha, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication. Her research focuses on project management, projectification processes, and participatory forms of collaboration (Action Research, Living Labs).
Marta Najda Janoszka
Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Jagiellonian University in Krakow
Marta Najda Janoszka
Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Jagiellonian University in KrakowMarta Najda-Janoszka is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Her research focuses on the intersection of strategic management and entrepreneurship, with particular emphasis on the institutional perspective of value co-creation and capture dynamics within multi-stakeholder environments. She also conducts extensive studies on innovation, examining how innovative practices and policies impact strategic management and entrepreneurial activities. Her research aligns with a regional perspective, exploring how local contexts and regional policies influence business ecosystems and stakeholder interactions. She specializes in qualitative research.
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Senior lecturer - Assistant professor - in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and is the Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Senior lecturer - Assistant professor - in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and is the Managing Director of Botnia Living LabAbdolrasoul (Rasoul) Habibipour, Ph.D. is a senior lecturer (Assistant professor) in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and is the Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab, Sweden. His research focuses on participatory design and user engagement in information systems development processes, with a particular emphasis on Living Labs. Rasoul has been involved in teaching and supervising students at the bachelor, master, and Ph.D. levels and has published several journal and conference articles on his research topic. He has been involved in several international innovation and research projects as the project coordinator and project leader.
Beata Jałocha, PhD
Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication
Beata Jałocha, PhD
Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social CommunicationBeata Jałocha, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Management and Social Communication. Her research focuses on project management, projectification processes, and participatory forms of collaboration (Action Research, Living Labs).
Marta Najda Janoszka
Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Jagiellonian University in Krakow
Marta Najda Janoszka
Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Jagiellonian University in KrakowMarta Najda-Janoszka is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Her research focuses on the intersection of strategic management and entrepreneurship, with particular emphasis on the institutional perspective of value co-creation and capture dynamics within multi-stakeholder environments. She also conducts extensive studies on innovation, examining how innovative practices and policies impact strategic management and entrepreneurial activities. Her research aligns with a regional perspective, exploring how local contexts and regional policies influence business ecosystems and stakeholder interactions. She specializes in qualitative research.
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Senior lecturer - Assistant professor - in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and is the Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab
Abdolrasoul Habibipour
Senior lecturer - Assistant professor - in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and is the Managing Director of Botnia Living LabAbdolrasoul (Rasoul) Habibipour, Ph.D. is a senior lecturer (Assistant professor) in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and is the Managing Director of Botnia Living Lab, Sweden. His research focuses on participatory design and user engagement in information systems development processes, with a particular emphasis on Living Labs. Rasoul has been involved in teaching and supervising students at the bachelor, master, and Ph.D. levels and has published several journal and conference articles on his research topic. He has been involved in several international innovation and research projects as the project coordinator and project leader.
Anton Sentic
Living Lab and Transitions Researcher,Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Anton Sentic
Living Lab and Transitions Researcher,Zurich University of Applied SciencesAnton 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 Transitions 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.
Julien Forbat, PhD
University of Geneva
Julien Forbat, PhD
University of GenevaJulien Forbat holds a PhD in interdisciplinary sciences from the University of Geneva. His research interests focus on environmental health policies and cross-disciplinary studies. His current affiliation is with the Department of Sociology at the University of Geneva, where he is involved in the implementation of living labs related to energy transition and well-being.â€
Esbjörn Ebbesson
PhD Candidate and Lecturer in informatics, Halmstad University in Sweden
Esbjörn Ebbesson
PhD Candidate and Lecturer in informatics, Halmstad University in SwedenEsbjörn Ebbesson is PhD student and lecturer in informatics at Halmstad University in Sweden. His research interests are living labs, participatory design, and methods for co-design. He primarily works with approaches centred on user involvement and/or design ethnographic approaches. He is currently focusing on co-design within living labs and the design of future mobility services. Recent publications concern transformation games and dynamics in co-design.
