Pilot plants are increasingly outgrowing their closed environments. They are evolving into living labs where cross-sector collaboration for idea and product development takes precedence. These living labs are gradually forming European networks. This gives companies access to shared knowledge, technology, and financial support. Within the Sixfold project, we aim to further develop a network of living labs within the SS4AF partnership.
Pilot plants, the innovation engine of the food industry
To move from an idea to a concrete concept and ultimately to industrial production, a company goes through several development stages. A pilot plant is a testing infrastructure that supports these stages by helping to scale up innovations step by step. Pilot plants provide a safe environment for entrepreneurs to test and validate new ideas. Trust is a key element in this process. Each pilot plant has its own specialization and unique expertise. Some focus primarily on food, while others emphasize digitalization or technology. This means that no single pilot plant can meet every SME’s needs. In this context, collaboration between pilot plants offers a significant advantage for both pilot operators and companies.
By connecting pilot plants, a strong network emerges. Entrepreneurs gain access to more expertise and a wider variety of modern infrastructure. This increases opportunities to experiment, innovate, and grow.
Flanders has several testing facilities. Four test and pilot centers in Flanders, supported by Flanders’ FOOD, have joined forces in the Flanders’ FOOD Pilots Network. The article of 23 June, “Our pilot infrastructure as a launchpad for new products, processes, and companies”, highlights this network. It is a valuable asset for the Flemish food industry.
The evolution from pilot plant to living lab
More and more, pilot plants are outgrowing their closed environments. They are no longer just places where experiments with new methods take place or where solutions are sought for complex problems. Today, testing facilities are increasingly developing into experimental environments where all stakeholders contribute to shaping the innovations of tomorrow. A pilot plant in which all actors in innovation are involved is called a living lab.
A living lab is a dynamic, innovation-driven organization where consumers, companies, research institutions, and policymakers collaborate to develop and test new ideas, products, or services.
Like pilot plants, living labs are identified as safe environments where cross-sector collaboration can thrive, fostering the development of practical, innovative solutions.
The agri-food sector faces major challenges, such as food security and climate change, growing consumer expectations, and small profit margins. These challenges extend beyond the food sector and therefore provide an excellent opportunity for living labs to support food companies in addressing them.
The services of a living lab
The services they offer, and which companies can make use of, fall into two categories: “test before investment” and “skills and training”.
Under “test before investment” we include:
- Contract research such as specific R&D, concept development, proof of concept
- Testing and validation services such as certification, product demonstration, and qualification
- Strategic Research, Development, and Innovation such as pre-competitive research
- Provision of technological infrastructure such as renting equipment, facilities, or offering favorable commercial production
- Technical support in scaling up such as concept validation, prototyping, and small-scale series production
A survey within the Sixfold project shows that “contract research” and “testing and validation services” are the most sought-after by companies.
Under “skills and training” we include:
- Courses and workshops for skills development
- Provision of technological infrastructure for educational purposes
Figure 1: Living labs as innovation centers that foster cross-sector collaboration and promote the advancement of cutting-edge technological solutions for the food industry.
The role of living labs for Industry 4.0
The implementation of Industry 4.0 in the food industry requires close collaboration between various partners such as food processing companies, researchers, technology providers, developers of digital solutions, and policymakers. A living lab is therefore the ideal place to innovate in the context of Industry 4.0. It provides a safe environment to test new technologies and explore unconventional solutions.
Living labs are strongly rooted in their regions. However, some themes, such as the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the food industry, are not region-specific but universal. This makes them an excellent theme around which living labs can form a network.
SS4AF, the network of living labs for Industry 4.0 in the food industry
A network of living labs is a powerful way to share knowledge and jointly overcome existing barriers. By connecting these living labs, expertise in food production is combined with technological know-how. This facilitates the exchange of knowledge and problem-solving expertise for challenges faced by SMEs across Europe. In particular, a network of living labs joining forces around Industry 4.0 enables greater impact and faster implementation through knowledge and expertise sharing.
The partnership Smart Solutions 4 Agri-Food (SS4AF) is a network of cluster organizations, such as Flanders’ FOOD. Through these clusters, living labs from 40 European regions in 9 countries are connected around the theme of “accelerated implementation of Industry 4.0.”
