Living Lab a fresh approach to sustainable research
massey-university
Thu May 02 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Living Lab a fresh approach to sustainable research
Thursday, 2 May 2013, 4:00 pm
Press Release: Massey University
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Living Lab a fresh approach to sustainable research
Massey University is poised to lead New Zealand academia in sustainability-related research by embracing the collaborative Living Lab research model, according to a visiting UK expert.
Dr Rob Wilson, who initiated the Living Lab concept at Newcastle University, is in New Zealand this week to give seminars at Massey’s Manawatü and Albany campuses on his experiences with Living Lab.
The innovative model is designed to foster multidisciplinary research across academic disciplines, and between universities and external partners. And it is likely to become the way of the future as universities evolve and adapt in response to new pressures and expectations to deliver workable solutions for complex, multi-faceted – or ‘wicked’ – problems, Dr Wilson says.
The Living Lab model differs from conventional approaches to research involving academic and external partners, in that it requires a new mindset. “It’s about relationship building and having deeper conversations, so that ¬– for example – a sociologist, a scientist and council engineer might all be working on the problem of urban flood prevention,” Dr Wilson says. “Each sees the problem through their own lens, and with Living Lab they learn to see things from each other’s perspective so they can work together. It’s a move away from silo thinking and shrink-wrapped solutions.”
Massey Living Lab champion Dr Allanah Ryan, head of the School of People, Environment and Planning, says she hopes the concept will become part of Massey’s academic lexicon as a sustainability-related tool applicable to problem-solving in diverse subjects and areas.
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Dr Wilson’s visit kicks off a series of projects she is spearheading to introduce and implement Living Lab – widely embraced in Europe over the past decade but still new to New Zealand.
Massey has undertaken Living Lab projects with councils in Wellington, Palmerston North and the Hawke’s Bay. Students and researchers from Massey’s Spatial Design Programme last year worked with Wellington City Council and community groups on creating ‘Edible Cities’ with pop-up urban garden installations and edible rooftops.
Another project explored change and conflicting interests around land use on the fringes of Palmerston North. The project brought together planners from the Palmerston North City Council, academics and students from Massey’s planning, sociology and agricommerce programmes, city councillors, lifestylers on small holdings, and farmers.
Dr Wilson says institutional research cycles can determine the freedom and openness of academics to new research models. In this respect Massey has an “amazing opportunity in the post-PBRF cycle” to pursue the Living Lab idea, he says.
Dr Wilson is Director of the Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise (KITE) in Newcastle. In this role he has focussed on the integration and information aspects of public services; the challenges of information and measurement in local governance; and the role of information and information systems in higher education.
He delivered his first seminar in Manawatu on Tuesday, and will give a second at the Albany campus from 1pm – 3pm, Thursday 2 May, in the Study Centre Staff Lounge.
Check out Massey’s Living Lab website: http://www.livinglabnz.org
ENDS
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