Living Lab 2: Near work, smart mobility
Mistra SAMS second Living Lab investigated the effects of having a professional work hub near the home of the participant, alongside a digital platform for mobility and accessibility, and incentives for more sustainable mobility behavior.
Our co-working hub in Tullinge was developed as a living lab 2019–2021, and then run for a year as a commercial pilot by Botkyrka municipality in collaboration with a local space-sharing entrepreneur, Vakansa. The pilot project was closed at the end of 2022. Botkyrka municipality will publish a report about the pilot phase of the hub in early 2023. The final research results of Mistra SAMS will be published in 2023.
What is a co-working hub?
The participants in the study had access to a professional work space across the street from Tullinge station with 14 desk spaces bookable via an online application. The work spaces had ergonomic chairs, desks that could be raised and lowered, large screens, keyboards and mice.
The work hub also had a conference room for 8 people, equipped with camera and screens for videoconferencing, as well as three sound-proofed rooms for telephone or video calls. These rooms were also bookable via the app. In addition, the participants also had access to two electric bicycles and one electric cargo bicycle, free to use and also bookable via the app.
The purpose and aims of the Living Lab study
The purpose of the living lab study was for businesses, researchers, authorities, and citizens to work together in the creation, validation, and test of new services, business ideas, markets, and technologies in real-life contexts. Mistra SAMS aim was to create a shared arena in which digital services, processes, and new ways of working could be developed and tested with user representatives and researchers.
The living lab in Tullinge would be an arena in which businesses, authorities, citizens and other stakeholders could take active part in an innovation process by “stimulating and challenging” on-going research and development.
Next step for the co-working hub research 2023
The Living Lab study has led to several interesting new leads about our post-pandemic reality, in which digital work is the new normal for many people.
During 2023-24, Mistra SAMS will continue to investigate the role of the municipality in establishing local workhubs and explore the opportunities of intra-municipal and intra- governmental hubs, where employees of municipal or governmental agencies can work from shared premises across the region or country a couple of days a week.
Finally, Mistra SAMS will explore how the increased use of digital services may influence emissions and energy footprints.