New Environments for the Evaluation of Smart Living Solutions

Abstract

In recent years, the evolution of the technology and its adoption by the citizens has made possible the inclusion of new tools in the innovation processes. These tools have allowed the development of better products and services and the reduction of the time to market of these solutions for the benefit of all end users. In this context, the concept of Living Lab has emerged, as an open innovation ecosystem where stakeholders, including professionals, developers and end users, can cooperate on solutions to address relevant challenges using co-creation and evaluation methodologies. Living Labs can support and enhance the innovation process throughout the different phases of the value chain, and they can also act as the connectors between the needs (the users) and the offer (the suppliers). This chapter presents the Living Labs as the novel instruments for evaluating, assessing and validating innovative products, solutions or services in the particular domain of smart living environments.