Development of living labs to support gendered energy technology innovation in poor urban environments

Matia Mukama, Josephine Kaviti Musango, Suzanne Smit, Fabrizio Ceschin and Aine Petrulaityte

Technology in Society, 2022, vol. 68, issue C

Abstract: Working together with end-users and different private and public stakeholders towards a common goal in a real-life setting creates a rich environment for co-design, co-creation, co-innovation and sharing of different ideas in an iterative fashion. Such spaces are termed Living Labs. This paper builds on the understanding of Living Labs and explores the best application of the concept to support gendered energy technology innovation in poor urban environments. Using a case study of a poor urban informal environment in South Africa, this paper describes the implementation of the Living Lab concept in seeking security of energy services in the household energy sector and the roles of the identified stakeholders towards operationalisation of the Lab. Living Labs are dynamic innovation spaces that consider a multidimensional approach (technical, economic, usability, regulative, environmental, social, etc.) to problem solving and ease future implementation and diffusion of solutions, technologies, and innovations, if managed well.

Keywords: Energy innovation; Living labs; Gender mainstreaming; South Africa; Co-innovation; Urban Slums (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:68:y:2022:i:c:s0160791x21003250

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101850

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