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Introduction to the case, clarification and first brainstorming.

This is the first case group meeting , the case owner Ehsan Baha can not be present. Group members
get introduced to the case. Handout is read and a discussion commences. Tuija the CL also shows
some pictures of Active Life Village on the laptop.




 


   

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Œain themes of the case are:

Generation of innovation and the diffusion of innovation.

Notes of group discussion:

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Active Life Village now already has a small living lab focusing on CaringTV. CaringTV is one good
result which has so far been produced at Active Life Village. The experience through CaringTV is
beneficial.

The Active Life Village building is now pretty crowded, there is presently not much space. Later on
there will be the new building. Due to the economic depression, one does not know now when
exactly this new building can be built.

Definition of Living Lab: laboratory which involves human beings, for instance also elderly people.
These human beings/ people participate in the process of generating the innovation. But they do not
live at the living lab, they live at home.

The professionals in the living lab come up together with the elderly people what their goals are, and
develop according to those. Elderly people are utilized in planning the innovative ideas. Later on
there could be also flats for elderly people close by attached to the living lab.

͞Fab Lab͟ (?!) is a network of laboratories which is mainly related to tangible products, Laurea is
interested in the Fab Lab concept but actually deals with people, with services for people.

Laurea is too small to work on the living lab all alone, it needs cooperation partners, meaning
companies.
Gesearch says that we need a systemic approach. That is one problem with CaringTV, there was too
little systemic research on CaringTV, for instance on why has CaringTV not been distributed faster in
Finnish society. One reason might be that it is due to our cooperation partner who provides the
technical device for a too high price. One has to look at the whole service holistically.

In the Finnish system, it works so, that the municipalities provide the gadgets, the devices, for the
elderly because then in the end because of the efficient CaringTV services the municipalities would
save money. But the new technology is too expensive now, so municipalities cannot afford to buy
the devices. There is a marketing problem.

Elderly know how to use TV, it is easy for them. That is why the use of CaringTV via their own TV
seems to be easy for the elderly.

Jia has the task to export CaringTV to China. That will be difficult because the labor is relatively
cheap in China (people taking care of elderly at their homes). That is why one has to think about
other benefits which CaringTV provides for Chinese people (they would not buy the expensive
gadjet, if they can less costly take care of the elderly people at sight).

CaringTV will also be exported to Japan.

Students of very different study backgrounds are present at Otaniemi campus and close by. They
could all participate in the living lab.

Companies can be involved in the platform work.

At Active Life Village there is the possibility for students, especially Œaster students (mature enough)
to develop business ideas.

Background information on school system in Finland (see also flip chart NO 2): There is also the
possibility to do the PhD when working at Laurea in cooperation with university. Social innovation at
Laurea goes hand in hand with entrepreneurial activities of a student (when looking at the study
path from Bachelor to Œaster degree).

Active Life Village also hosted senior training, a concept which was originally developed in Germany.
Senior training means that younger elderly people are trained in supporting older elderly people.

A similar concept to senior training from another Scandinavian country focuses on the
empowerment of elderly people.

The living lab innovation platform can help to boost entrepreneurship.

An example of a company which was involved before in CaringTV, hence in the small living lab, was
Phillips.

One institution, Finland-Sendai-research centre in Japan, is now involved with CaringTV.

The EU presently invests a lot of money into the development of e-services.

The new product development approach has been applied on CaringTV.

Japanese might have new approaches and ideas, and Laurea could be client gatekeepers. That is
good for Laurea. Finnish companies still need to be more attracted.

The strength of the Active Life living lab is Laurea͛s focus on ethical considerations concerning the
wellbeing of the elderly or other groups which participate in the lab.
One should keep in mind that Laurea is a school and does not want to make business out of the
innovation. It instead wants students to kick off their own business idea.

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The case objective is to generate the living lab as innovation platform. The focus is on Finland
because Finland is the country with most elderly people in Europe in future. A further focus is on
preventive inventions. A living lab should be created, where companies, students and ͞clients͟ (of
social services or health care, here the elderly) can develop new services together (user-driven
approach). The innovations which will be developed at the lab shall aim at changing our own and the
other participants͛ behavior, on designing good life patterns. Students shall benefit from the lab as
they can commence their own entrepreneurial career at the lab. Companies shall be attracted so
that they benefit from the lab as well.

Further, a showroom for innovation shall be designed for the Helsinki design season. Laurea would
like to integrate the living lab idea to the showroom. If possible this showroom should stay for a
longer period of time, but in case it is not as successful as hoped for, the showroom will be removed
after the design season.

 
 
  
 



Instead of using the term clients, the CGŒs refer to the elderly as participants.

New product development and business model knowledge seems to be of importance in the further
development of the living lab. One could draft an economic model, like a business model. Think of
clients also as staff. Economical design. We would have to attract companies so that they like
precisely us. One should think about new product development approach towardsthe whole lab.







  






 

We talk about Croatia, Petra tells about ͞street parties͟ and workshops for elderly. So why not in
Finland have a big party or get together for elderly in an empty official building.. for instance when
Laurea is empty. There are so many square meters of public space especially during weekends
unused, so are especially also Finnish churches.

Jia tells about elderly in China who meet in parks to do e.g. exercise sports together. Perhaps Kela
could organize get-togethers of elderly since they have names and info of people (since Finnish
elderly people themselves don͛t dare to contact strange other elderly people).

When exporting CaringTV or other social/health care services abroad, it could always be beneficial to
use the experience of insurance companies of the target countries, because they know well about
cost factors of health and social care in their country.

Organizing common travelling with elderly to for instance Lapland could be good and attract young
people as well to join.
In general it is not enough if schools only engage in daily activities for elderly, companies have to
take a more active role in this, too.

It would be useful to now have a designer working with us on this case.


  


 
 
 


  
1. It is important to attract companies to join the innovative platform. It seems to be of importance
to apply a business models approach.

2. The participation of Laurea students is crucial and beneficial for the living lab.

3. We have discussed examples of other countries on how elderly people are naturally integrated in
social life. It would be beneficial to use such examples as ideas on how to empower elderly to
participate in the platform, too.

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