The fundamental mission of the network of living labs within the SS4AF partnership is to stimulate the adoption of innovative technological solutions for SMEs in the agri-food sector.
For food companies, a network of living labs provides significant added value for technological innovations in the agri-food sector. By participating in the SS4AF network, they gain access to a large community offering expertise, competencies, solutions, and a strong network of living labs.
Figure 2. SS4AF partners map
Operational handbook of the living labs network, a guide for the future
To ensure the sustainability of the network of regionally anchored living labs within SS4AF and to guarantee the involvement of relevant partners, an operational handbook for the network of living labs has been developed. This handbook outlines the vision, mission, and strategy of the living labs network within the SS4AF partnership.
In addition to the services already offered by living labs, three additional services can be delivered within the SS4AF partnership. These are crucial for accelerating innovations related to Industry 4.0: knowledge exchange on technology and sensors, networking opportunities leading to joint project development, and support with investments and projects.
- Shared knowledge base: The SS4AF partnership has a large, shared knowledge base covering both expertise and financial opportunities to support ecosystem services. This evolving knowledge base is developed in a Toolbox that cluster organizations can make available to companies.
- Innovation ecosystem and networks: No company can innovate alone. Companies benefit when they are connected to others in their value chain, innovators, or early adopters willing to test solutions. Events can support knowledge exchange and networking.
- Support in finding the right financial measures for innovation and scaling-up efforts of SMEs. This service category includes, for example:
- An overview of funding opportunities to ensure SMEs have a clear view of available financing mechanisms
- Identification of relevant grants, innovation vouchers, and R&D tax benefits for SMEs in collaboration with local and national governments
- Helping SMEs navigate European funding programs
Sixfold as a catalyst for the living labs network
Six partners of SS4AF have received European support to further expand a network of living labs for the implementation of deep tech in the food industry under the Sixfold project. The aim of Sixfold is to foster and stimulate the twin transition (digital & green) in Europe’s food industry. By making visible the implementation challenges of deep tech—such as AI, machine learning, robots, and cobots—and seeking solutions through co-creation and design thinking methods, the implementation of deep tech will accelerate. Sixfold achieves this by building a robust, regionally anchored network of living labs.
Currently, a list of living labs in the Sixfold regions is being compiled. This includes each lab’s core competencies, testing infrastructures, key projects, and distinguishing capabilities. By highlighting the available expertise, potential partners, companies, research institutions, and government agencies can assess how collaboration may create mutual benefits. This also strengthens the knowledge of Flemish pilot plants, allowing them to better support Flemish companies.
In addition to this overview, the Sixfold project organizes visits, workshops, and open demonstration days. These take place during so-called study visits, enabling stakeholders to observe the operation of a living lab and directly discuss future collaboration. During these visits and workshops, a co-creation method is used, which fosters trust and stimulates project ideas to further build a robust network of living labs.
Two study visits have already taken place. During these two-day workshops, clusters, companies, living labs, and research institutions from across Europe came together to discuss how living labs can play a key role in the food systems of the future.
- The first study visit took place in May in Kortrijk and focused on data-driven innovation in the agri-food sector. The first day included visits to VEG-i-TEC and Sirris, as well as a workshop on the challenges of data management in food companies. On the second day, we visited Flanders Make, focusing on further developing concepts into concrete solutions such as digital scans, inspiration pathways, and involving students and experts to extract more value from sensor data.
- The second study visit took place in June in Seinäjoki (Finland) with the theme of precision fermentation challenges related to regulation and societal acceptance. Over the two days, practical extrusion and spray-drying tests were carried out, along with workshops discussing possible solutions.
The energy and commitment of all participants made these two study visits particularly valuable.
These study visits underline the power of European collaboration and show how, by sharing experiences and jointly building innovative solutions, we are working towards a sustainable future for the agri-food sector.
Figure 3: Sixfold participants of study visit 2 in Seinäjoki, Finland
Interested in helping to build a strong network of living labs across Europe? Join the next Sixfold study visit in Vilnius (Lithuania) on the theme: Strategic Networking × Living Lab Financing: Turning Partnerships into Investments!
