OpenLivingLab Days 2026

OpenLivingLab Days (OLLD) is an annual event organised by the European Network of Living Labs, which brings together living labbers, public officials, academics, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world.

The 2026 edition of OLLD will start in Brussels, with a Policy Event held on 29 September that will foster high-level dialogue between EU institutions and the Living Lab community. The OpenLivingLab Days conference will continue in Antwerp on 30 September and 1 October, with panel sessions, hands-on workshops, and presentation of research papers as well as networking posters, followed by a day of site visits to Belgian Living Labs and innovation or cultural spaces on 2 October.

The theme of 2026 OLLD is “Living Labs Impacts and Values for a Changing World,”. After more than two decades of Living Lab practice, it is time to critically assess the tangible impacts these initiatives have generated for communities, industries, and policymakers. Measuring and demonstrating this impact is essential to strengthen credibility, guide future investments, and ensure that Living Labs continue to deliver meaningful societal value.

Renske Martijnse-Hartikka from Forum Virium Helsinki represents SPACE4Cities in panel discussion “From Space Data to Impact: Bridging Technology, Policy and Society through Living Labs” held on 1 October in Antwerp. The session will open with a policy perspective from the European Commission, followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from EUSPA, Living Labs, innovation initiatives working at the intersection of space technologies and societal challenges. Drawing on experiences from different territorial and policy contexts, as well as Living Labs projects, the panel will explore how collaborative innovation approaches can support the uptake of space-enabled solutions, strengthen innovation ecosystems and contribute to more effective decision-making and territorial transformation.