University Lab of Labs for Transformative Societal Innovation (ULALABS): Articulating collaborative and inclusive learning communities through shared R+D+i agendas among European regions

Project Reference: 2023-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000157489

Erasmus+ / Cooperation partnerships in higher education

The ULALABS project seeks to define a theoretical and practical framework for the implementation and operation of a distributed European Living Lab, focused on urban challenges and climate change. This "Lab of Labs" is conceived as a shared and interconnected infrastructure for Research, Development and Innovation between the associated Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), in order to promote transformative innovation policies within and between European regions through the articulation of open and collaborative Learning Communities and Shared Agendas.

The project’s consortium is composed of four European HEIs, all ECIU University members, with an extensive experience on urban innovation practices: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in Spain, Linköping University (LiU) in Sweden, Stavanger University (UiS) in Norway and University of Twente (UT) in the Netherlands, together with the UAB Research Park (PRUAB), a non-profit innovation foundation linked to the UAB. 

ULALABS centres its activities around the development of the Learning Communities as key elements of the distributed Living Lab model, offering support and learning opportunities during the project. The pilot phase is to be the focus point of the activities that will allow the testing and demonstration of the potential for cross-case learning between partners, communities and regions, as well as for Distributed learning, where shared knowledge is generated ad-hoc among partners.

The co-created operational vision of the ULALABS project is to articulate the diverse urban experimentation spaces emerging in the different ECIU partner regions into a distributed Living Lab which is centered around a vibrant learning community, focusing on sustainable urban transformations; such a “meta-lab” can tackle in a coordinated manner shared challenges within the ECIU ecosystem reinforcing the R+D+i infrastructures and capacities of the ECIU university and augmenting its overall impact. You can you read the full vision and on the co-creation process here.

Pilots

At the core of the ULALABS project lies the Pilot Phase (WP5), where partners collaboratively test the concept of the Meta-lab by activating learning communities across different contexts. Based on a challenge-based approach, the pilots tackle selected urban and societal challenges, bringing together universities, cities, and stakeholders to co-create practical and innovative solutions. In doing so, they foster transformative learning across regions and contexts, allowing knowledge to travel, evolve, and generate impact beyond individual local settings.

Cross-case Learning Pilots

The Cross-case Learning Pilots connect experiences across the ULALABS network through two distinct strands of exploration, each addressing a selected challenge:

• How can we prepare and open up urban spaces for experimentation and innovation, and how can we transform a university campus into an experimentation and collaboration arena? (Pilot led by Linkoping University and University of Stavanger)

• How can challenge-based processes be set up effectively at the city level? (Pilot led by University of Twente)

By diverse cases, these pilots enable partners to exchange knowledge, compare approaches, and co-develop solutions across contexts. They foster collective reflection and co-learning, strengthening the role of universities as active contributors to urban transformation and innovation ecosystems.

Distributed Learning Pilot

The Distributed Learning Pilot, led by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona,  complements this approach by testing how learning can be organised across multiple locations and stakeholders.

Partners and local actors in four regions collaborate through local experimentation sites, where they explore and apply different tools and methodologies to tackle a shared challenge:

• How can emerging technologies and collaborative methodologies be integrated to design inclusive and sustainable urban spaces?

Through distributed experimentation, this pilot advances place-based yet interconnected learning, enabling participants to learn from each other while adapting solutions to their specific contexts. In this way, it reinforces transformative learning across regions, exploring how meta-labs can support continuous, flexible, and collaborative knowledge exchange.

You can read updates from the different pilots here.

Learning toolkits:

‍To accompany the learning process, a set of Learning Toolkits related to the selected challenges has been co-developed. These toolkits bring together practical learning materials, tools and activities to support learners and stakeholders in addressing real-world urban and climate challenges.

They are designed to foster skills development, collaboration and transformative learning across regions and contexts.

The available Learning Toolkits include:

• Renaturalizing the City for Personal, Collective and Planetary Health
• Emerging Technologies for Inclusive Urban Transformations
• Responsible Futuring Approach
• AI-assisted Urban Design Tool
• How to Prepare Urban Spaces for Experimentation and Collaborative Innovation
• Inclusion as a Transformative Practice
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Access all the learning toolkits here.

Some highlighted recent events:

Linköping: Exploring Campus Valla for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Future
Insights from the ULALABS Webinar on Knowledge Generation and Sharing in Urban Challenge-Based Processes

From Critique to Utopian Futures: Reimagining Ullandhaug Campus in Stavanger

From Urban Experimentation to Transformation: Insights from ULALABS Third Multiplier event in Stavanger

Reimagining the UAB campus north limit: ULALABS second workshop advances with the definition of the New Green Entrance
ULALABS Learning Communities Roadmap now available in multiple languages

You can read about all the Work Packages (WP) and expected results here.

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“The Emerging Lab of Labs: Practices and experiences of European Urban Experimentation Spaces”  -this publication presents the results an extensive baseline research, including a literature review and findings from our regional ecosystems on urban experimentation spaces, such as living labs, testbeds, and sandboxes among others. It also offers insights into the tools, technologies. practices and experiences within these urban experimentation spaces.

Mutual Learning Communities Roadmap: Learning(s) from the ULALABS Experience presents a methodological reflection on how to move beyond knowledge exchange toward collaborative, context-sensitive learning in urban sustainability. It introduces the concept of Inclusive Transformative Distributed Mutual Learning Communities and offers practical guidance to help actors adapt shared experiences to their local contexts rather than simply replicate solutions.

The ULALABS Ecosystem map: https://www.ulalabs.eu/lab-of-labs

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