Living Labs of Southern Africa Network Launch
From LLiSA
SA living labs network puts real-world innovation into hands of users
The practice of innovation for the man on the street by the man on the street is about to take South Africa by storm. This is one of the outcomes envisaged by the Living Labs in Southern Africa (LLiSA) network which was launched in Cape Town at the Devon Valley Hotel at the end of February 2009. The Meraka Institute of the CSIR is responsible for coordinating activities of the network.
Co-creation lies at the heart of a Living Lab, which encourages community-driven innovation in a real-life context and collaboration between different stakeholders. This environment allows each of these stakeholders - government, society, industry and academia - to achieve their own goals and outcomes in support of a specific community.
But co-creation goes beyond an academic exercise, as Kobus Roux of Meraka explains, “Users and citizens become active actors in experimentation and testing during projects, and not merely passive receivers of innovation. The Siyakhula Living Lab at Dwesa/Cwebe and Nkwalini in the Eastern Cape, which has been in operation since 2006, is a good example of how this concept is flourishing in South Africa. It is now a member of the European Network of Living Labs (EnoLL).” Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare are the lead partners in this project.
At the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) this partnership between community and universities resulted in the development - in line with community needs and wishes - of a simple, cost-effective and robust, integrated e-business/telecommunications platform. Now this part of the Eastern Cape boasts one of South Africa’s first rural WiMAX (Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access) networks which supports broadband wireless access; computer labs in four schools and Internet access for the community via these four schools.
The platform has also made other services and facilities possible. Goods, music and produce are on sale via an e-commerce site. An e-government site provides access for citizens to services. An equitable billing scheme helps with project sustainability. A voice over internet protocol (VOIP) telephony service promotes free communication between the schools.
To ensure that these services and facilities are maintained, the community receives help for maintaining the network and computing facilities, guidance on project management, and training for both learners and adults in computer usage and software innovation to build and deploy services tailored to the community.
Several other living labs in South Africa are at various stages of planning or operation; each has its own focus. The Limpopo Living Lab has been planned by the Limpopo provincial government; the Sekhukhune and Moutse LLs are located in Limpopo, with the former (the oldest living lab in South Africa and an EnoLL) member focusing on rural enterprise creation. The Moutse Living Lab is a partnership between the Ndlovu Medical Centre, Elandsdoorn Development Trust, INTEL and Meraka, which focuses on rural connectivity (for local schools, a clinic and an internet café) to support of local economic development. The Soshanguve Living Lab has been planned by the Tshwane University of Technology’s ICT Faculty to address education, research, community development and job creation. The Bushbuckridge Living Lab led by SAP Research and Wits University, focuses on a patient health system for chronically ill patients in rural areas.
The Meraka Institute worked with the Cooperation Framework on Innovation Systems between Finland and South Africa (COFISA) and the South Africa-Finland Knowledge Partnership on ICT (SAFIPA) to organise this launch. Other participants in the launch included associated living lab partners and southern African members of EnoLL, as well as the Department of Science and Technology.
Professor Marlien Herselman (LL research group leader at Meraka) is confident about the future of LLiSA “The interest demonstrated by commercial entities, non government organisations and universities in the LLiSA at the launch event confirms that the Living Lab concept is seen as a winning recipe. The LLiSA board has representatives from industry, academia, communities, COFISA, SAFIPA, Meraka, DST, local governments and southern African Living Labs who are members of ENOLL.”
Next steps for the LLiSA is a board meeting on 8 June 2009 during the forthcoming SAFIPA conference at the Farm Inn in Pretoria. Its other aims at a high level are to create capacity for understanding, establishing and developing LL activities in Southern Africa; support pilot projects in southern Africa; and facilitate local and international collaboration and linkages between developers, research organisations, industry and government for advancing regional LL activities.
Herselman confirms, “LLiSA will arrange regular meetings, based on specific themes, of all LLs in South Africa to share experiences. We are also keen to get wider involvement from government and industry and do more research focused on best practices with case studies and examples. In this way, we can contribute to the development of a policy for LLs in South Africa.”
Events page on LLiSA
In the Media
- 12 March 2009. CSIR Media release SA living labs network puts real-world innovation into hands of users
