Antwerp will welcome around 400 researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and innovators this week as OpenLivingLab Days 2026 brings the international Living Lab community to the city. The conference will take place at A Room with a ZOO on 30 September and 1 October, followed by field visits on 2 October.
The annual flagship event of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), co-organised with LiCalab – Living and Care Lab hosted by Thomas More, explores how new ideas can be developed and tested with the people who will use them. Living Labs bring citizens, researchers, businesses and public authorities together in real-world settings, whether they are working on care, mobility or other challenges.
This year’s theme, “Living Labs Impacts and Values for a Changing World”, will guide discussions across five tracks: societal challenges; policy and governance; inclusive engagement; business and emerging technology; and operations and impact.
For Antwerp, the conference has a strong connection to the city beyond its meeting rooms. Antwerp has spent years bringing partners together to test ideas in real settings, making it a fitting place to discuss the value of Living Labs. At The Beacon, for example, businesses, researchers and public partners work on digital approaches to challenges facing cities, ports and industry.
Veerle Peeters, Sales Director from Antwerp Convention Bureau, said: “Living Labs begin with people and the places where change actually happens. That makes Antwerp a fitting host for this conference. Delegates will be able to share approaches from around the world and see how organisations across our own city work together to test ideas, learn from their users and put innovation into practice.”
Martina Desole, Director of ENoLL, said: “Belgium is home to many of our members and one of the most active Living Lab communities in Europe, so bringing OpenLivingLab Days here felt like a natural choice. Antwerp in particular stands out as a place where innovation is part of everyday city life, and we are delighted to explore it together with our co-organisers at LiCalab.”
The link between the programme and the city will be especially clear on 2 October. An Antwerp Innovation Walking Tour will take delegates to the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp Design Factory, The Beacon and Orange 5G Demo Lab, offering a closer look at work spanning global health, design and digital innovation. Other field visits across Belgium will show Living Labs in action in settings including health, agriculture and the arts.
With A Room with a ZOO beside Antwerp Central Station, delegates will have the conference and the city within easy reach. OpenLivingLab Days offers an opportunity to build new collaborations and to see how the ideas discussed at the event can work beyond the conference room.
