Apollon - Research Framework and investigation strategy

8/8/2019 Apollon - Research Framework and investigation strategy

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Apollon Deliverable D.1.2

ICT PSP Project Reporting Template 2 FinalVersion

RevisionHistory

RevisionDate Author Organisation Description

1 3.8. Petra+Mark AaltoUniversity

Initialstructure

2 5.8. Petra Aalto Input from Deliverables x.1, 5.2and5.3

3 13.8. Petra Aalto Streamlining,morefocusonChapter6

4 20.8. Petra Aalto IntroducingDesignScienceframework

5 31.8. Petra Aalto Finalizing

6 5.11. Petra Aalto GAcomments

Statementoforiginality:

Thisdeliverablecontainsoriginalunpublishedworkexceptwhere

clearlyindicatedotherwise.Acknowledgementofpreviously

publishedmaterialandoftheworkofothershasbeenmade

throughappropriatecitation,quotationorboth.

Theinformationinthisdocumentisprovidedasisandnoguaranteeorwarrantyisgiventhattheinformationisfitforanyparticularpurpose.The

userthereofusestheinformationatitssoleriskandliability.


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Contents

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 4

2. ApollonResearchFramework .................................................................................... 4

3. ApollonResearchDesign .............................................................................................. 6

4. ApollonMethodologyandToolsdevelopment...................................................... 84.1 ReviewofStateoftheArtandLiterature........................................................................9 4.2 ApollonMethodologyCategories.................................................................................... 104.3 EvaluationFramework....... .................. ................. .................. .................. .................. ....... 11

5. ApplyingResearchFrameworktoApollonthematicexperiments ..............145.1 ApplyingResearchFrameworkIterationatGeneralAssembly......................... 16

6. APOLLONCross-WorkPackageCollaboration ....................................................167. CollaborationPracticesforApollonProject.........................................................207.1 Requirementcollection ..................................................................................................... 207.2 Liaisonpartnerstoverticalexperiments .................................................................... 217.3 Regularcollaborationforiterativeconceptvalidation .......................................... 227.4 Wikiforcollaborationandknowledgesharing......................................................... 227.5 SMEEngagement .................................................................................................................. 23

8. Conclusion........................................................................................................................24


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1.IntroductionThe main issues addressed by the APOLLON project are the present lack ofLiving Lab methodology harmonization and collaboration, and the seriousdifficultiesofSMEsinengagingincross-borderLivingLabexperimentation.Inordertoprovideconcretecontributiontothisidentifiedgapincurrentresearchandoperations,APOLLONprojectmustconductdetailedanalysisof thevarious

stakeholders, their objectives, ways of working as well as factors hinderingcross-border experimentation and exchange. This work will culminate increation of scalable experience based APOLLON methodology for cross-borderlivinglabnetworks.

APOLLON research approach has been described in general terms in theDescription of Work (DoW). Thus this deliverable will focus on theimplementation of the project, and especially on the co-development with the

variousAPOLLONworkpackages.Itpresentsadesignsciencebasedapproachtoformalizing the collaboration, knowledge transfer and reporting between the

workpackage1andotherworkpackages.ThisoperationalmodelcanbecalledResearch Framework or Investigation strategy,and in essence it describestheway of working towards creation of common cross-border Living Lab

methodologywithinApollonproject.

TheResearchframeworkwilldescribetheprocesses,methodsandtoolsusedforcollaboration, knowledge sharing and joint development for vertical andhorizontaldomainswithintheAPOLLONprojectandrelatedstakeholders.The

related tools and environments will be provided by work package 7 Projectmanagement. Thetaskalsohas relation with work package 6 Dissemination,

especiallyforthepartofSMEengagement.

Collaboration betweenthepartnerswithin andacross living lab networkslike

APOLLONisnotatrivialtasktodo.Inthisdeliverableweaddressthisissuebyproposing concrete processes, responsibilities, and tasks that can be used as

guidance to set up and formalize the collaboration for maximal benefit for allstakeholders.

2.Apollon Research FrameworkIn APOLLON methodology development the principle objective is to supportAPOLLONthematicexperiments,andatthe same timecollaboratein validating

andcreatingagenericmethodologyforcrossborderlivinglabnetworks.Insucha complex environment there are several alternative approaches to groundingtheresearchanddevelopmentactivities.Thefigurebelowseekstoillustratethe

plethoraofresearchstrandsassociatedtoAPOLLONmethodologydevelopment.


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Figure1.Strandsofresearchthatcontributeconcepts,terminologyandresearchframeworkforthecreationofAPOLLONMethodology

InthisoperatingcontextmethodologydevelopmentworkinWP1essentiallyhas

to focus on two types of elements: research activities and outputs. With thistwofoldsetofobjectivesweconsidermodifiedMarchandSmith(1995)designscienceframeworkthatconnectsthesetwoelementsasasuitablebasisforour

research framework. The proposed framework has been widely used foridentifyingandfillinghumanneedsinexplorativeresearch.Asaframeworkitisflexible enough to include and allow for the numerous objectives, drivers andexpectations of the various stakeholders. It further allows the use of variousdifferent research methods, cyclic development models, as well as the use of

iterations.

