This is a CTP of initiative: Living Labs - Sfax Smart Living Lab (Tunisia)
This CTP (CTP3) is about relocating the Chair of Innovation Office from the School of Engineering, University of Sfax, to the ReGIM Lab - ‘Research Group in Intelligent Machines’ Lab in January 2013. The Regim Lab is a research unit in the National Engineering School of Sfax University in Tunisia located in the department of computer engineering on campus. It was established in 1997 by Professor Adel Alimi, as a laboratory for researchers to do their PhD or MSc research projects. It receives annual sponsoring from the Ministry of ‘Scientific Research, Higher Education and Innovation’, but is also funded by the international research projects that ReGIM Lab members are engaged in with other universities and institutes. This makes the ReGIM Lab, though located in the Engineering School, an independent entity not directly affected by the administration of the School of Engineering. Through the relocation of the Chair of Innovation in the ReGIM Lab, it became officially declared as an open living lab, and labelled as “REGIM: a Living Lab. Leading Open innovative Research.” (regim.org, 2016).
The ReGIM Lab had always been open for visitors, who can get an introduction tour through the lab at almost any time the lab is open. Some events were organized, such as trainings and sessions. This has not changed after it was declared as living lab. Only a modest space has been dedicated to host the living lab. Almost no equipment or other facilities were moved to this space from the original Chair of Innovation space in the School of Engineering. Adel states that the living lab leveraged the already existing facilities of the ReGIM Lab, and nothing more was needed.
The decision to move the Chair of Innovation to the ReGIM Lab was induced after the closing of the Chair of Innovation office in the School of Engineering of the Sfax University, which occurred as a result of the changing administrations of the School after the Tunisian Revolution (CTP 2) of the School of Engineering. Adel Alimi, who was not anymore the director of the School of Engineering, still remained a professor there and as the founder of the ReGIM Lab since 1997 continued to be the director of the lab. After the revolution he realized that there was a need to have a fixed, independent place for the Chair of Innovation, and the ReGIM Lab was suitable for this. Not only did the new location provide more security to the Chair of Innovation and living lab concept, it also was the first time the living lab concept was manifested in a concrete place, where all its projects and products are displayed and can be seen by visitors. This resulted in an increased tangibility of the living lab concept and built a credibility of the living lab’s capabilities and scope of work to external visitors from the industry and other institutions.
After hosting the living lab the ReGIM lab changed mainly in terms of policy; an orientation towards innovation, development of prototypes, applications and concrete products took place rather than just theoretical research. Adel Alimi addressed that industrials want to see real products, applications, software, and the SSCL team wanted to provide real solutions. Moreover, the ReGIM Lab has become an interface space between the living lab members, the researchers, the industry and the societal guests. Moreover, it has served as a platform for all the robotic competition products, PhD research products and other research products.
This CTP was the co-production of several actors. As mentioned earlier, Adel Alimi, was not anymore the director of the School of Engineering, but still remained a professor there and as the founder of the ReGIM Lab since 1997 continued to be the director of the lab. The decision to host the Chair of Innovation in the ReGIM Lab was initiated by him as the director of the ReGIM Lab as well as the director of the Chair of Innovation. His role in both entities made him see the development potential of both and the possibility of combining them in one space. He was mainly concerned about keeping the concept of the Chair of Innovation alive even if it means to transfer it to a smaller space than it was previously in. Adel proposed his idea to the Scientific Council, who took the decision to host the Chair in the ReGIM Lab. In fact, the Scientific Council of the ReGIM Lab includes mainly professors of engineering in Sfax University. They have a regular meeting every two months to discuss the overall strategies and development decisions of the ReGIM Lab.
The ReGIM lab as an entity facilitated a welcoming environment for accommodating the Chair of Innovation. In fact, it was one of the leaders of innovation in Tunisia and was supportive of the idea since years. The ReGIM Lab has been organizing robotic competitions since 2010 promoting the collaboration of researchers, industrial partners, users and society members. Moreover, the laboratory’s director and members were part of the Chair of Innovation, since it was initiated by the Tempus Project and when it was still located in the School of Engineering. Finally, the ReGIM lab is located within the same University close to the School of Engineering and already owned the needed infrastructure and robotic equipment needed for the Chair of Innovation. This facilitated a simpler relocation process, as no equipment had to be moved and the space was suitable for accommodating additional research projects, members and visitors.
Another important but not directly related role was played by the sponsors of the ReGIM Lab. Without the annual funding provided by the ministry, as well as international institutions for the ReGIM Lab, the sustainability of the ReGIM Lab as well as the hosting of the Chair of Innovation wouldn’t have been possible.
