Event
Tuesday, 29 September 2026 — Friday, 2 October 2026
We are pleased to participate once again in the annual flagship event of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). OpenLivingLab Days (OLLD) brings together living labbers, public officials, academics, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world to exchange best practices, collaborate on cutting-edge projects, and reflect on how human-centric innovation drives positive societal transformation.
This year, OLLD 2026 will take place in Belgium from 29 September to 2 October under the theme “Living Labs Impacts and Values for a Changing World”. The event will kick off on 29 September in Brussels with a high-level policy event involving EU institutions. On 30 September and 1 October, activities will move to Antwerp for panel discussions, workshops and research sessions, followed by visits to local Living Labs on 2 October.
As a founding member of ENoLL, i2CAT will participate in OLLD 2026 through its Digital Society Technologies research group. The team will showcase its initiatives and practical experience in applying the Living Lab methodology to address key societal, digital and technological challenges, sharing research findings on social value, innovation and collaboration between industry and academia.
The ENoLL General Assembly brings together network members to discuss governance, strategic priorities and future directions. The meeting provides an opportunity to contribute to the network's development and strengthen collaboration among its members.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT, as a member of the ENoLL Council.
The event, held at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels, will explore the role of Living Labs in shaping European policies and their capacity to connect experimentation, innovation, citizens and public policymaking. Discussions will focus on Living Labs as strategic infrastructures linking technological innovation with societal needs, and on the importance of strengthening their role in future European programmes and policy instruments.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT and member of the ENoLL Council, delivering the opening address.
More information about the session
The opening round table will examine the value that Living Labs create for society and how their impact can be made visible through evidence. The discussion will address the distinction between participation and co-creation and their actual impact on technologies, services, decision-making, governance and policies. It will also explore how Key Value Indicators (KVIs) can complement traditional KPIs to connect technological performance, user experience and social value, as well as their practical application in specific contexts.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT, contributing to the discussions on Value for Society and Social Value in Practice.
This practical workshop will explore a methodology for translating innovation values into Key Value Indicators (KVIs). Participants will work on identifying what matters to the different stakeholders involved in a Living Lab, operationalising these values and connecting them to indicators and evidence that make change measurable. The session will demonstrate how KVIs can complement traditional KPIs to assess not only whether a technology works, but also the value it generates and who benefits from it.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT.
The panel will explore how monitoring and evaluation can evolve into continuous learning processes that help Living Labs adapt their activities and maximise their impact. Discussions will address how Key Value Indicators (KVIs) can provide evidence of whether innovations achieve their intended social objectives. The session will also examine how evaluation findings can inform adjustments to technologies, services, implementation strategies and governance while innovation processes are still underway.
More information
This research explores how Living Labs can evolve beyond their traditional role as testing and validation environments to establish more strategic relationships with the business sector. Developed within ENoLL's strategic objective on industry engagement, the paper examines the integration of companies into Living Lab governance, the development of services and value propositions for businesses, and the capabilities required to professionalise and scale these relationships.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT and co-author of the paper.
More information about the research track
This session will explore how space-based technologies and satellite data can be translated into tangible benefits for people and territories. It will address the role of Living Labs in involving communities and stakeholders in defining success for space-enabled services. The discussion will also examine how Key Value Indicators (KVIs) can complement technical performance metrics to assess the social value and impact generated by these solutions.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT, as a panellist.
Time not specifiedh – Garden Talks: Social Innovation & Digital Rights Working Group
This session will present the relaunch of ENoLL's Social Innovation & Digital Rights Working Group, led by i2CAT. Its renewed programme will focus on three areas: Public Value & Impact, Digital Rights & Trustworthy Technologies, and Global Digital Cooperation. The initiative aims to foster knowledge exchange, test methodologies, promote collaborative research and explore opportunities for new European projects and partnerships.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT and Chair of the working group, and Viviana Pérez, International Project Manager at the same research group and Co-lead of the working group.
More information about Garden Talks
This practical workshop will explore how Living Labs can bridge industry challenges and academic research capabilities, turning sector-specific needs into research questions, pilot projects and joint initiatives. The session will address opportunities for collaboration between businesses and research organisations, highlighting how Social Readiness and Key Value Indicators (KVIs) can complement technological performance and maturity assessments with evaluations of social value and impact.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT, and Viviana Pérez, International Project Manager at the same research group, together with Alimara Living Lab / CETT-UB.
The poster and networking session will provide a space to showcase results and exchange experiences from the SAGE-HUB and Benestarum projects. It will also facilitate knowledge sharing and networking with other Living Labs, research groups and European stakeholders, fostering potential synergies and future collaborations.
With the participation of Marta Martorell, Director of the Digital Society Technologies Research Group at i2CAT, and Viviana Pérez, International Project Manager at the same research group.
