Climate change impacts in Europe are accelerating, creating urgent adaptation needs across diverse local contexts. This paper presents the implementation of a Systems Innovation Approach (SIA) through living labs to co-design climate resilience strategies in nine European case studies. SIA provides a structured, participatory framework for systemic change through a stepwise approach, enabling the development of tailor-made sustainability strategies by co-designing a portfolio of short-, mid-, and long-term innovative solutions. Living labs can successfully support open innovation ecosystems by facilitating knowledge exchange, trust-building, and co-creation of tailored innovation pathways for adaptation. Results showcase how the SIA can be operationalized in the context of climate change adaptation and resilience throughout nine case studies. The discussion highlights how living labs, using an SIA, can enhance stakeholder networks and build capacity and co-create knowledge and mutual understanding across diverse stakeholders while fostering actionable strategies. However, challenges remain regarding sustaining living labs beyond project funding, maintaining engagement, and bridging planning-to-implementation gaps. The paper concludes with recommendations for institutionalizing living labs within governance frameworks to accelerate Europe’s transition toward climate resilience.
Akinsete et al. (Thu,) studied this question.