Activities/Outputs Build Evaluate Justify Theorize

Constructs

Model

Method

Installation

Table1.Designscienceframework(MarchandSmith,1995)

In this framework research outputs cover constructs, models, methods andinstantiations. In APOLLON context we apply the model with the following

representations:


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- Constructsarethetermusedtodescribeproblemsorusecaseswithinadomain.

- A model is a set of statements representing research questions and

proposedoutcomes.- Amethodisasetofstepsusedtoperformatask.

- Aninstantiationinthiscontextisathematicpilot

According to the framework the research activities comprise building,evaluating, theorizing on and justifying artifacts. In APOLLON context the

scalable APOLLON methodology for cross-border Living Lab collaborationrepresents this artifact. The work that we perform towards this end includes

tasks of building, validating and evaluating methodology framework with the

thematic pilots. Build refers to creation of templates, scenarios and referencematerialtothepilotsbasedonstateoftheartknowledgeandexperiencesfrom

theexperiments.Validatingoftheproposedmodelsinaniterativemannerreferstothejustificationtask.Evaluatereferstothedevelopmentofcriteriaandthe

assessmentoftheoutput.TowardstheendoftheprojectWP1filterselementsthatarespecifictoonethematicdomainorexperimentfromthefinalversionofAPOLLONmethodology.Thistaskrepresentstheorizingin ourenvironment.In

thefollowingweseektoapplythisframeworktoAPOLLONproject.

3.Apollon Research DesignTheimportanceofcollaborationandseamlesscommunicationsishighlightedinApollon project due to the high level of participants and complexity of theproject. The project includes various application areas and contexts for the

developedmethodologiesandtools,and thus provides one-of-a-kind validationplatform for Living Lab methodologies and other developed models. Figure 1

belowdescribesthesetupofAPOLLONprojectandrelationshipsbetweenthevarious thematic experiences, methodology development and disseminationactivities.


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Figure2.OverviewoftheverticalandhorizontalAPOLLONapproachSince the project aims at comparing the experiences in various thematicdomains, little practical level collaboration exists directlybetween the verticalexperiments in the project. Most of the sharing and escalation of things isorganized through management team meetings (organized by projectmanagement), or through dissemination events (responsibility of WP6

Dissemination). Thus it becomes evident that close collaboration is neededbetweentheoperationalworkpackagesofAPOLLONproject.Workpackage1ashorizontal work package will collect information from the various thematicexperiments,andcollectthelearningsintoaharmonizedmethodologyandtoolsfor cross-border living lab experimentation. Work package 1 will collect andsharethebestpracticesandprocessesthatareofcommoninterestandtogetherwiththeexperimentselaborateandsharethedevelopedmodelsinpracticalreallifesetting.

Thus this task focuses mainly on methodology and tool development for theverticalexperiments,andanalysestheopportunitiesandchallengesofapplyingshared approach and methodology for the shared development. This link isessential in ensuring that the experiments will follow similar approaches andthatthedevelopedmethodologyisrelevantandsufficientlyvalidatedwithinthe

vertical experiments in the course of the project. In practical terms thedeveloped framework willpresent theadded value of harmonized approaches


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andworkingpractices,andthusactsasamotivatorforthevariouspartnerstoadapt Apollon methodology in their operations. We stress the importance ofsystematically monitoring impact: to observe and trace what is actuallyhappeningintermsofinteractions,actions,decisions,andtheireffectsinvarious

levelsofanalysis.Forthispurpose,WP1togetherwiththeotherworkpackagesco-produces standardized guidelines and frameworks. WP1 further providestemplates dedicated for each work package separately to support operational,handsonworkintheworkpackages.

Chosen approach forApollon methodology and tools development emphasizesthe collaborative nature of the initiative. Methodology and tools developmenthasbeenorganizedasaseparateWorkPackage(WP1)inordertosufficientlyaddresstheidentifiedneedforharmonizationofmethodologiesandapproachesin Living Labs across Europe. The underlying motivation for the methodologydevelopment work is to provide models and tools for European Network ofLiving Labs (ENoLL), and thus add value to the whole European living labcommunity. This is to show how organizations leverage their expertise andcombinecustomersandsuppliersintoaseamlesslyintegratedvaluenetworkbyembedding their local ecosystems into a broader cross-border ecosystem ofLivingLabnetworks.

4.Apollon Methodology and Tools developmentAPOLLON Methodology and Tools Work Package will advance the scientificvalidity and quality of Living Lab research by developing sustainable,

scientificallysoundresearch,developmentandinnovation(RDI)methodologiesforLiving Labsin Europe andbeyond. Thedeveloped set of multi-disciplinary

methodologies and platforms for experimenting with people, societies andcompaniesinLivingLabsinsystemiclevelinreal-lifecontextswillbeempiricallyvalidated for reliable and trustworthy socio-techno-economic impact analysis

andrecommendationsforcompanies,publicsectorandpolicyimplementation.

