Living Labs – Evolve2Care

Webinar on HealthTech impact with Design Thinking & Living Labs

On June 19, 2025, the EVOLVE2CARE Training Series for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers continued with its second session, gathering over 20 participants for an engaging webinar on “Design Thinking in Action — A Living Lab Approach to HealthTech Innovation.” The session was led by Ioannis Poultourtzidis, Coordinator of the ThessAHALL Living Lab, a pioneering hub for health and wellbeing innovation, driven by the AUTH Lab of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation based in Northern Greece since 2014.

This insightful session offered a practical look at how Living Labs, when combined with Design Thinking, can empower researchers and innovators to build HealthTech solutions that are ethical, inclusive, and truly responsive to user needs. It addressed one of the core challenges in health innovation: too many technologies are developed without real-world validation. Living Labs help address this challenge by involving real users in real contexts, enabling co-creation and testing that lead to more relevant and usable solutions.

The 3-Step framework for impactful HealthTech innovation

At the core of the session was a practical 3-step framework developed to accelerate HealthTech solutions:

Understand

Innovation begins with an in-depth exploration of user needs, challenges, and environments. This phase involves stakeholder mapping, needs assessment, and early framing of design hypotheses. Living Labs enable immersion into users’ real-life settings — homes, clinics, and communities — without artificial filters. Special attention is given to capturing gender-sensitive and inclusive insights, ensuring solutions reflect the full diversity of users.

Engage

This step focuses on co-creation with all relevant stakeholders — patients, caregivers, clinicians, policy-makers, insurers, and technologists. Rather than gathering feedback after development, Living Labs bring stakeholders into the design process itself through co-design workshops, design sprints, and digital collaboration platforms. This inclusive, participatory model ensures that the solutions developed are relevant, feasible, and widely accepted. Innovation thrives on collaboration!

Build for impact

The final step emphasizes rapid prototyping, real-world testing, and iteration. Living Labs allow innovators to trial functional prototypes directly with users in authentic environments. This accelerates learning, reduces development risks, and ensures technical and business feasibility. The process supports agile development by turning insights into measurable outcomes, such as improved health, increased usability, and meaningful adoption

Innovation journey – 4 Phases

Living Lab Networks guide innovators through each of the four phases: design, technology, business, and impact.

Design: Human-centered design frames the solution based on desirability and real needs

Technology: Prototypes are tested for technical feasibility within Living Lab environments

Business: Viable business models are validated, considering cost, sustainability, and market fit

Impact: Solutions are evaluated on outcomes such as improved patient care, usability, and long-term value

This journey ensures that innovation is not just about new technology, but about developing sustainable, scalable solutions that create measurable value for healthcare systems and the people they serve.

Why Living Labs matter in HealthTech?

Living Labs offer a unique environment to design with, not just for, users by:

Providing access to diverse populations in natural settings
Capturing real-time feedback and behavioral insights
Helping de-risk innovation by validating usability and integration early
Supporting ethical, GDPR-compliant, and inclusive research practices

What’s next in the EVOLVE2CARE training sessions series for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers?

The next session in the series, “Building a Sustainable HealthTech Business – A Founder’s Journey,” will take place on July 17, 2025, at 15:00 CEST. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from Panagiotis Katsaounis, CEO of Metabio, as he shares the real-world story of growing a HealthTech startup from idea to validated solution. The session will explore key business decisions, unexpected challenges, and the strategic pivots that shaped the company’s journey, offering a grounded look into the entrepreneurial side of healthcare innovation.

Training programs to support Innovators & Living Labs

Building on EVOLVE2CARE’s ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration between innovators and Living Labs, we are excited to announce the launch of two tailored training programs. The former program targets HealthTech innovators and researchers, equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge to successfully commercialize their research and bring innovations to market. The latter is specifically designed for Living Labs, aiming to enhance their capacity to support innovators and strengthen their role in the development and testing of HealthTech solutions.

As the Open Call is actively inviting HealthTech innovators and Living Labs to collaborate on innovative solutions for Transitional Care (Task 2.2 – LLs, Innovators, and Researchers Scouting and Selection), EVOLVE2CARE is taking the next step by offering educational support. Through Task 2.3 – Training Program for Living Labs and Task 2.4 – Training Program for Innovators and Researchers, we are ensuring that both innovators and Living Labs are well-prepared for successful collaboration.

