Researchers from the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSS EKVI) – Dr. Rita Lankauskienė, Chief Researcher and Head of the Institute’s Living Lab, LIRA Lab, and Monika Belhaj, Researcher – successfully secured the right to co-organise the international OpenLivingLab Days 2027 (OLLD27) conference in Lithuania, following a competitive international selection process organised in cooperation with the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
The application was submitted on behalf of LIRA Lab, the Institute’s Living Lab and a certified member of ENoLL, whose membership status provides eligibility to participate in the competition to host the conference. The researchers prepared the application in collaboration with Lithuanian partners, including the Faculty of Public Health of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, the Research Council of Lithuania, Go Vilnius, and the Lithuanian National Network of Living Labs (LLLNet).
The successful bid was officially announced on 1 October 2026, during the international OpenLivingLab Days 2026 conference held in Antwerp, Belgium. On this occasion, Dr. Rita Lankauskienė presented Vilnius as the host city of OpenLivingLab Days 2027 and officially invited the international Living Lab community to attend next year’s event in Lithuania.
During the conference, Dr. Lankauskienė also delivered a scientific presentation entitled “Participatory Ecosystem Mapping as a Living Lab Intervention: LIRA Lab Expertise in Building the Lithuanian National Living Lab Ecosystem.” The presentation highlighted LIRA Lab’s experience in developing and strengthening innovation ecosystems through participatory mapping and co-creation approaches, emphasising their role in fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, innovation development, and commercialisation.
OpenLivingLab Days is the annual international conference of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), bringing together researchers, innovation experts, policymakers, and representatives of business, the public sector, and civil society from around the world. The 2026 conference in Belgium attracted more than 400 participants from 42 countries. The event provides an international platform for presenting the latest scientific research, sharing practical experiences from Living Labs, and exploring opportunities for open innovation, co-creation, and sustainable societal transformation.
The OpenLivingLab Days 2027 conference in Vilnius will be organised by LSMC EKVI, together with its Lithuanian partners, in close cooperation with ENoLL. This achievement represents an important opportunity to showcase Lithuania’s research and innovation potential to the international community, strengthen the national Living Lab ecosystem, and foster new international partnerships in research and innovation.
More information: https://openlivinglabdays.com/
About LIRA Lab: https://www.ekvi.lt/en/lira-lab
Contacts: rita.lankauskiene@lcss.lt; monika.belhaj@lcss.lt