TheexpectedresultsfromAPOLLONMethodologyandToolsWorkPackageare

todeliver:1. A Catalogue of state-of-the-art concepts, existing tools and lessons

learnedforcross-borderLivingLabnetworks

2. A set of validated methodologies to set up and conduct cross-border

LivingLabnetworks

3. Arecommendedtoolsetforfacilitatingcross-borderLivingLabactivities

4. AplatformandpracticalguidelinesforinvolvingSMEs

5. Animpact assessment ofthe specificadded valuein termsof results as

wellasoperationalefficienciesofthecross-borderapproach

6. Recommendationsforfutureresearchandinstrumentation


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Thefollowingillustratestheschedulingandrelationshipsbetweenthefivetasks.

Figure3.SchedulingAPOLLONWP1Tasks

Inthefollowingwepresentthevarioustasksindetailfocusingontheprocesses

ofcreating,aswellastheoutcomesofthetasks.Thiswillallowtheotherworkpackages to better understand the approach and stages of the methodologydevelopment,andseehowthevariousactivitiestietogether.

4.1 Review of State of the Art and LiteratureWork in WP1 has been organized in five parallel tasks. The tasks have beendivided following typical CIP projects, where the focus is on integrating andbuildingonalreadyexistingpracticesratherthaninventingnewones.

Theworkbeganwithextensivestateoftheartanalysisoncrossborderlivinglab

networks (D1.1). This analysis addressed theneed for European Living Labs tomove from awareness creation to true collaboration, and to implement a more detailed

analysis of Europe-wide user, market and technology characteristics and an

economically more valuable mode of experimentation, by networking, comparing andscaling up cross-border Living lab networks.

The state of the art analysis was concluded in M1-M6 of the project in form of a

literature study of previous Living Lab projects and questionnaire that was designed

for semi-structured interviews within and outside of the APOLLON consortium. The

interviewees have been chosen according to their proven record of experience and

expertise within the European Living Lab community and network. For more detailson the studied initiatives, persons and interview questions, please refer to Deliverable

D1.1 at mybbt. One of the main targets of the interviews was to capture qualitative

data on existing Living Lab networking initiatives in order to derive a rating of how

T1.3EvaluationFramework

T1.2Methodolo Develo ment

T1.4CollaborationFrameworkSOTA

T1.1SOTA

T1.5Recommendations


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successful methodologies, tools or organizational structures have been applied in real

life.

The state of the art analysis concluded that the main objectives are similar: to knoweach partner better and to learn from each other. The exchange of best practices andlessons learned is seen as the most important goal of the network followed by

harmonizing an integrating tools and methods between the partners. Finally, a thirdobjective that the networks indicated is performing joint research. Here the aim is that

between partners of the various Living labs and over the border of each Living Lab

research on a larger scale is set-up and executed.

The outcomes of the interviews served as input for a collection of availablemethodologies, tools and structures including a SWOT analysis that also reflects

expressed lessons learned. SOTA analysis also provided the bases for justification of

the assumptions and constructs used in the first version of APOLLON methodology.

4.2 Apollon Methodology Categories

As a basis for the methodology development (Task 1.2) we have selected a holistic

Living Lab management approach, and divided Living Lab management into four

categories: Connect, Set Boundaries and Engage, Support and Govern and Manage

and Track. The categorization reflects the stages of Living Lab network initiation,

experimentation and evaluation. The objective of the categorization is to establish a

common approach to methodology, and divide the related tasks and elements to easily

managed entities. The proposed categorization will be applied in all APOLLON WP1(Methodology and Tools) related tasks (State of the art, methodology framework,

collaboration model, evaluation framework, future recommendations and roadmap).

In the state of the art analysis the categorization was applied to the interview data in

order to structure the findings and better indicate their relevance to APOLON project.The data was categorized as follows:

Main category and sub-category according to the categorization of the

APOLLON methodology framework

The concept category distinguishing between methodologies,

organizational/governance structures and tools

The origin of the finding naming the projects or initiatives name and its

concept

A verbal description summarizing the main facts about the finding

A SWOT analysis listing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of

the findings

Available references for further details

An indication of the relevance of the findings for the APOLLON methodology

framework

The principle value of the current state of the categorization was to better understandthe maturity of the Living Lab network in regards to the various stages of Living Lab


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network development, as well as to divide the various activities into events. In regards

to APOLLON research framework, the categorization represents basic constructs that

will form a common terminology for the various experiments to use in their dialogue.

The categorization was introduced to APOLLON consortium in April 2010 (M6)together with the state of the art analysis. The results were disseminated to all

APOLLON members via email by WP1 leader, as well as through mybbt website andwiki. The format of the dissemination was in form of a deliverable report D1.1, as

well as summary power point presentation. The categorization and summary of thefindings were presented to wider Living Lab community and interest groups in

APOLLON presentation in conjunction to Spanish EU Presidency event in Valencia

in April 2010.

4.3 Evaluation FrameworkMethodologydevelopmentalsoincludesan evaluationframeworkfor assessingtheimpactofAPOLLONmethodologyandcross-borderlivinglabcollaborationin

general(D1.3).Theevaluation andimpactassessmentframeworkdevelopedinthe APOLLON project, aims to monitor, analyse and assess the APOLLONmethodologyaswellastheaddedvalueofcrossborderLivingLabnetworking.In this framework key performance indicators are defined which will be usedand subsequently identify and develop mechanisms to measure the keyperformance indicators. This evaluation framework will therefore assess twodifferentprocesses,(1)theAPOLLONmethodologysupportingthecrossborder

networking,and(2)theaddedvalueofthecrossborderLivingLabnetworking.