Jesper Lund
Senior Researcher in Informatics at Halmstad University in Sweden
Jesper Lund
Senior Researcher in Informatics at Halmstad University in SwedenJesper Lund is a senior researcher in Informatics at Halmstad University in Sweden. His research interest is primarily focused on living labs and participatory design approaches. This includes areas such as ethnographic user studies and the design and evaluation of digital products and services. He is currently engaged in research concerning digital innovation connected to smart cities and communities and future mobility. His research has been published in a wide array of conferences and journals in the fields of information systems, human-computer interaction, and open and user-driven innovation.
Gregor Cerinšek, PhD
Senior Impact Strategist at Halmstad University, Sweden, and the Head of the Department for Applied Social Science Research at the Institute for Innovation and Development of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Gregor Cerinšek, PhD
Senior Impact Strategist at Halmstad University, Sweden, and the Head of the Department for Applied Social Science Research at the Institute for Innovation and Development of the University of Ljubljana, SloveniaGregor Cerinšek, PhD, is a Senior Impact Strategist at Halmstad University, Sweden, and the Head of the Department for Applied Social Science Research at the Institute for Innovation and Development of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. His research focuses on the advancement and assessment of diverse participatory models in urban living labs, emphasizing interdisciplinary co-creation and citizen engagement. His expertise also lies in understanding the complexities of European research and development projects, as well as established project networks. His recent book, The Backstage of European Projects, offers an anthropological exploration of the practices and rituals involved in European project management.
Dr. Carole Rodon
PhD in Social Psychology (University Paris-Nanterre) and psychologist in private practice
Dr. Carole Rodon
PhD in Social Psychology (University Paris-Nanterre) and psychologist in private practiceDr. Carole Rodon, PhD in Social Psychology (University Paris-Nanterre) and psychologist in private practice Since 2017, Dr. Carole Rodon has been a research engineer at the University Gustave Eiffel, within the Accident Mechanisms Research Laboratory (LMA) based in Salon-de-Provence in the south of France (Campus Mediterranean). Using an integrative approach, her work aims to contribute to the development of transversal models for the prevention of societal risks: road safety, natural hazards, and health and terrorist risks (radicalization legitimizing the use of violence). She is involved in interdisciplinary projects and is newly engaged in developing MOUVEDIS, a living lab dedicated to current and future mobility issues in a medium-sized city. The themes concern vulnerable users, electromobility, the scalable automation of vehicles, intermodality, the impact of digital technology on travel and its regulation, the coexistence of mobility in public spaces, etc.
Lorenzo Labellarte
Researcher and Consultant at CIHEAM Bar
Lorenzo Labellarte
Researcher and Consultant at CIHEAM BarLorenzo Labellarte is a researcher and consultant at CIHEAM Bari, mainly collaborating in the field of youth entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. After a master’s degree in international relations and European studies, he starts working at CIHEAM Bari designing, implementing, and supporting the management of EU and international projects mostly focused on the Mediterranean region. His main area of expertise deals with combining the theme of innovation for the sustainability of agrifood systems with participatory approaches.
Dr Teemu Santonen
Principal Lecturer Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Dr Teemu Santonen
Principal Lecturer Laurea University of Applied SciencesDr Teemu Santonen holds a DSc (Econ.) degree in Information Systems Science. Since 2006 he has been acting as a principal lecturer at the Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland focusing on open innovation and living lab research. He has published over 80 scientific articles including 15 publications covering living lab methods, services, business models, innovation network orchestration and case studies. Santonen has coordinated and participated in numerous international/national living lab and open innovation projects in various domains including “health and wellbeingâ€, “creative industriesâ€, “circular economy/sustainability†and “pedagogical developmentâ€. He has been an ENoLL council member since 2022 and is co-leading ENoLL Harmonization working group aiming to reconcile differences and promote coherence in living lab practices. He is also a scientific panel member of ENoLL and the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) and is a former board member of the Finnish Strategic Management Society. Prior his academic career Santonen was working over a decade as a development manager in leading Finnish financial, media and ICT sector organizations. Santonen also co-founded Finland’s first neuromarketing research company and holds a patent. The Finnish Inventor Support Association have honoured Santonen’s crowdsourcing project as the best school related innovation in Finland.
