What is a Living Lab?
A Living Lab is a collaborative innovation hub where people from diverse backgrounds come together to tackle real-world challenges and create meaningful solutions.
It's a place where community members, businesses, researchers, and government representatives join forces to design, develop, and test new products and services in a real-life setting.
At the Central Coast Health & Wellbeing Living Lab, we focus on creating innovative solutions that empower older people to live independently, safely, and comfortably in their own homes.
The ultimate living lab: ABC’s Old People’s Home for 4 Year-Olds.
Photo courtesy of South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.
How we work: the Living Lab innovation process
Here’s how we collaborate to design, test, and deliver impactful solutions:
Our approach: how do Living Labs work?
A Living Lab is a dynamic environment where innovative solutions are developed through collaboration and real-world testing. Here’s how we make it happen:
Gathering Diverse Voices
We bring together community members, researchers, industry experts, and government representatives to collaborate on addressing real-life challenges.
Open Innovation
Using an 'open innovation' methodology, we encourage sharing ideas and working together. This broadens perspectives and strengthens our solutions.
Focusing on Users
Our approach centres on the people who will use the solutions. By involving end-users from the start, we ensure our innovations meet actual needs and preferences.
Real-Life Testing
Solutions are tested and refined in real-life settings to ensure they work effectively in everyday situations.
Our Commitment
By placing people at the heart of our process, we create solutions that are not only innovative but also practical and impactful. Our Living Lab is dedicated to making a real difference in the community, one collaborative effort at a time.
Want to learn more about our projects and initiatives?
Meet The Team
We're driven by a vision of a future where older adults can grow older in their homes, surrounded by the people and communities that matter most – join us in making this vision a reality by reaching out to our team to discuss how we can collaborate and innovate together.
-
Dr Courtney Molloy
Program Manager
University of Newcastle -
Natassia Smith
Program Coordinator
Central Coast Local Health District -
Siobhan Curran
Strategic Advisor
Director of Entrepreneurship
University of Newcastle