Reflections on the Week of Indonesia-Netherlands Education and Research: Exploring the Complexities of Living Labs
From September 24–26, 2024, the Week of Indonesia-Netherlands Education and Research (WINNER) brought together academics, policymakers, industry professionals, and students to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange. Among its many sessions, the discussion on “The Complexities of Living Labs to Realise Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Experiences in Indonesia and the Netherlands“ focused on co-creation methodologies aimed at addressing critical global challenges, including palm oil production.
A Living Lab is a multidisciplinary research model focused on real-life societal and environmental issues. It fosters continuous engagement between stakeholders who jointly identify problems, test and evaluate practical solutions, requiring a demand-driven and iterative approach. The Living Lab environment aims to cultivate long-term relationships, bridging the gap between science and practice to facilitate sustainable innovation efforts.
Living Labs are one of the main implementation approaches in the SustainPalm program, and currently the program operates five Living Labs across Sumatra and Kalimantan that are focused on carbon and biodiversity rich landscapes. During the WINNER session, Peter van der Meer (WP3) and Yessie Sari (WP2) represented SustainPalm and deep-dived into SustainPalm’s Living Labs, highlighted its framework, shared best practices and addressed challenges such as navigating diverse stakeholder perceptions regarding Living Labs and the question of the sustainability of the Living Lab model, i.e. how to ensure the continuity and long-term viability of these collaborative environments.
For more information about SustainPalm and its role in WINNER, read here: Towards Sustainable Palm Oil Production in Indonesia: A Joint Effort by Indonesia and The Netherlands through SustainPalm – WINNER %
Download presentation materials here