Anne-Mari Sandell
Project Manager and Communications Specialist, Forum Virium Helsinki
Anne-Mari Sandell
Project Manager and Communications Specialist, Forum Virium HelsinkiAnne-Mari Sandell has been working at Forum Virium Helsinki as Project Manager over 15 years successfully leading and supporting projects fostering urban innovation and activating living-lab communities under various topics. Her expertise and passion lie particularly in agile piloting programs, and the application of service design methodologies for co-creating inclusive smart city solutions. Anne-Mari has played a key role in several international projects, particularly those focused on developing future robotics, fostering smart city innovations, and cultivating living-lab ecosystems. She has a proven track record of successfully developing and implementing open call initiatives at both national and international levels. Currently, Anne-Mari serves as the Open Call Work Package Lead for CommuniCity, a European project aimed at creating more inclusive and sustainable cities through innovative technologies, co-creation and community engagement. Anne-Mari holds a Master of Science in Economics from the University of Vaasa and is currently completing a Master's degree in Service Design at Laurea University of Applied Sciences.
Elias Blanckaert
User Researcher
Elias Blanckaert
User ResearcherElias is a user researcher whose primary research activities center on innovating the media landscape through the application of new technologies. He places a strong emphasis on utilizing living lab environments and co-creation methodologies. He contributed to the European Möbius project, which seeks to modernize the European book publishing industry with a particular focus on unlocking the potential of prosumers and delivering enriched media experiences. Since 2024, Elias has been involved in the European Presence project, which aims to enhance the impact of immersive human-to-human and human-machine interactions. This project delivers a comprehensive toolset of technologies, including holoportation, haptics, and virtual humans, integrated and demonstrated in XR professional and social environments, with thorough analysis conducted through user studies.
Denis Guilhot, PhD
Senior Innovation Engineer in the Innovation department of BMAT
Denis Guilhot, PhD
Senior Innovation Engineer in the Innovation department of BMATDenis Guilhot, PhD in Optoelectronics from the University of Southampton (UK), and master in Electronics and Optoelectronics (Physics) from the University of Montpellier (France), is a senior innovation engineer in the Innovation department of BMAT. Denis has extensive experience in R&D project management, innovation, technology transfer, IPR management and business development based on the exploitation of R&D results. Expert in public financing programs, evaluator, reviewer in funding programs, scientific journals and publications, he has been working for 3 years at BMAT Music Innovation, the Operating System for the Music Industry.
Matthias Vogel
PhD Candidate, University of Siegen
Matthias Vogel
PhD Candidate, University of SiegenMatthias Vogel is pursuing a PhD at the University of Siegen, where he is part of the Chair of Service Development in SMEs and Crafts. His dissertation focuses on a system-theoretical analysis of the lab format.
Hee-Sook Yoo, PhD
Director of Regional Digital Industry Team at National IT Industry Promotion Agency, South Korea and Advisory member of the Police Lab at Korean National Police Agency
Hee-Sook Yoo, PhD
Director of Regional Digital Industry Team at National IT Industry Promotion Agency, South Korea and Advisory member of the Police Lab at Korean National Police AgencyPh.D. in Management Information Systems, Sungkyunkwan University Director of Regional Digital Industry Team at National IT Industry Promotion Agency, South Korea Advisory member of the Police Lab at Korean National Police Agency Former Invited Reseacher of Health Informatics Research Lab at School of Computing, National University of Singapore Former Visiting Professor of Business School at the Sungkyunkwan University Research Fields: Digital Transformation, Living Labs for Local Digital Innovation, Digital Healthcare System and Crossing Border Collaborations for the Digital Innovation, etc.
Hee-Dae Kim,PhD
Director General at Daegu Technopark, South Korea
Hee-Dae Kim,PhD
Director General at Daegu Technopark, South KoreaPh.D. in Technology and Business Management at KAIST Director General at Daegu Technopark, South Korea Director General at Daegu Creative Living Labs (D-Lab, member of ENoLL ) Director of Korea Innovation Growth Engine Smart City Project (Citizen Participation Smart City Service Development) Research Fields: innovation systems from industries to society, urban design based on ICT technology, smart city living labs, smart communication platform based on citizen participation, digital transition, network society, datanomics, etc.
