04/06/2026
Wim De Kinderen opened URBIS The Smart Cities Meetup with a keynote on Living Labs. By the end of the morning, he was at a table with the First Vice Premier of the Czech Republic.
In his keynote, Wim made the case for Living Labs as a practical instrument for regional competitiveness and meaningful stakeholder engagement, showing how co-creation infrastructure translates into economic development and smarter, more inclusive cities. The argument landed somewhere beyond the stage.
From 1-on-1 conversations at our booth to two sessions on turning cities into breeding grounds for innovation and on Living Labs as engines of regional competitiveness. What we encountered in Brno wasn't just curiosity about Living Labs. It was commitment. A newly formed national Living Lab platform. Two government ministries in the room. A car manufacturer already piloting autonomous trams through Living Lab methodology. The Czech Republic isn't catching up, it's moving.
Wim reflected: "The genuine interest we encountered, and the way CzechInvest and national ministries are looking at Living Labs as a carrying instrument in their economic strategies, tells me this movement is reaching a critical mass." Koen Vervoort added: "URBIS proved that what we do at ENoLL can make a difference for everyone, one person at a time." And Marta I. De Los Ríos White left Brno "very inspired after seeing how embedded the Living Lab concept is in their current and future plans."
Thank you to everyone who made time to connect with us. We can't wait to see where this movement takes the Czech Republic.
https://www.bvv.cz/en/urbis