Infrastructuring social labs: Establishing a sustainable research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) platform driven by citizen collaboration Fumiya Akasaka (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology: AIST) Yuya Mitake, Fuko Oura, Kentaro Watanabe, Kazuhiro Kojima

R&D “and I” How to create digital technologies to positively affect society and realise human-centric innovation? The focus should be put not only on developing the technology itself but also on designing a service system The key is the integration of R&D and subsequent Innovation processes (hereafter, R&D&I), where “I” refers to the process of service design (SD). Digital Tech. Service System Society Traditional R&D R&D and I (= Service Design)

Can LLs be sustainable R&D&I platform? YES: LL often include 4 types of stakeholders—citizens, industries, government, and academia—, which play important roles in R&D&I. Limitation: Continuity issues in a difficult challenge as sustainable R&D&I platforms. (1) The end of project funding is the end of LL activities (2) Asymmetrical researcher-citizen relationship (e.g. user drop-out, difficulties in keeping motivation) (Steen & Bueren, 2017) Promoting innovation Bringing human- centric principle Conducting R&D activities Promoting innovation

Social Lab as a sustainable R&D&I platform Social lab refers to an R&D&I scheme to foster a socially acceptable implementation of digital technologies in the service form through cooperation with citizens. The 4 key facets of Social Lab: (1) Integration of SD and R&D (2) Design researchers as key mediator (3) Mutual learning between citizens and researchers (4) Infrastructure to support practices in R&D&I projects

Infrastructural resources of Social Labs Based on the studies in PD, we derived five types of infrastructural resources that should be developed in infrastructuring (i.e. developing and embedding) a social lab in a city. 1) Solid and long-term partnership with citizens • A social lab as an R&D&I platform requires a continuous citizen-researcher relationship rather than short-term collaboration for a limited time 2) Local actor network • To collaborate with the appropriate, a ‘local actor network’ is essential as a resource for supporting a social lab 3) KSA (Knowledge/Skill/Attitude) for R&D&I • Actors involved in the social lab (citizens, industry, government, and researchers) preferably have KSAs that positively affect R&D&I projects 4) Methods and tools • Methods and tools to support the complex design task in R&D&I projects should be developed and shared 5) Spaces for design and experiments • R&D&I projects require physical spaces to have collaborative discussions and promote experiments Social Relationship Knowledge and Skills Physical Environment

Case: Social Lab in Kashiwa-no-ha A project for infrastructuring (i.e. launching, embedding, and sustaining) a social lab in Kashiwa-no-ha area. - In order to realise a new approach for human-centric R&D activities Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City - A suburban area of Tokyo (Approx. 30 min. by train) - One of the most famous smart cities in Japan - The area near the station is surrounded by tower apartment buildings and mainly populated by younger residents (in their 30s-40s) and their families Our role - Both design practitioners and researchers Social lab as a sustainable R&D&I platform Academia Companies Citizens Public sector Kashiwa-no-ha Social Lab Infrastructural resources to realise a sustainable platform Solid and long- term partnership with citizens Local actor network Knowledge, skill, and attitude Methods and tools Spaces for design and experiments

Infrastructuring activities (1) Solid and long- term partnership with citizens Started a ‘citizen advisor’ program in Nov. 2019, which is a more general citizen community rather than a group of participants for a specific project. (2) Local actor network Built relationships with various local actors and became a member of their actor network. The key was an area management organisation that plays a central role of the smart city development. (3) Knowledge, skill, and attitude Provided the ‘mini-school program’ for citizens to foster their basic KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude) that helps R&D&I activities in the social lab. (4) Methods and tools Developed several SD methods and tools for supporting SD activities in social lab context. (5) Spaces for design and experiments Explored opportunities to use existing urban resources such as workshops spaces and public spaces for design and experiments based on the collaborative relationships with local actors. Approx. 50 local residents registered and participated Organising Café meetings to maintain relationships (once a month)

(1) Solid and long- term partnership with citizens Started a ‘citizen advisor’ program in Nov. 2019, which is a more general citizen community rather than a group of participants for a specific project. (2) Local actor network Built relationships with various local actors and became a member of their actor network. The key was an area management organisation that plays a central role of the smart city development. (3) Knowledge, skill, and attitude Provided the ‘mini-school program’ for citizens to foster their basic KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude) that helps R&D&I activities in the social lab. (4) Methods and tools Developed several SD methods and tools for supporting SD activities in social lab context. (5) Spaces for design and experiments Explored opportunities to use existing urban resources such as workshops spaces and public spaces for design and experiments based on the collaborative relationships with local actors. Infrastructuring activities Area mgmt. org. AIST Invisible local actor network Built a new and close relationship