Training Program for Innovators and Researchers (T2.4)

This six-part Training Program, named “From Users to Market – Faster Validation and Commercialisation for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers” and leb by Anthology Ventures, will give innovators and researchers the tools, skills, and mindset needed to navigate the complex journey from lab to market.

Each session builds practical know-how in agile innovation, systems thinking, and stakeholder collaboration—while real startup founders share insights on fundraising and commercialization. Whether you’re prototyping, pitching, or scaling, this program guides your journey to real-world impact.

This program is ideal for researchers, early-stage innovators, and knowledge transfer professionals seeking to accelerate the journey from health tech research to real-world impact.

1️⃣Accelerating Innovation — Leveraging LLMs & No-Code for Rapid Prototyping | 12 June, 2025 | ️15:00 CEST

Description: This session explores how large language models (LLMs) and No-Code platforms are revolutionizing early-stage innovation. Participants will learn how to quickly transform ideas into interactive prototypes, generate user personas, draft product requirements, and create testable concepts without writing a single line of code.

2️⃣Design Thinking in Action — A Living Lab Approach to Healthtech Innovation |19 June, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

3️⃣Building a Sustainable HealthTech Business — A Founder’s Journey | 17 July, 2025 | ️ 15:00 CEST

Description: In this session, participants will hear directly from a founder who turned a bold idea into a validated, mission-driven business. This session goes beyond theory to offer an honest look at the business model decisions, revenue hurdles, cost surprises, and strategic pivots that shaped their journey.

4️⃣Unlocking IP Value — Protection, Collaboration & AI Innovations | 24 July, 2025 |15:00 CEST

Description: This session breaks down the core types of IP (patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets) with a special focus on HealthTech and AI-driven innovation. Participants will learn how to identify what aspects of their product are protectable, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to turn their IP strategy into a competitive advantage.

5️⃣Fundraising & Pitching Strategies — An Investor’s Guide for Innovators | 4 September, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: In this session, a managing partner from Anthology Ventures will walk the participants through how to build a funding strategy that aligns with their goals, stage of development, and long-term vision. They will learn how to identify which investor types—angel, VC, corporate, or impact—are right for them, and how to approach them with clarity and confidence.

6️⃣Measuring Impact & Scaling Pilots — Driving Evidence-Based Growth in Living Labs | 19 September, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: In this final session, we explore how innovators can measure meaningful outcomes, not just outputs, and use data to drive sustainable growth. Participants will learn how to define success through SMART metrics, design robust pilot evaluations, and generate the evidence that funders, policymakers, and partners look for.

EVOLVE2CARE encourages all interested stakeholders to take advantage of these opportunities to enhance collaboration and strengthen innovation in the healthcare sector.

Training Program for Living Labs (Task 2.3)

This six-part training program, named “Trainings on Service Design for Living Labs” and led by European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), will provide participants with the tools and knowledge to support innovators in evaluating experimental outcomes and commercializing research effectively.

By adopting a structured, service design-based approach, you will learn to develop sustainable services, navigate legal and ethical challenges, and enhance stakeholder engagement. Ultimately, this will ensure a smoother transition from research to the market.

These sessions are designed for Living Lab managers and coordinators, researchers, innovators, teams establishing new Living Labs, technology transfer professionals, and policymakers involved in innovation ecosystems.

Topics per session:

1️⃣ The Role of Living Labs in the Innovation Ecosystem | June 25, 2025 |15:00 CEST

Description: This session provides an overview of the current innovation ecosystem and examines the strategic role of Living Labs in driving open innovation. It will highlight Living Labs’ contribution to societal and economic growth.

2️⃣ Designing Tailored Living Lab Services for Innovators | July 9, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: This session introduces service design and explores the process of creating tailored services within Living Labs to effectively support innovators and their specific needs.

3️⃣ Navigating Legal, Ethical & Regulatory Frameworks | July 23, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: This session approaches the ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks, explores the sector-specific compliance and engages with regulatory bodies.

4️⃣ Building Innovation Networks: Communication and Engagement | August 27, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: This session focuses on the importance of building strong innovation networks and effective stakeholder engagement within Living Labs. Participants will learn how to engage stakeholders in service design, with a particular focus on the AccelUp platform.

5️⃣ Certification & Standardization of Living Labs | September 10, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: This session explores the essential requirements for a Living Lab to achieve certification. Participants will learn about the benefits of certification, and international recognition.