Inordertobeabletomeasuretheimpactoftheproject,theworkstartedwithabaselinequestionnairetoApollonpartnersinthebeginningoftheproject.Theobjectiveofthisonlinequestionnairewastofindoutaboutthecurrentimpactscreated inthe localand cross-borderoperations, aswellastolearnaboutthe

success factors and identified challenges in Living Lab collaborations. Thebaseline questionnaire was conducted M5 of the project through IBBT webresources. The questionnaire was answered by 30 persons, which wasconsidered sufficient for the saturation of the available data inputs. The

questionnaire highlighted the fact that little emphasis had been given formethodologicalandevaluationrelatedissuesinthepreviousprojects.Noneoftherespondentsreportedsystematicallyappliedtools,frameworksorKPIsforimpact assessment in their projects. Therefore the evaluation frameworkdevelopmentworkhadtostartfromveryprofoundelementsanddefinitions.Inorder to address the challenges of the practical experimentation work,collaboration with the other WPs is a key success factor for the developmentwork.

Thebaselinequestionnairewasconductedatthesametimeasthemilestone2

(MS2) was planned for requirements input from the thematic work packagestowardsthemethodologydevelopment.Sincethebaselinequestionnairedidnot


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provideasmuchdetailsashopedfor,othermeansfortherequirementcollectionwere set up. The foremost means was regular teleconferences with the WorkPackageleadersfromthethematicworkpackages.TheWPleadswereinvitedtoWP1 teleconferences, where methodology related requirements were

establishedasapermanentagendaitem.Furthertothis,allworkpackageswereassignedadedicatedWP1personthatwouldattendverticalWPmeetingsandthus provide inputs to methodology and especially evaluation frameworkdevelopment.

In the following we present how the various elements of the evaluationframework assess the different project outcomes. Baseline questionnairecomplemented SOTA analysis in construct development (categorization). Thefinaloutcomeoftheprojectisamodelforcross-borderLLcollaboration,namelythemethodology.Methodforthedevelopmentisverticalcollaboration.Alsothecollaborationwillbemeasuredintermsofqualityandquantityofcontactsandcollectionsmade.ApollonCollaborationmodel

Systematically applied methodologies and supporting tools provide companiesand organizations with a controlled environment for collecting, modeling,analyzing and storing qualitative user generated data in various contextual

settings, and thus further develop their services, as well as speed up productadaptationthroughrelevantmarketcommunicationsandcampaigns.

In this context wedefine tools inthe broadsense of the term toinclude any

mediausedforsystematicallycollectinguserinputs,collaboratingandanalyzingtheresults.APOLLONtoolswillincludevirtualonlinetools,aswellastemplates,questionnairesandartifacts. These tools will support Apollon communication andknowledge sharing within the consortium as well as with the supporting partners,

SMEs and other stakeholders. APOLLON collaboration tools will be described in

detail in D1.4.

The developed collaboration model is targeted to support operational collaboration

between the various stakeholders in cross-border Living Lab experiments. Thus the

development of the model also requires inputs and experiences from all parties in

applied projects and processes. Thus collaboration model development will build on

the state of the art experiments and learning. In the initial phases the modeldevelopment will focus especially on supporting ongoing cross-border initiatives. The

model will be developed based on experiences from Apollon thematic experiments,

and validated in an iterative process towards a more scalable, general model that can

support any future cross-border living lab network. Knowledge transfer and

collaboration between the various experiments as well as within experiments will provide grounds for the collaboration model. During the project we have the

opportunity to assess models and practices that work and add value to the process, as

well as those not so well suited for such contexts. The input from the various

experiments will be collected with standardized templates in order to be able to

compare the various experiments, and to analyze how the collaboration has developed

over time.


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In addition to the descriptions of the communications and collaborations in the

various interfaces, the developed collaboration model will further feature the channels

and tools for collaboration. This includes ICT platforms used for partner search,

promotion as well as knowledge sharing and storing. WP1 will develop a platform

where the various Living Labs and SMEs can present their profile in a unified

manner, and promote their projects, ideas and services for other parties. The platform

supports searches on multiple criteria and thus enables wider networking and new

contacts for the various partners. Further to partner matching the platform will

provide tangible support for initiating and running cross-border projects. This support

includes knowledge resources, templates, process descriptions, check lists as well assuccess stories from previous and ongoing projects. Special emphasis will be given to

impact assessment and evaluation of the projects. This area has been identified as

underdeveloped in the previous projects, and thus would need further focus and

development.

Applying to our researchframework, the collaboration model willpresent themethodforjustifying/validatingtheconstructs,modelsandmethodswehavedevelopedinthethematicpilots.

