The key issues in the fourth parallel session, were to look closely at the linkages with Government and the private sector, sustainability and further development, opportunities for replication and wider adoption within South Africa and in other countries, and the funding of future initiatives. The Living Labs South Africa, Meraka Code Sprints and Kujali Sociotech shared their experiences.
THE ECO-SYSTEM OF THE LIVING LABS SOUTHERN AFRICA NETWORK
Professor Marlien Herselman from the CSIR Meraka Institute discusses Living Labs in Southern Africa initiative which is an embodiment of the innovation system where all sectors engage in the innovation process.
“The concept of a Living Lab is that it incorporates different stakeholders such as users, innovators, and institutions, who submit and support ideas as applied to a specific value chain. They collaborate to create, prototype and use new products and processes. In the African context, what works well is a lab environment that caters for a user-driver approach. Successful developments can then be replicated to improve living standards more broadly.
This is the final edition of the SAFIPA newsletter. The month of November 2011, marks the conclusion of this dynamic initiative.