6️⃣ Measuring Impact & Evaluating Success | September 24, 2025 | 15:00 CEST

Description: This session focuses on identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the performance of Living Lab services. Participants will explore methods to evaluate service design and measure its impact and performance.

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EVOLVE2CARE in Istanbul: Innovating Transitional Care

On May 12–13, 2025, the EVOLVE2CARE project team gathered at Başakşehir Living Lab in Istanbul, Turkey, for two days packed with strategizing the project’s next steps and engagement with stakeholders from the global network of Living Labs specialised in Healthcare!

The first day was dedicated to the project’s internal plenary meeting; not just another coordination meetup, but a valuable opportunity to gather in person, take a step back, and align on how to move forward. The second day took a different shape: EVOLVE2CARE stepped into the spotlight of the “Health & Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2025” as a key contributor and facilitator to the event’s agenda!

Day 1: A strategic in-person meeting with a purpose

Hosting the meeting in Istanbul served to connect the project’s internal momentum with the wider energy of the Living Lab community.

The agenda of the meeting focused on five main priorities:

Finalising the Open Call process that connects healthcare innovators with Living Labs, along with its promotion strategy
Confirming the timeline for the upcoming training programmes for both Living Labs and innovators
Discussing the forthcoming “EVOLVE2CARE Action Plan” deliverable
Outlining the feedback loop required to address regulatory aspects relevant to HealthTech experimentation
Preliminary planning for the final project event

Key highlights:

Presenting the purpose and promotion of the key performance indicator framework, based on barriers and enablers identified in Deliverable 1.1, “Roadmap on Navigating the Complexities of Enabling Innovative Technologies in Transitional Care”
Demonstrating the AccelUp and SPLORO platforms for application processing for the Open Call and discussing data management procedures
Sharing a draft version of the six training modules for Living Labs and innovators, including session structure and learning objectives
Showcasing communication achievements using meaningful KPIs from the website and social media channels
Highlighting upcoming milestones to support the Open Call and planning participation in targeted events to boost project visibility

Key decisions from the EVOLVE2CARE plenary meeting:

Final adjustments are being made to the Open Call procedure to ensure that the whole process, as well as the AccelUp and SPLORO platforms, are fully functional and seamless for applicants.
Agreement to enhance the AccelUp platform with structured fields and profiling techniques to better support the application and matchmaking procedures.
Core structure and timeline for the six training sessions for Living Labs and parallel programmes for innovators and researchers.
A new phase of communication efforts will be launched, including updated outreach materials, demo videos for both platforms, a FAQ-based social media series

Day 2: Sharing the EVOLVE2CARE vision within the HealthTech community

The next day, the EVOLVE2CARE team participated in the Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2025, which gathered local and international stakeholders from the HealthTech sector. As part of the Symposium, the project team designed and delivered an interactive workshop titled “Unlocking HealthTech Innovation: Living Labs & Transitional Care with EVOLVE2CARE.” The session was chaired by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), with SPLORO and ViLabs facilitating as moderators, and included an open exchange of information with the audience — primarily Living Labs from across Europe.

The session covered:

The role of Living Labs in HealthTech Experimentation and Innovation
The structure and purpose of the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call
A hands-on demonstration of the AccelUp platform
An interactive exercise where participants paired up as “innovators” and “living labs” to simulate real-world engagement

It wasn’t just a presentation — it was a conversation. With most attendees representing Living Labs, the session created space for practical dialogue around the Open Call, the project’s vision in the Transitional Care sector, and future collaboration opportunities.

The Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2025 was organised with the support of EVOLVE2CARE, reflecting the project’s commitment to advancing collaboration and knowledge exchange in the HealthTech field. The AUTH coordination team also participated in the event’s Best Papers Award Committees, contributing to the evaluation and recognition of innovative work presented during the Symposium.

EVOLVE2CARE left Istanbul with renewed momentum, stronger partnerships, and a shared sense of purpose for the next phase of the project!

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First project workshop on empowering Innovators to transform Transitional Care

On March 4, 2025, the EVOLVE2CARE project launched its online workshop series, bringing together experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals to explore innovative approaches in Transitional Care.

The workshop, titled “Empowering Innovators to Transform Transitional Care”, was the first out of three online events from the “Accelerating Innovation in Transitional Care” workshop series and brought together over 15 healthcare experts to explore how Living Labs drive innovation and support real-world experimentation.

Teemu Santonen, Principal Lecturer at Laurea University of Applied Sciences, shared insights into the Living Lab approach, showcasing how their Living Lab in Finland tested innovative health monitoring sensors.

