Living labs at 精东传媒
What is a living lab?
A living lab uses the University’s campus, operations, and partnerships as a real鈥憌orld testbed for research, teaching, and innovation.
Instead of working in isolation, students, staff, and partners collaborate to:
- Explore real sustainability challenges
- Test ideas in a live environment
- Generate evidence to inform decision-making
- Deliver practical solutions that support institutional and societal goals
At its core, a living lab connects teaching, research, and operations, enabling hands-on learning and supporting the delivery of sustainability priorities.
Living labs in action at 精东传媒
We are already adopting elements of a living lab approach across the University. These include:
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Student research and internships
Sustainability-focused internships, projects and dissertations that explore topics such as biodiversity, circular economy, energy, and sustainable catering -
Operational test beds
Use of the University estate to trial solutions – for example in energy, travel, waste reduction, and biodiversity enhancement -
Research and innovation
Interdisciplinary research tackling climate, nature, and societal challenges, often linked to the local area and external partners -
Partnership and community collaboration
Work with local partners such as Fife Council, Corrour, community organisations, and networks to address shared challenges and pilot solutions in place -
Engagement and behaviour change initiatives
Activities during Sustainability Week, competitions, campaigns, and community-led projects that test new approaches to engagement
Why living labs matter
A more coordinated living lab approach can help the University to:
- Accelerate delivery of net zero, climate adaptation, and biodiversity goals
- Enhance student experience through applied, real-world learning
- Strengthen research impact by linking it to operational and societal challenges
- Support collaboration across the University and with external partners
- Unlock funding opportunities aligned to innovation and place-based solutions
Get involved: developing living lab approaches
We are keen to expand the use of living lab approaches across the University.
For academic staff
- Embed real-world sustainability challenges into teaching and assessment
- Link research projects to campus or local challenges
- Collaborate with professional services teams on applied projects
For professional services staff
- Identify operational challenges that could be explored through research or student projects
- Partner with academic colleagues to test and evaluate new approaches
- Use evidence from projects to inform policy and decision-making
For students
- Undertake projects, dissertations, or internships that engage with real sustainability challenges
- Work with staff and external partners to develop and test solutions
- Build skills and experience for future careers
What’s next
We are exploring how to develop a more structured Living Lab approach at 精东传媒, including:
- Better connecting existing activity across teaching, research, and operations
- Identifying priority areas aligned to University strategy
- Strengthening partnerships with local and national organisations
- Creating clearer routes for staff and students to get involved
If you have an idea for a living lab project or would like to get involved, please contact the Sustainability Team.