Several events were crucial for this CTP to happen. First, the closing of the chair of innovation after the changing Engineering faculty administration which resulted after the 2011 revolution (see CTP 2) made the team realize the importance of having a different, independent place for the Chain of Innovation Office. This along with the team’s increased sense of social responsibility after the revolution made the idea of a living lab more appealing for them.
Moreover, the third Robotic Competition – ‘RoboComp’ 2012, which took place in December 2012 was important for making the decision to relocate the Chair of Innovation office to the ReGIM Lab. In fact, the ReGIM Lab team had to transport all platforms and robotic products to the competition venue, which was located in the city of ‘Monastir’ on the central coast of Tunisia. Robotic competitions had to be organized in locations easily accessible by all areas in Tunisia, and these were mainly far-away locations from the city of Sfax. This logistical problem had led the team realize that it is not logical to transport each time the platforms and robots before and after each competition, and that a fixed venue, where people can see them, is needed.
Another development helped make a confident start of the living lab in its new location, namely, the increasing number of research projects financed by international organizations during this period, which brought additional funding to the ReGIM Lab. After the 2012 elections ended and the elected government started working, the political situation in Tunisia became more stable. This motivated the start of many research projects, in the innovation field among others, and encouraged many international institutions to fund projects in Tunisia. One of these organizations is Mobidoc, which sponsors doctoral research which combines research laboratories and the industrial sector. Through its ‘Support Project System for Research and Innovation (PASRI)’, funded by the European Union, it aims to provide solutions to the main problems identified at different levels of players in the innovation chain extending from the business and arriving at the research unit accumulating scientific and technical knowledge. Several ReGIM Lab researchers were funded through this program starting September 2012. More details about the PASRI program can be found under this link: http://www.pasri.tn/node/662
After moving the Chair of innovation to the ReGIM Lab, an important development took place, namely, a boost in partnerships and collaborations with international institutions. In fact, hosting the Chair in the ReGIM Lab and labelling the ReGIM Lab as a ‘living lab’ made the team’s mission as a promoter of open innovation more obvious to the team members as well as external parties. In addition, the accomplishments, products, services provided by the Chair in collaboration with the ReGIM Lab became more tangible. Adel Alimi states: “It was not only slogans; our capabilities were visible, financing was visible, which made us get more financing.” Becoming more tangible to international organizations, encouraged more funding to be donated to the ReGIM Lab. Moreover, the ReGIM Lab had a culture of partnerships and the team was experienced with partnering for research, which facilitated the collaboration with international organizations.
Another related event that took place after this CTP, was the robotic competition at the end of 2013 (CTP 4). Despite having a concrete place promoting the living lab and open innovation concept, the competition was conducted in a hotel in Sousse city, in Tunisia, however CTP 3 has a strong relation to how the competition proceeded. The choice of location was due to several reasons, which are discussed in CTP 4 file, but are hereby shortly mentioned. The purpose of the competition was to create a big show-case event to prove the survival of the Chair and promote the living lab concept. It was aimed to host more than 500 persons including high-profile persons from society. All this required a high level of security particularly at that time of political instability. Thus, the choice of a hotel was more appropriate than the University and the ReGIM Lab, as they could provide sufficient and suitable space for such large event and more security particularly for politicians and ministers. While the event venue was not conducted in the ReGIM ‘living lab’, the stability and tangibility CTP 3 realized for the Chair and the living lab concept, helped the team be more confident and aware of their laboratory’s capabilities and achievements, and have a clearer vision. This gave them more focus and helped them organize a successful and impressive event.
This CTP was invoked by contestation (see CTP2), but the moment of relocation itself includes no noticeable contestation.
The relocation of the Chair and labelling the ReGIM Lab as a ‘living lab’ was about rescuing the concept of the Chair of Innovation from dying after it was closed. It is about reviving a passion that Adel Alimi shares with the other ReGIM Lab members. He explains: “We, as ReGIM lab members were all believers, passionate of the idea and wanted to defend it. ReGIM lab had around 15 national patents (products and prototypes) by the end of 2013, which indicates our innovation activity and strong motivation.” This made the CTP progress smoothly and speedily. Moreover, the fact that Adel is the director of the ReGIM Lab and also of the Chair, made the collaboration process easier to implement and less subject to conflicting opinions. Not only is Adel the common person, but also many supporters of the Chair of Innovation are also members of the ReGIM Lab and even the Scientific Board.
