Open Innovation for the Eco-social Transition: Validation of a University Living Lab Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5944/reec.49.2026.45860Keywords:
Higher education, sustainable development, innovation, pedagogy, knowledge transferAbstract
The role of universities as strategic agents in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has gained relevance within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. This study focused on the validation of the ******* Living Lab (***-LL), an open innovation initiative driven by the University of Salamanca. The model aimed to promote eco-social awareness among children and adolescents through the co-design of sustainable techno-pedagogical solutions. Two objectives were established: to describe the structure and functioning of the ***-LL as a university innovation model to foster sustainable development, and to evaluate its validity through a comparison with ten European educational Living Labs affiliated with the ENoLL network. A qualitative comparative methodology based on the analysis of eight theoretical criteria was adopted. The results showed that the ***-LL constitutes a solid, participatory and transferable educational ecosystem, in which sustainability, technology and pedagogy converge under a university logic of social innovation and sustainable development. In this model, the university acts not only as a generator of knowledge, but also as a promoter of territorial and social transformation through multi-stakeholder partnerships, methodological transfer and child participation. It is concluded that the ***-LL represents an effective institutional pathway to address contemporary ecological and educational challenges, positioning the university as a key actor in the eco-social transition from a critical, pedagogical and participatory perspective.
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Copyright (c) 2025 María Teresa Silva Fernánez, Bárbara Mariana Gutiérrez-Pérez, Sara Serrate González
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