(1) Solid and long- term partnership with citizens Started a ‘citizen advisor’ program in Nov. 2019, which is a more general citizen community rather than a group of participants for a specific project. (2) Local actor network Built relationships with various local actors and became a member of their actor network. The key was an area management organisation that plays a central role of the smart city development. (3) Knowledge, skill, and attitude Provided the ‘mini-school program’ for citizens to foster their basic KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude) that helps R&D&I activities in the social lab. (4) Methods and tools Developed several SD methods and tools for supporting SD activities in social lab context. (5) Spaces for design and experiments Explored opportunities to use existing urban resources such as workshops spaces and public spaces for design and experiments based on the collaborative relationships with local actors. Infrastructuring activities

(1) Solid and long- term partnership with citizens Started a ‘citizen advisor’ program in Nov. 2019, which is a more general citizen community rather than a group of participants for a specific project. (2) Local actor network Built relationships with various local actors and became a member of their actor network. The key was an area management organisation that plays a central role of the smart city development. (3) Knowledge, skill, and attitude Provided the ‘mini-school program’ for citizens to foster their basic KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude) that helps R&D&I activities in the social lab. (4) Methods and tools Developed several SD methods and tools for supporting SD activities in social lab context. (5) Spaces for design and experiments Explored opportunities to use existing urban resources such as workshops spaces and public spaces for design and experiments based on the collaborative relationships with local actors. Infrastructuring activities Participation Blueprint: a tool for configuring citizen participation Digital Future Hexagon: a tool for future visioning in smart city context

(1) Solid and long- term partnership with citizens Started a ‘citizen advisor’ program in Nov. 2019, which is a more general citizen community rather than a group of participants for a specific project. (2) Local actor network Built relationships with various local actors and became a member of their actor network. The key was an area management organisation that plays a central role of the smart city development. (3) Knowledge, skill, and attitude Provided the ‘mini-school program’ for citizens to foster their basic KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude) that helps R&D&I activities in the social lab. (4) Methods and tools Developed several SD methods and tools for supporting SD activities in social lab context. (5) Spaces for design and experiments Explored opportunities to use existing urban resources such as workshops spaces and public spaces for design and experiments based on the collaborative relationships with local actors. Infrastructuring activities

Domain-specific R&D&I projects We prompted two domain-specific R&D&I projects in addition to infrastructuring activities. 1. Health and welfare tech • Co-designing the future visions of digital tech to support the well-being for seniors • Co-visioning our hopes and wishes with citizen community before technological R&D activities 2. Next-generation regional transportation • Co-desining sustainable and eco-friendly local transportation services using advanced technologies • Developed some concepts and prototypes of digital signage system and automated delivery robots; tested them in an actual city setting Activities for developing infrastructural resources Proj.1 Health and welfare tech Proj.2 Next-generation regional transportation … Proj. 1 Proj. 2

Findings Key for infrastructuring social labs • Supporting the formation of “core members” in citizen community • Using the “installed base” in the city • Co-evolutionary loop between infrastructural resource development and R&D&I practices Challenges • Human resource issues • Keeping the motivation to “behind-the-scenes” activities • Methods and tools to support SD in the social lab context Core members Periphery Not-participated • Actively participated in most events and workshops • Provided valuable opinions and comments • Widely disseminated their experiences through personal social media accounts. “Installed base” embedded in the city

Conclusion • Our proposal • The concept of social lab as a sustainable R&D&I platform • Case study • Infrastructuring a social lab in a city (Kashiwa-no-ha smart city). • Findings (on effective infrastructuring of social labs) • Supporting the process of core member formation • Leveraging existing urban resources (i.e. the installed bases) • Establishing a coevolutionary loop between infrastructural resource development and R&D&I practices.

Thank you !! Fumiya Akasaka, Ph.D. Human Augmentation Research Center (HARC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) fumiya.akasaka [at] aist.go.jp https://www.fumiyaakasaka.com/