Activities/Outputs Build Evaluate Justify Theorize

Constructs Categorization Evaluation

framework:Baseline

questionnaire

Collaboration

model: WP1internal

collaboration

SOTA, Policy

recommend-dations

Model Collaboration

model:

Collaboration

with all

APOLLON

partners

Evaluation

framework:

Apollonmethodology

Collaboration

model:

Collaboration

with all

APOLLON

partners

SOTA, Policy

recommend-

dations

Method Collaboration

model:Collaboration

with allAPOLLON

partners

Evaluation

frameworkVertical

collaboration

Collaboration

model:Collaboration

with allAPOLLON

stakeholders

SOTA, Policy

recommend-dations

Installation Collaboration

model:

Collaboration

with all

APOLLONpartners

Evaluation

framework:

Impact

assessment

Collaboration

model:

Collaborating

withthematics

SOTA, Policy

recommend-

dations

Table2.Apollonmethodologydevelopmentpositionedinresearchframework


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APOLLON methodology development work culminates in reflection of the project

and results, and collecting these findings into a set of recommendations for policy

changes and instrumentation for future research and development (D1.5). This final

task will also, based on the lessons learned, propose new projects, initiatives and

member services for ENoLL and the European Living Lab community in general.

5.Applying Research Framework to Apollon thematicexperiments

Apollon organizes twelve pilots under four thematic domains in order todemonstrate the benefits of cross-border experimentation for building singleEuropean research area and market. This chapter will describe the variousexperiments briefly with the main emphasis on the operational tasks and

relationshipsintheexperiments.Theverticalexperimenttypesandaddressedchallengesineachthematicexperimentaredescribedinthefigure2below.

Figure4.TheFourAPOLLONexperimentsandthechallengestheyaddress


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Each Apollon wok package has slightly different focus and thus differentapproach. However, in the quest to simplify the project design, the various

thematicexperimentshavebeenorganizedasseparateworkpackagesthatwillallgothroughthesamesteps,organizedastaskswithintheworkpackages:

Figure5.Stepswithintheverticalexperimentsregardlessofapproach

In the following we summarize how the various experiments can apply theframeworkintheirexperiments.Alreadyduringthefirststagesoftheprojectithasbecomeapparentthatthereisneedforharmonizationandmethodologicalsupportfortheexperiments.Theapplicationof acommonresearchframeworkwillassisttheexperimentsinstructuringtheactivitiesintheexperimentsandputting them into a process oriented frame. This will later assist incommunicationswiththevariouspartnersinvariousexperimentsandlocations,and allow WP1 to collect data in pre-defined categories. Common researchframeworkwillalsoestablishcommonlanguageandterminologyfortheprojectasawhole.

InthecontextoftheexperimentswecanapplytheApollonresearchframeworkbyansweringthequestionsineachofthefollowingclasses.

Activities/Outputs Build Evaluate Justify Generalize

Constructs Whatarethe

variablesthat

youstudy?

Whatarethe

elementsthat

youmeasure?

Howdoyou

decidebest

practicesacrossthe

experiments?

Howdoyoufilter

pilotspecific

elementsout?

Model Whatarethebasic

assumptions,

causalitiesand

outcomesthat

youperceive?

Whatmeasuresdo

youuseto

evaluatethe

validityofthe

assumptions?

Whatarethesuccesscriteria

thatyouuse?

Howdoyouassessthewider

applicabilityof

themodel?

Method Whatisthe

processfor

validatingthe

Howdoyou

evaluateand

adjustthe

validation

Howdoyou

justifytheuse

ofselected

Howdoyou

ensurethe

scalabilityand

wider


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assumptions? process? methods? applicabilityof

themethods?

Installation Whoarethe

stakeholdersatyour

experiment?

Howdoyou

evaluateaddedvalueforeach

stakeholder?

Howdoyou

justifytheselected

collaboration

model?

Howdoyou

compilerecommendations

forsustainability

Table3.Thematicexperimentsfocusandcontentcommunicatedincategoriesofactivitiesandoutputs

Inshouldbenotedthattheresearchapproachiscloselylinkedtotheobjectivesoftheexperimentsaswellaseachstakeholdersdriversandmotivationsto

engageincollaboration.Thefollowingchapterswillfeaturetheapplicationoftheframeworkineachthematicinmoredetail.

5.1 Applying Research Framework Iteration at General Assembly

ApollonGeneralAssemblyatSeptember30-October1servedasaplatformforapplyingApollonresearchframeworktothematicexperiments.ThefirstversionofApollonmethodologywaspresentedtotheprojectconsortium,andplenarysessions organized with all experiments. During these sessions it becameevident, that in addition to a harmonized approach to the cross-borderexperiments is a necessity. Furthermore, it was realized that at this stage ofpilotingthevariousexperimentsvarysignificantlyinregardstotheirapproach,set up and objectives. Thus also the framework and related evaluation andcollaborationprocessesneedtobeplannedseparatelyforeachexperiment.

The research framework was applied separately for each stakeholder groups,namely Living Labs, SMEs and users. In addition tostakeholderspecificplans,theapplicationwasalsodoneseparatelyforbothexperimentlevel(locally),andto the cross-border level. The same categorization is used throughout theApollon methodology development and evaluation. The various methodologyelementswillbeappliediterativelyeitheron cross-borderor experimentlevel,andevaluatedasapartofmethodologydevelopmentprocessinthreemonthlyintervals.

