The Open Living Lab Days 2024 hosted a CATALISI side event titled “Opening Universities to Stakeholders through Living Labs for Institutional Transformation”, held on September 24th, 2024, in Timișoara, Romania. This workshop was organized in response to the growing challenges that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) face in engaging with external stakeholders. The session aimed to co-develop strategies to foster stakeholder collaboration and enhance the accessibility of universities, aiming to support mutually beneficial transformations within academic institutions across Europe.
Following presentations on the CATALISI project and the Acting Living Lab, one of the acceleration services embraced by the project, the workshop focused on exploring innovative approaches to open universities to external stakeholders and facilitate institutional transformation, particularly within the CATALISI context. Building on the accessibility challenges identified within HEIs, the session aimed to foster collaboration through Living Lab methodologies.
Participants engaged in discussions to share insights on effective stakeholder engagement strategies. Through an interactive exercise, they examined challenges and developed actionable recommendations for enhancing HEIs’ accessibility and stakeholder engagement.
The workshop also provided an opportunity for the UVT Green and Mobility Living Lab, hosted by the University of Timișoara, co-host of the Living Lab Days in Timișoara, to share its best practices and successful engagement strategies. This local living lab example, hosted by the university of Timisoara, offers valuable and applicable insights for the CATALISI project as universities adopt the living lab approach in their institutional transformations.
Workshop key outcomes: Strategy for External Stakeholder Engagement
The key outcomes of this strategy were co-developed by participants to address the three main challenges related to external stakeholder engagement, as identified by CATALISI Higher Education Institutions during the CATALISI project. These challenges centered around communication, alignment on priorities, and resource utilization. The following strategy provides a structured framework to overcome these obstacles, enabling HEIs to engage more effectively with external stakeholders and foster mutually beneficial collaborations.
- Communication
- Stakeholder Mapping and Analysis: Begin by identifying relevant stakeholders, including students, faculty, industry partners, policymakers, community members, and NGOs. Categorize stakeholders based on influence and interest using a prioritization matrix, ensuring targeted and effective engagement.
- Effective Communication Strategy: Develop a tailored communication plan for each stakeholder group, using accessible language that aligns with stakeholders’ cultural and professional contexts. Avoid jargon and ensure clarity in all messaging.
- Address Translation and Language Barriers: To foster inclusivity, provide translations or use simplified language when necessary. This ensures that language differences do not hinder engagement, especially with community-based or international stakeholders.
- Build Trust through Active Listening: Foster open, transparent communication by listening attentively to stakeholders’ feedback, demonstrating empathy, and responding to their needs. Regular updates and open dialogue reinforce trust and credibility over time.
- Feedback Loops for Continuous Improvement: Create structured feedback loops that allow stakeholders to share their input regularly. This continuous communication enables iterative improvements in engagement approaches, keeping efforts aligned with stakeholders’ evolving needs.
- Alignment on Priorities
- Clarify Mutual Goals and Value Propositions: Start each engagement by establishing a shared understanding of mutual goals and the unique value each stakeholder and the university bring to the collaboration. Use insights from stakeholder mapping to align on priorities.
- Collaborative Problem Definition: Engage stakeholders in defining core challenges or problems collaboratively. This participatory approach ensures that projects are grounded in real needs, fostering commitment to common objectives.
- Regular Needs Assessment and Priority Setting: Conduct focus groups, surveys, and interviews to continuously assess stakeholder needs and priorities. Update this information regularly to ensure ongoing alignment and relevance.
- Iterative Approach for Continuous Alignment: Use an iterative process to validate progress and ensure alignment at each stage. Regular check-ins and dialogue allow for adaptive changes in goals and approaches, keeping the project relevant and responsive to stakeholder input.
- Resource Utilization
- Leverage University as a Living Lab: Treat the university as a dynamic living lab by identifying and mobilizing internal resources, such as departmental expertise and infrastructure, that can enhance stakeholder engagement efforts. This approach fosters a collaborative environment and provides a foundation for innovation.
- Optimize Resource Allocation through Stakeholder Prioritization: Use insights from the stakeholder mapping to prioritize resources for high-impact groups. For lower-priority stakeholders, consider lighter engagement methods (e.g., periodic updates) to balance resource distribution effectively.
- Promote Technology Transfer and Open Science: Facilitate technology transfer and encourage open science practices, using the university’s research and innovations to build collaborative partnerships with stakeholders.
- Internal Training Programs: Develop training programs focused on open science, stakeholder engagement, and technology transfer to empower university departments to engage more effectively.
- Technology Transfer: Share research advancements and technological innovations with stakeholders to support their needs and foster a knowledge-based collaboration.
- Cross-Departmental Learning and Cross-Fertilization of Ideas: Encourage interdepartmental collaboration to create a network of support for engagement activities. Cross-departmental learning fosters innovation and enables departments to adopt best practices without additional resources.
- Evaluate and Optimize Resource Allocation: Conduct regular evaluations of engagement activities and resource use, using both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Refine resource allocation based on findings, ensuring that efforts remain cost-effective and impactful.
The workshop provided a collaborative space for developing this comprehensive strategy, addressing the primary challenges of external stakeholder engagement identified by HEIs during the CATALISI project. By focusing on effective communication, alignment on shared priorities, and strategic resource utilization, participants co-created an adaptive approach to enhance engagement practices within universities. Through shared insights on stakeholder mapping, continuous needs assessment, trust-building, and iterative improvement, the workshop empowered participants to build stronger, more collaborative partnerships. These outcomes support universities in enhancing accessibility, fostering mutual understanding, and ensuring sustainable engagement with external stakeholders.