Úna Hussey
Project Manager at the Hunt Museum in Limerick
Úna Hussey
Project Manager at the Hunt Museum in LimerickÚna Hussey is a project manager at the Hunt Museum in Limerick, Ireland, specialising in cross-institutional collaboration and community-driven projects. Úna is the project manager of a pivotal work package for the RECHARGE project. This RECHARGE work package is testing participatory business models in ‘Living Labs’ to learn about diversifying funding streams for the cultural heritage sector. Úna has worked in the education area tying collection objects from multiple cultural heritage institutions to educational resources. Her professional background includes extensive experience in healthcare and nonprofit project management. She holds an MA in Fashion and the Environment from the London College of Fashion.
Elena Malakhatka
Post Doc Researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, co-founder of VR Sci-Fest
Elena Malakhatka
Post Doc Researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, co-founder of VR Sci-FestElena Malakhatka is a Post Doc Researcher at Chalmers University Chalmers University of Technology (Architecture and Civil Engineering). Last eight years Elena works with Living Labs, mostly focusing on stakeholders’ engagement, user-centric research, and everyday experimental settings. Her current research is primary focused on the Energy-related behaviour strategies and User Research withing residential buildings.
Deanne Brettle
PhD Candidate, University of Birmingham
Deanne Brettle
PhD Candidate, University of BirminghamDeanne Brettle is a first year PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham, central England, UK. She has worked for the past 20 years in education and forestry. Deanne’s main research interests are urban forestry including successful urban tree establishment and tree equity. Deanne is part of the EU Horizon / UKRI funded research project CARMINE which will see the setup of eight Living Labs in 2024. She leads on the development of the Birmingham City Living Lab.
Prof Bernadene de Clercq
NRF-rated researcher in the College of Accounting Sciences at the University of South Africa
Prof Bernadene de Clercq
NRF-rated researcher in the College of Accounting Sciences at the University of South AfricaProf de Clercq is an NRF-rated researcher in the College of Accounting Sciences at the University of South Africa. Her research interest regarding pathways towards economic and financial wellbeing provides the platform for local and international collaboration, as she is a member of the OECD/INFE Research Committee as well as the G53 group – both international research networks consisting of researchers across the world focusing on the improvement of economic and financial well-being. Furthermore, she is an Associate Member of the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing (CPFW) at Aston University, UK and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM) at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her personal research interest is embedded in the quintuple helix innovation model, which allows for collaboration between government, academia, business and society towards sustainability. She is also a member of the South African National Committee on Financial Education (NCFEC), a national committee chaired by the National Treasury focused on developing and implementing the National Policy on Financial Education. Prof de Clercq’s research output to date include inter alia several research reports, conference proceedings (both local and international) and several academic articles.
Astha Bhatta
PhD Researcher in the CASTOR project at Delft University of Technology
Astha Bhatta
PhD Researcher in the CASTOR project at Delft University of TechnologyAstha is a PhD researcher in the CASTOR project at Delft University of Technology. Her current research, titled “Living lab: outcome mapping and learning†aims to understand the contribution of living labs in developing climate-resilient land and water system. Her work is focused on understanding learning within living lab environment and the roles living labs can play in evidence-based policy making. With background in Civil Engineering and Urban Environmental Management, she has interest in the field of innovation, co-creation, learning, sustainable transition, and climate-adaptation and policy analysis.
Dr. Jihene Malek
President of GDA Sidi Amor
Dr. Jihene Malek
President of GDA Sidi AmorDr. Jihene Malek, President of GDA Sidi Amor since December 2021, leads a pioneering Tunisian NGO focused on sustainable development. With 22 years of experience as a university lecturer in computer science, her research at Manouba University and Université Lille 1 emphasizes Technology-Enhanced Learning. She has authored over 16 scientific articles and has worked on projects in mobile, pervasive, and gamified learning, including the "Restore’it" Ecology game editor. At GDA Sidi Amor, Dr. Malek has played a key role in the formalization and management of the Sidi Amor Water Living Lab, contributing to its development and impact on water management and sustainability. Additionally, she is the General Secretary of the freelance network Prod’it and manages various development and research projects in sustainability, educational technology, and freelancing, supported by international organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, UE, ILO, PNUD, HSF, and WFP.