6.APOLLON Cross-Work Package CollaborationThe various thematic domains conduct their experiments following the samehigh level schedule but with very different emphasis and contexts. Thereforecollaborationbetweenthethematicworkpackagesislimitedduetofocusandlimited resources. However, already in the initial phases of the project (Pilot

preparations, Deliverable Dx.1) is has become apparent that there is need forharmonizationandmethodologicalsupportfortheexperiments.Theapplicationofacommonresearchframeworkwillassisttheexperimentsinconceptuallevel.

The clear, process-oriented approach enables structuring the research effortsandassistincommunicationswiththevariouspartnersinvariousexperiments


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andlocations.Thiswillestablishcommonlanguageandtermsfortheprojectasawhole.

ItistheroleofthehorizontalworkpackagesWP1,WP6andWP7toensurethatrelevantresults,practicesandbenchmarksfromeachthematicworkpackageare

disseminated to all relevant parties. Work package 7, Project managementensures that the communication channels and project infrastructure supportsthe experiments and collaboration between the work packages. WP1 assumesresponsibilityfordisseminatingandassistinginimplementationoftheproposedframeworkinthethematicexperiments.

InoperationallevelworkWP1workstogetherwiththethematicworkpackagesin order to develop common approaches, methodologies and tools for cross-

borderexperimentationandSMEengagement.Thescopeoftheworkincludesmethodology development in thematic cross-border projects, as well as in thewholeApollonlevel.Ithasbeenidentifiedthatinthefirstphasesoftheprojectthe thematic level collaboration and harmonizing of the practices within thethematic experiments is of more importance than Apollon level collaboration.The scalable methodologies and tools that will live on after the projectcompletion will be developed with the thematic experiments during thefollowingyear,andfilteredintoharmonizedmethodologyofcross-borderlivinglab networks. Proposal for collaboration between the WPs and taskswas firstpresented during Apollon project kick off event in Brussels on November 27,

2009.Thesummaryoftheinitialproposalincludesthefollowing:


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Figure6.Interconnectionbetweenthedifferentworkpackages

Thetasksreferredtointheearlierdescriptionareasfollows:

ApollonWP2-5Tasks:

Taskx.1Preparationoftheexperiments

Taskx.2Transferring,implementationanddeploymentoftheexperiment

Taskx.3Cross-borderpiloting

Taskx.4Evaluationandrecommendationsofthecross-bordernetworkactivities

Taskx.5Thematicnetworkactivities

In addition to the interrelations to the thematic work packages, collaborationwiththethematicworkpackagesandthedisseminationWP6hasbeendescribedinthemodel.Thefollowingsummarizesdisseminationtasks.

ApollonWP6Tasks:

Task6.1.DisseminationPlan

Task6.2.NetworkingandEvents


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Task6.3.Actionplanforsustainablecross-borderLivingLabnetwork

Task6.4.Extra-Europeandissemination

It was recognized that work package level sharing would not be sufficientenough,andthusthefocuswillbeontasklevelcollaborationandsharing.Thefollowingprincipleswereproposed:

- WP Collaboration would be a permanent item on Apollon management

teammeetings- Task leaders will assume responsibility for WP collaboration: the task

leader providing input to another task responsible for establishing thelinkandprovidinginformation

- WPleaderswilldiscussanyemergingandescalatedissuesasneeded

In order to ensure seamless knowledge flow and formalize the collaboration

withclearstructure,amodelforcollaborationbetweenthematicworkpackagesand WP1 in task level has been proposed. This model includes the roles,responsibilitiesanddedicatedpersonsforcommunications.Inpracticethislead

toamodel,whereApollonWP1Tasksrelationtotasksintheverticaldomainswasinitiallyplannedasfollows:

A) Task 1.1.State-of-the-art: Benchmarking best practice for cross-bordernetworksofLivingLabs(TaskLeaderSAPwillfeedinputtotasksx.1,x.2.

B) Task 1.2. APOLLON Methodology Framework (Task Leader SAP) will

provide input to tasks x.2, x.3, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4. The task will also bebeneficiaryfordeliverablesfromtasksx.1,x.2,x.3.

C) Task1.3.EvaluationandAssessmentFramework(TaskLeaderLTU)willfeedtotaskx.4andreceiveinputfromtasksx.4.

D)Task 1.4.Collaboration Process and Living Lab Network engagement

model(TaskLeaderNOV)willprovideinputtotasksx.3,x.5,and6.3.Dataforthetaskwillbeprovidedbytasksx.3,x.4.

E) Task1.5.ProjectEvaluationandLessonsLearned(TaskLeaderAalto)willfeedtotasks6.2,6.3and6.4,whilereceivinginputfromtasksx.4,andx.5.

ThispresentationillustratedtheapproachtoknowledgeflowsandmanagementstructurewithinApollonpilot.Naturallythecollaborationinpracticeislessrigidand structured, and consists of numerous knowledge sharing events andchannelsalsoacrossandbeyondthedescribedtasks.Theobjectiveistoestablishcontinuousdialoguebetweenthevarioustasksandactivitieswithintheproject.


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7.Collaboration Practices for Apollon ProjectCollaboration practices for the initial phases of Apollon project follow theprinciplesdescribedintheApollondescriptionofwork.Projectmanagerbears

the main responsibility for implementing the operational and communicationpracticesandchannelsfortheproject.

