CONFERENCE
When the Distance LAB project began in 2023, we as the University of Latvia team expected serious work, careful planning, and long discussions across borders. All of that happened — but what surprised me most, was how often this work felt pleasant and even playful.
What if work felt less like a task list and more like a creative playground? We often think of innovation as a serious, structured process, confined to offices and spreadsheets. But our recent journey within the Distance LAB project has been a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most groundbreaking ideas emerge when we allow ourselves to be a little more playful.
Sometimes, the most groundbreaking ideas emerge when we allow ourselves to be a little more playful.
The primary mission of the Distance LAB project has always been clear: to develop digital tools for innovation, sustainability, and remote business that empower Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Baltic Sea region. While we’ve successfully created these tools, we also discovered the Living Lab approach. This methodology is a more dynamic, engaging, and fun way to interact with stakeholders during innovation sessions than traditional methods.
This is where the concept of Living Labs (LLs) came into focus for us in January 2024. A Living Lab isn’t just a place; it’s a methodology built on co-creation, user engagement, and real-life experimentation. It’s about closing the gap between the creator and the end-user, ensuring that what has been built is not just innovative but truly useful.
Our journey
Our journey to build our own Living Labs started with a series of online meetings, workshops, and expert consultations. To deepen my own understanding, I had the pleasure of attending 10 10 week learning course organised by the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). It was an incredibly fun and immersive experience. We were placed in groups based on our interests and tasked with building a Living Lab concept from scratch, exploring every angle from stakeholder mapping to value proposition. The collaborative energy was fantastic, and I was excited to share these hands-on lessons with my Distance LAB partners so they can apply the knowledge to create their own living labs.
Throughout 2024, our partners focused on defining their living labs. While our shared knowledge and methodology provided a strong foundation, the real breakthrough came on May 8th in Riga. We hosted a combined project partner meeting and a Living Labs Co-Creation Workshop that was anything but typical. Instead of a stuffy conference room with endless presentations, our expert facilitator, Charles Busmanis, kicked things off with lively activities to get our energy flowing. Then, he brought out the LEGOs.
Yes, LEGOs. What followed was a session of “serious play.”
What followed was a session of “serious play.” We used the colourful bricks to build visual representations of our ideas, challenges, and goals. This simple, playful act broke down communication barriers and allowed us to think in a completely different way, giving tangible form to abstract concepts. Building our ideas brick by brick, we moved from creative exploration to concrete action, with each partner focusing on developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for their own Living Lab. The room was buzzing with a kind of productive energy that only comes from genuine collaboration and creativity.
The culmination of our learning, building, and playful collaboration led to a major milestone. On June 4th, 2025, the University of Latvia together with our partners, officially launched the International Multidisciplinary Living Labs Network (IMLLN), establishing a central hub and a community of practice for our creative Living Labs.
At the core of this network are eight established Living Labs from across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, and Poland. Each specializes in a key area, including academic research, innovation, education, entrepreneurship, agri-food innovations, and sustainable urban development.
Looking back, this journey has been about so much more than just achieving a project objective. It has shown us that the path to innovation thrives in dynamic, human-centered, and yes, even playful environments. By embracing the Living Lab methodology, we aren’t just building tools; we’re building a community.
