About SIXFOLD

“In developing innovations, the most important factor is not necessarily a large amount of resources, but rather the ability to bring together the right actors around a shared goal. A network-based approach and early involvement of users can accelerate development work and improve the impact of solutions. For example, universities of applied sciences and public development organizations can - and should - act as “interpreters” between researchers and companies.

The Living Lab network offers an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other regions and to build new international collaborations. Through the network, partners for joint development projects can be identified, operating models can be shared, and new perspectives on developing business support services can be gained.”

“The study visit I took part in helped me to understand the practical obstacles to the effective implementation of agri-food living labs. These must offer clear incentives to stakeholders in the agri-food innovation ecosystem. They must be set up as unique spaces in which technological innovations can be tested against market feedback, so that, working together, we can achieve an effective transfer of knowledge.

I am convinced that innovation in the agri-food sector needs living labs to speed up its time-to-market. In this regard, a network of living labs enables the sharing of testing infrastructure, facilities, technical expertise, best practice, common challenges and so on, thereby facilitating the flow of knowledge across Europe.“

The two visits I attended helped me better understand the specific characteristics of the agrifood sector when it comes to digitalisation and data acquisition, in order to build solutions that truly meet the needs of end users. Technology-oriented organisations often take for granted that other organisations have digital knowledge and capabilities, when in reality this is not always the case. In the agrifood sector, we find many small companies for which it is very difficult and/or costly to have qualified staff. It was a very enriching experience in that regard.