In regards to collaboration between WP1 and thematic work packages,

processes, guidelines, and tools will be developed in close contact with thepartnersfromthedifferentworkpackages.Bymeansofthesepracticesthebodyof knowledge around collaboration practices will evolve both in terms of sizeand in terms of accuracy and level of detail throughout the project. Toaccomplishthis,weneedtobeincontactwiththeverticalexperimentsregularly.

We need their contribution and experiences in order to provide them withusableadviceoncollaborationpracticeswithintheirlivinglabnetwork.

Initially,weproposethefollowingpractices:

1. Requirementcollectionfromthematicexperiments

2. DedicatedWorkPackage1membersasliaisontoverticalexperiments

3. Regular collaboration and formal meetings for iterative conceptvalidation

4. A wiki as platform to share insights practices and with verticalexperiments

5. SMEengagementprocess

7.1 Requirement collection

Rigor, robustness and especially relevance are among the main attributes for

evaluation of APOLLON methodology. Therefore it is of essence to thoroughlyunderstand the requirements and realities of the partners working in the

thematic experiments. Furthermore, we need to understand the priorities andneedsofpotentialfuturepartnersofthenetwork,especiallythoseofSMEsandmicroentrepreneurs.Theapproachwouldbestbedescribedasparticipatory.

WithinWP1teleconferencesarescheduledonceineverythreeweeks.Forthese

teleconferences, representatives of the other work packages are invited toparticipatetolearnandinfluencethedevelopmentwork.Asthesemeetingshavedraw little attention from the other work packages, WP1 members further

participate in the operational meetings of the various work packages. Thispracticewillenableustobetterservetheverticalexperiments,andseewhatarethe commonalities and differences in the approaches. These issues are thendiscussedintheWP1meetingsinordertoseehowthemethodologywouldbestaddress andsupport thevariouscontexts andapplication areas. In addition, it

willalsohelptoshareknowledgebetweentheexperiments.WP1memberswill


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accumulateknowledgeandanoverallviewofAPOLLONproject,andthuswillbeabletoactasliaisonpartnersbetweenthevariousworkpackages.

7.2 Liaison partners to vertical experiments

In order to effectively support the vertical experiments requires us to learn

about the peculiarities of the planned studies, the parties involved and thepractical circumstances within their living lab network. In the state of the artanalysisthepartnersindicatedthatthemostimportantvalueofthenetworkwassharing and benchmarking. In order for the partners to benefit from theknowledge and expertise of the whole APOLLON network rather than just thenetwork around their own thematic domain, WP1 partners will act as liaisonofficersbetweentheworkpackages.

Thisisdoneinamodel,whereforeachverticalexperimentthereisaresponsiblecontact person in WP 1. These persons will participate in the meetings andpractical work in thethematic work packages,andthen share theinformationandemergingrequirementsfromthethematicworkpackagestoWP1team.Inthismodel, we can leveragethe resources effectively, and create methodologythatwillsupportthethematicexperiments.Thededicatedpersonsforeachworkpackageare:

LiaisonPerson(s) WorkPackage

BramLievens,HendrikHielkema WP2E-Health

AnnaSthlbrst WP3EnergyEfficiency

ChristianMerz WP4E-Manufacturing

ClaudioVandi WP5E-participation

Theinformation sharingwiththeexperimentsisorganizedina non-structured

way in order to avoid unnecessary paperwork. The data collection focuses onhigher level concepts, development and plans for the experiments. In thisprocess WP1 seeks to identify the best practices and their applicability to the

network as a whole. The practices and other thematic WP related issues is apermanent item in WP1 meetings. This information is used for shapingAPOLLONmethodology,aswellasforfilteringtheelementsofmethodologythataregenericasoppositetothoserelevantforspecificthematicdomainsorsingleexperiments. The results will be shared at the APOLLON wikipage on regular

pages. WP1 will also collect the discussions and findings to a log in order toanalyzehowthecollaborationhasevolvedandwhatbenefitsithasproducedtothevariousbeneficiaries.


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7.3 Regular collaboration for iterative concept validation

After theinitialrequirement collection that WP1initiated throughthestate of

theartreview,thebaselinequestionnaireandthedeliverablesx.1,theevolving

methodological requirements and experiences will be collected and shared onregularbasesthroughoutthedurationoftheproject.

WP1willpresentthefirstversionsofthemethodologyandproposedtemplates

for pilot support in August 2010, and discuss their implementation in detailduringthegeneralassembleinSeptember2010.Thesediscussionswillkickoffaregularcollaborationwiththepilotexperiments.Theprocesswillfeaturedatacollection regarding collaboration, user engagement, SME support andevaluationwithastandardtemplateonregularbases.Thedataisreviewedin

teleconferenceswithallrespectiveWPleaderson3monthintervals.

Thiswouldeffectivelymeanthattherewillalsobeanewversionoftheproposed

frameworks available after each iteration round. Altogether there will be 5rounds of iterations before the final version of APOLLON methodology iscompiled.ResponsibilityforcallingthesemeetingwillbewithWP1,andallWPleaders commitment to participate in the process either themselves of with anominated representative will be needed. This process would kick off at the

APOLLONgeneralassembleinSeptember30 th,andmeetat3monthintervals.Thenextproposedmeetings:

- DuringFIConferenceatGhent,Belgium,13-17December2010,- During ICT for Energy Efficiency or similar seminar at Brussels, April

2011,

- June2011,

- September2011

- November2011

TheobjectiveistosetallthedatesduringtheGeneralAssemblee,andpositionthemclosetootherrelatedeventsinordertohaveasmanypersonsaspossible

present,butalsocontrolthecost.

