Methodology

Living Lab for Health facilitates multi-stakeholder participatory processes within innovation networks, aiming at achieving a collective impact through four iterated phases:

Phase 1. Participatory research for strategic design. Collective strategic R&I planning for integral interventions.

Steps:

1. Understanding the system and its intricacies: why is the challenge complex

2. Defining the desired future: commitment to a shared vision

3. Identifying factors with potential for system change: leveraged interventions

4. Transforming understanding: how is change happening and where is change necessary

5. Planning change: collective strategic and action plans

Phase 2. Co-creation. Co-design of integral and high-leverage interventions that are mutually reinforcing, decentralized, and collaborative.

Steps:

1. Ideation

2. Prototyping

3. Validation

Phase 3. Innovation network implementation. Facilitation and implementation of innovation networks that implement integral interventions within systems in transition (transition innovation).

Steps:

1. Pilot phase (testing)

2. Scalability (advocacy and adaptation)

Phase 4. Reflexive monitoring in action. Collective reflection to monitor impact, learning, data development, and scientific publications that launch new improved iterations.

Our methodologies are based on R&I transformation frameworks developed by the European Commission, e.g., Horizon Europe, Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), Open Science, Open Innovation, and Mission Oriented Research, as well as global initiatives, such as Community-Based Participatory Research, Design and System Thinking, System Innovation, and Transdisciplinary R&I.

Systemic innovation is a necessary approach to address complex and persistent challenges that require restructuring different areas of the system: social, technological, economic, environmental and political. In fact, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology defines it not only as an aspect or final product, but as an entire system to be improved or replaced. A system in which what is important are innovative ideas and methods to accomplish new tasks and challenges.

In order to design these ideas and methodologies, it is first necessary to recognize and understand the complexity, as well as to avoid the traditional reductionist approach that, when solving problems, is aimed at changing a specific aspect without solving the problem.

In this line, it is necessary to facilitate spaces for co-creation to promote systemic change at the collective and organizational level through more collaborative problem solving that better takes into account the roots of the problems and their interdependencies in different areas of the system.