▪ WoLLs have emerged as collaborative environments (researchers, authorities, companies, communities, civil society) to jointly test and co-create water solutions in real-world settings.
▪ WoLLs offer platforms for experimentation, participatory governance, and knowledge integration.
▪ BUT: Their real performance, long-term sustainability, and capacity to support innovation are poorly documented and unevenly understood.
The objective of this study is to better understand how WoLLs function as collaborative platforms for water governance, innovation, and stakeholder engagement, and to identify the internal and external factors that influence their success and long-term sustainability.
The results will contribute to ongoing research on how Living Labs can support adaptive, inclusive, and innovation-driven approaches to water management across Europe.
▪ WoLLs allow the integration of scientific, technical and local knowledge, as well as the collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders and the institutional anchoring of R&I actions.
▪ WoLLs have an overall good level of visibility although differences are evident across them. ▪ Very strong dependence on short-term funding e.g. EU projects, local/ regional support.
▪ No clear evidence of the contribution of WoLLs to further engage civil society, enhance transferability and upscaling, and improve TRL levels of developed/ tested solutions.
▪ More results are needed. ▪ WoLLs offer opportunities to test digital tools, enhance public awareness to improve nexus. ▪ Funding after project termination as main threat for their sustainability