Frank Kresin (Research Director of Waag) will speak at the event "Why Labs? Empowering citizens as drivers of innovation" in Brussels on Wednesday, April 15, 2015. The meeting is organized by the Barcelona City Council and the European Network of Living Labs.
The European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) brings together cities, industry and citizens to improve urban life through more sustainable integrated solutions. This includes applied innovation, better planning, a more participatory approach, higher energy efficiency, better transport solutions, intelligent use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The multitude of challenges facing European cities directly impact the citizens who live there. Citizens are at times contributors to urban issues, through their behavior and demography. They are also a crucial component in solutions, offering immense aggregate power from their behavioral change, education, engagement, participation and empowerment.