7.4 Wiki for collaboration and knowledge sharing

Collaboration practices and insights evolve over time. In order to openly andeffectivelysharethelatestnewsandactionsinWP1wesetupawiki.Thewikiwillcontainagrowingbodyofknowledgewithprocesses,guidelinesandadvicefortoolsupportandlearningforthevariousworkpackages.Itwillbeusedasameanstodisseminateandconsolidateouradviceforthebenefitoftheverticalexperiments.

The framework that is outlined in the initial versions of methodologydevelopmentwill bethe basisfor the wiki. Itwillbesupplemented with tools


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andguidelinesonthevariousstagesofdevelopment.Thewikicanalsocontaininformationregardingvarioususerengagementtools,andthusworkasaone-stop-shopforthepartnerswishingtolearnmoreaboutLivingLabmethodologyand development. The wiki can be found at mybbt pages, address:

https://www.mybbt.be/share/page/site/Apollon/wiki-page?title=Share_your_experiences_-_thoughts.

Herebyproposedresearchframeworkwillbedisseminatedinitiallythroughthe

wikipages and emails. The framework will also be presented to WP leaderstogether with templates for their plans to implement framework in their

experiments.

7.5 SME Engagement

Since the objective of APOLLON project is to engage and empower EuropeanSMEs,specialemphasisinthemethodologydevelopmentworkwillbegivenfor

theaspectofSMEengagementandsupport. Common methodology and tools forcreating and managing cross-border collaborations would provide SMEs, users and

academic community a set of harmonized user-centred research and innovation

services (best practices, services, methods, tools, operational and business models and

platforms) and advance the rigor and quality of living lab experimentation in Europe.

Thus Living Lab networks can support SMEs to:

- increase the yield on product and process innovation to accelerate top-linegrowth

- reduce time-to-market through lean processes, a higher yield on designs andfaster cycle times

- ensure compliance by incorporating customer and regulatory requirements atall stages of the product lifecycle and by automating the process of

documenting compliance

- optimize resources by gaining greater efficiency through the productlifecycle and digital product and process validation, and leverage globalization

through real-time collaboration with global partners, suppliers and

customers

InordertoassesstheneedsoftheSMEsengagedinAPOLLONprojectwehavetakenthefollowingapproach:

1. Develop and administer a questionnaire, referred to as baseline

investigation

ThebaselineinvestigationwasdevelopedtolearnfromthevariouspartnersintheApollonprojectswhatthedemandsandwishesareforthemethodologytobedevelopedbyworkpackage1.Thequestionnairedevelopedfocusedonthevariousaspectsofcross-bordercooperationbetweenlivinglabsandSMEs.

2. Developscenarios


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Thesescenarioswillbeinspiredbytheresultsofthequestionnaire.Atthisstagethescenariosarepre-evaluationversionsthatwillevolveduringtheproject.

3. EvaluatethescenarioswithSMEsintheverticalexperiments

Afterthepre-evaluationscenarioshavebeendeveloped,theywillbepresentedtoSMEsandfedbycurrentpracticesintheverticalprojects.Forthispurposean

evaluation approach needs to be elaborated that requires only a small effortfromtheSMEs.

Proposed SME support model will be described in detail in Deliverable 1.4Collaboration Model, which includes scenarios for SMEs participation andinvolvement incross-borderLivingLabexperimentation. SMEengagementwillalsobeacentralthemeintheD1.5APOLLONmethodology,whichwillprovideoperational support and guidance for any SME willing to participate in Living

Lab work in the future. Detailed SME engagement plan will also be a centralsubjectofWP6Disseminationswork.

8.ConclusionThis deliverable summarizes the research approach applied in APOLLONmethodologydevelopmentinWP1.Themainprinciplesoftheresearchapproachhave been developed during the project preparation phase, and presented toAPOLLON consortium already at the project kick off. This deliverablesummarizestheapproachandpresentsan adjustedresearchframeworkthatisapplicable to all Apollon thematic experiments. The framework formalizes thevarious tasks into events and group activities and outcomes in a harmonizedway. This simplifies comparisons, evaluations and assessments of theexperiments.

ThefirstphasesofAPOLLONprojecthaveindicatedthatmoreemphasismustbegiven for cross work package communications. This deliverable contributes tothisidentifiedchallengebyformallypresentingacommunicationandknowledgesharing model for knowledge sharing within APOLLON project. The presented

modelhasalreadybeenimplementedinAPOLLONproject,butmoreworkanddisciplineisneededforactivelyfollowingandadheringtoit.

ThebeneficiariesofthedeliverableareallAPOLLONpartners.Thedeliverablewill be disseminated via several channels including wikipages, emails andgeneral assemble. Wider implementation plan forthepresented model will beformulatedtogetherwiththeleadersofeachAPOLLONworkpackageinregularmeetingsduringthefallof2010.

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Apollon - Research Framework and investigation strategy

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