ClimaGen at OpenLivingLab Days 2026: sharing living lab experiences in Brussels and Antwerp
Updated: 7 days ago
From 29 September to 2 October 2026, the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), a partner in the #ClimaGen project, held OpenLivingLab Days #OLLD26 in Belgium. ClimaGen took part in a roundtable on scaling up living labs and presented the project at ENoLL’s city projects booth.
This is ENoLL's flagship annual event and the global meeting point of the living lab community. It brings together living lab practitioners, public officials, academics, entrepreneurs and innovators who want to exchange good practices, build partnerships and discuss new trends.
The theme of this year was Living Labs Impacts and Values for a Changing World.
➜ From policy dialogue to field visits
The event started on 29 September in Brussels with a Policy Event at the European Committee of the Regions. Its aim was to strengthen the dialogue between policymakers and living lab practitioners, to show why living labs matter for policy, and to feed the discussion on future European research, innovation and funding priorities.
ClimaGen partners ENoLL and GAIA took part.
On 30 September and 1 October, the conference continued in Antwerp with keynote sessions, panel discussions, interactive workshops and research presentations. The programme covered topics such as societal challenges, policy and governance, and inclusive engagement. On 2 October, participants visited living labs and innovation spaces across Belgium to see how the approach works in practice.
➜ Tartu ClimaLab on scaling up living labs
On 30 September, Merit Tatar from the Institute of Baltic Studies (IBS) represented Tartu ClimaLab in the roundtable “When scaling up Living Lab solutions feels impossible”. The session looked at why many promising solutions struggle to grow beyond the pilot phase, and how living labs can sustain their impact beyond individual projects.
Based on Tartu’s experience, Merit explained how living labs are set up and developed. She described the difficulty of moving beyond project-based activities and explored ways for living labs to keep developing after a project ends.
The discussion raised a key question for every living lab: how can the knowledge, experience and partnerships from individual projects continue to support long-term development and impact? This question is important for ClimaGen, because the project supports the development of ClimaLabs in all its participating cities.
➜ ClimaGen at the ENoLL city projects booth
ClimaGen was also present at ENoLL’s city projects booth. Visitors learned about the project, its objectives and the progress of the ClimaLabs in our cities. The booth introduced ClimaGen to the wider living lab community and invited participants to follow the project’s next steps.
➜ Why it matters for ClimaGen
Living labs are the working method behind ClimaGen. Our cities are running a ClimaLab, where residents, local authorities, researchers and other local actors design and test greening solutions together. Events like OpenLivingLab Days give our teams the chance to compare experiences with other living labs, learn from their results and bring the voice of vulnerable neighbourhoods into European discussions.
The discussion raised a key question for every living lab: how can the knowledge, experience and partnerships from individual projects continue to support long-term development and impact? This question is important for ClimaGen, because the project supports the development of ClimaLabs in all its participating cities.
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