What is a living lab?

A living lab is not a traditional laboratory as we know it. It is a broader concept based on linking research with real life and its needs, and on cooperation with citizens, local authorities, companies, and other relevant participants. That is why the entire city of Brno and the Brno region are a living lab, rather than a specific laboratory location. Another characteristic feature of a living lab is that the research results are fed back to all participating entities. In the specific case of the living lab mentioned above, the resulting data will be brought closer to the people living in Brno, thanks to which it can have a practical and very specific impact on their everyday lives.

Why Brno?

The Brno population is unique in that it has been observed for more than 60 years through so-called population studies, which, among other things, monitor and identify factors that affect the lives and health of participating individuals and entire households over the long term. As part of the Brno living laboratory, we are investigating how and where people live, the composition of their families, where they work, and their economic situation. From all this, we are trying to track chemical exposure to toxic substances that are all around us. The city of Brno, the South Moravian Region, Brno companies, and other players who can help ensure that the research results have a real impact on the city's residents, which is one of the characteristic features of a functional living laboratory, are and will continue to be involved in the living laboratory concept.

The living laboratory is a major commitment to local residents who actively participate in the research, and at the same time an opportunity to systematically and positively influence events at the local and regional levels and thus further support participatory and socially relevant research.