More specifically, during the first session, Teemu highlighted the role of Living Labs in healthcare innovation, particularly for people with dementia, and provided a detailed case study illustrating the importance of market validation and user-driven development. This approach ensures that living Labs facilitate real-world validation of healthcare technologies by ensuring alignment with user needs, ethical considerations, and market feasibility.

Below are the key takeaways from his presentation:

Case Study: Wearable sensors for dementia patients & the role of living labs

Aalto University developed and tested a biodegradable wearable pressure and temperature sensor in a lab environment with the aim of commercialization.
Their initial funding application to Business Finland was rejected due to a lack of proper user and market research.
By partnering with Living Labs, a new joint funding application was submitted, incorporating a Living Lab approach—this time, the funding was approved.

This case study highlighted that Living Labs are often essential for securing funding, as they demonstrate market relevance and product feasibility.

Defining Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) & the challenges of scaling innovations

Understanding Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) is essential for assessing the maturity of health tech innovations.

The project initially assumed the solution was at TRL 4 (validated in a lab setting). However, further evaluation showed that only parts of the solution had been tested, and it lacked real-world implementation.
Without proper user interaction and a clear commercialization strategy, the actual TRL was lower, reinforcing the importance of Living Labs in guiding innovation from early development to market entry.

Co-defining the values of the EVOLVE2CARE’s KPI Framework

One of the biggest challenges in healthcare innovation is ensuring that new solutions meet the expectations of innovators while also addressing business needs, user requirements, and data access challenges. To tackle this, the EVOLVE2CARE project has developed a KPI framework that helps measure the development and impact of health tech innovations within Living Labs.

Five (5) KPI EVOLVE2CARE’s categories identified:

Business & Scale-Up Support – Helping innovators secure funding, expand, and reach new markets.
User Recruitment & Engagement – Ensuring real-world feedback shapes innovation.
Access to Data & Legal Support – Overcoming compliance and regulatory barriers.
Real-Life Testing & Experimentation – Supporting clinical trials, prototyping, and product validation.
Collaboration & Networking Opportunities – Strengthening partnerships across public, private, and academic sectors.

Interactive KPI ranking: What matters most?

Through an interactive quiz, participants ranked the most critical KPIs for assessing innovation success, providing valuable feedback that will shape future evaluation methods in the field.

Key insights from the poll:

Business & Scale-Up Support ranked as the highest priority, highlighting the importance of funding and market expansion, while Access to Data & Legal Support ranked lower than all.
The market adoption rate of innovations ranked as the most important KPI for scaling success, while the number of innovations expanded into new markets received neither one vote.
User satisfaction with the innovation process ranked as the most critical KPI for measuring engagement.
The biggest barrier to accessing relevant data for innovation was identified as data privacy and legal restrictions.
Cross-border networking was identified as the most valuable type of collaboration for innovators, reinforcing the importance of international cooperation in healthcare innovation.

What’s next?

As the workshop series continues, future sessions will further explore innovative solutions in Transitional Care. The upcoming workshops will elaborate on how innovative solutions can better cover the needs of the Healthcare stakeholders, and how significant barriers can be overcome.

More specifically:

The second workshop will explore “Aligning Innovation with Healthcare Stakeholder Needs.”
The final session will address “Breaking Barriers—Key Factors for Driving Innovation in Transitional Care.”

Interested in joining the conversation?

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EVOLVE2CARE presented at ENoLL Harmonization WG

On February 14, 2025 the EVOLVE2CARE project was featured at the Harmonization Working Group (WG) meeting of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). The session brought together participants from Living Labs across Europe and beyond to explore new ways for collaboration and alignment. The discussion included participants from Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, highlighting the group’s international scope and shared commitment to harmonized practices.

To be more specific, the Harmonization WG seeks to promote greater coherence among Living Lab methodologies, supporting innovation while preserving the flexibility that distinguishes the Living Lab model. This approach directly aligns with EVOLVE2CARE’s objectives to foster accessible, cutting-edge HealthTech innovation in Transitional Care.

During the meeting, EVOLVE2CARE presented a proposal to co-design application processes for external innovators and researchers wishing to engage with Living Labs for study implementation. This initiative aimed to streamline access and support evidence-based innovation across the network.

Notably, Despoina Petsani, who co-chaired the Working Group, held a dual role — representing the ThessAHALL Living Lab as well as EVOLVE2CARE as the project’s coordinator.

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