Future Internet LivingLab Budapest is an open innovation workshop involving different entities in the research & development and innovation process, including a wide range of user communities, and representatives of the academic sphere, as well as economic actors – small and medium enterprises, multinational companies, professional and regional organizations and research institutes.

What is a LivingLab?

It is a form of innovation that follows an open innovation philosophy representing user participation in the whole process and testing its developed technologies in real environments and real usage conditions, in addition to collecting and processing data about related user and environmental behaviour.

What is the aim of the LivingLab?

It’s aim is to help the research and development of Future Internet technologies, applications and services in infocommunications, and the practical usage and business capitalization of resulting intellectual works in Hungary.

What makes the LivingLab unique?

Our uniqueness is guaranteed by involving not only the domains related to the topic of Future Internet and their representatives but analysing every topic from several aspects, according to several disciplines. Therefore, not only the technological solutions are elaborated but also the impact of these on society and the regulatory environment are examined.

Which areas are studied by the LivingLab?

The activities of the LivingLab cover the reception and the conditions of application of innovative technologies, as well as their cultural integration and its variation over time. We also analyse the role of regulatory bodies, as well as the adequacy of relevant regulations and the potential need for their modification.

How do we process data?

The users try out and use real solutions of real companies and they give relevant feedback; we also measure user behaviour. For the topic of Internet of People, available data are collected primarily on the basis of community involvement. The data collected this way are processed using semantic technologies, including opinion mining solutions.

How does the LivingLab create value?

Leverage of common strategies of projects going in the same strategic direction: The procedures relating to user involvement and designed for a particular project are available for use in other projects too. The LivingLab guarantees user involvement into each project and allows community knowledge to be used during development. Usage of different technologies on the part of users can either amplify or cancel each other, thus the LivingLab’s approach based on integration and leveraging synergies is also able to study these phenomena.

How does the LivingLab work?

What kind of services does the LivingLab provide to its members?

• Collection of ideas: Exploring R&D ideas of users, user communities, other organizations and businesses active in Future Internet research, and connecting them into the LivingLab’s innovation system. The LivingLab supports practical implementation of innovative individual and community ideas with receptive R&D infrastructure and business incubation (idea-in approach).
• Design of research projects: The LivingLab’s operations focus not only on ideas and suggestions coming from outside but it also actively participates in the process of intellectual creation, thus, along with the implementation of external ideas, it generates innovation projects in the area of Future Internet.
• Support for the implementation of innovation ideas: during the integration of external and internal technological knowledge and the assessment of innovation ideas, we evaluate their best form and place of implementation (project, living lab, partner, consortium, startup, etc.)

As an addition to the innovation process, the LivingLab is also a catalyst and facilitator for novel methods of innovation financing and innovation management in the domain of pre-commercial procurement. The equipment purchasing procedure, being essential in certain areas, provides an opportunity to expand the supply chain and to increase the number of stakeholders. During the procedure, the experiences of and feedback from the users can be channelled into the different phases of PCP.

Which technological domains are covered by our activities?

Featured areas of activities: Internet of Things, Internet of People, Participatory Sensing (healthcare, transport, environmental protection), Sensor Networks, Semantic Technologies.

What is the official form of the LivingLab?

Future Internet LivingLab Budapest operates in the form of an association. The association is open for new members to join. During the implementation of the LivingLab, it is important to involve every stakeholder of the Future Internet topic, whether as a member of the association or as a joining user, so that full coverage of the ecosystem can be provided.

Who are invited to join us as a member?

• Academic institutes (technological and social sciences as well)
• Large industrial players, multinational companies from the technological vendor and user side as well
• Innovative small and medium enterprises
• Individual users interested in future internet technologies

Where can I get further information?

Péter Racskó, peter.racsko@uni-corvinus.hu