In terms of space and facilities, there were also no problems experienced by the hosting the Chair in the ReGIM Lab. People are mainly working on computers and when real products are developed, there is a specific room with sufficient space that accommodates them. Moreover, the funding aspect didn’t cause challenges or conflicts, as it was sufficient enough to cover the needs. In fact, there was funding by other TEMPUS projects of similar nature such as the creation of Knowledge Transfer Offices. This money was used for common purposes, for instance for training of staff, creating PhD twinning programs for students, who are connected to industry, and also for some buying equipment for the lab. So this along with the annual funding by ministry covered the needs for the time being of the CTP and the period after.
Conducting research in the robotics and innovation field is not a common practice in Tunisia, particularly during the first post-revolution years. Both on the ReGIM Lab peers level and on the higher administrative level e.g. the ministry and the university, there was no competition or opposition shown to the lab. As Adel Alimi mentions: “No one paid attention to what we were doing. We were out of competition. No administrative obstacles or any kind of obstacles were experienced. We were just left to do our job.”
Each stakeholder was busy with his own problems and projects; the ministers, and university and faculty administrations were focusing on satisfying the people’s needs, so they are not rebelled against. This facilitated for instance involving ministers, and getting their support, e.g. making them attend robotic competitions was easier than before, which is addressed in CTP 4 – Robotic Competition in 2013.
The relocation of the Chair of Innovation and the declaration of the ReGIM Lab as a living lab was anticipated as a CTP, but not all its impacts were foreseen.
The Chair had been closed for almost two years, so it was a rebirth and a new era for the Chair. Despite that the new location was not as prestigious and spacious as the previous location at the School of Engineering, it was still a successful attempt and the only available way to save it. Having a fixed location was expected to provide stability and independence for the Chair and facilitate space for the team to focus on their vision for the ReGIM Lab as a living lab. However, other positive impacts which were induced by the CTP on the longer-term were a great unexpected outcome as stated by Adel. The increased funding by and collaboration with international institutions, which was encouraged by the more tangible evidence and credibility manifested in the ReGIM Lab. Moreover, the positive effects on longer-term incidents such as the RoboComp’13 (CTP 4), and the international recognition (CTP 5 and 6) were only understood looking backwards.
This CTP’s proceedings were partially anticipated in 2011 and fully anticipated a year later. In fact, changing the location of the Chair of Innovation outside the school of Engineering was expected after the team’s experience of closing the Chair after the 2011 revolution. The team realized the importance of having a different venue for their project that is independent from the faculty administration. So the thoughts of moving the Chair – as a part of the CTP 3 - started evolving after this incidence. The second part of the CTP involving the declaration of the ReGIM Lab as a living lab started only developing towards the end of 2012, throughout and after the third robotic competition in December 2012 - RoboComp’2012. Adel Alimi explains: “From 2011 till 2012 the word of a living lab was very abstract. After the competition the concept started to become clearer to the members, and they started seeing the ReGIM Lab as a living lab. The competition also made the team understand more the importance of having a fixed venue. All platforms and robotic products had to be transported before and after the competition to the competition venue, so people can just see them for the few competition days only. This made the team realize that a fixed venue, where all the platforms and products are always on display for visitors is needed; the most suitable place for this was certainly the ReGIM Lab.
Several lessons were learned from this CTP. First, the team learned that having an independent and fixed venue for the Chair of Innovation and living lab is crucial. Unlike the previous Chair location such a venue is not affected by any changes in administration of the Engineering faculty or of the Sfax University as a whole. An independent venue meant that the team could make decisions autonomous from changing political priorities.
Moreover, having a fixed location to showcase the platforms and research and competition products, gave the team a sense of confidence and a clearer idea of their capabilities and resources. Not only internally, but also external stakeholders were confronted with tangible outcomes proving SSCLL’s capacities. Visitors from industry, academia, international organizations, as well as students and general public saw real prototypes, demos, movements of robots etc. displayed under one roof of the ReGIM Lab.
On the longer term this CTP helped the SSCLL team see the overall project’s status and points of strength and weakness. It was only after this CTP that the living lab project became more real and tangible. They developed a clearer vision of their project’s future, which has guided them towards different steps forward, such as the application to the ISO certification, the membership in the IEEE Affiliate City Initiative as well as the membership in the European Network of Living Labs – ENoLL; these will be discussed in the following CTPs.
Finally, this CTP was a reason to a change in the goals of SSCLL on the longer term. After declaring the ReGIM Lab as an open living lab that connects researchers and students with the industrial sector as well as the interested public, more international research projects were drawn to the lab, such as the previously mentioned MOBIDOC program. This has made the team realize that they need to broaden their spectrum of goals to include making partnerships and collaborations with other international institutions and programs, also with a more social focus. Previously they had a rigid focus on robotic competitions and their planning and implementation. For them it was the highest priority that brings them funding and international recognition. That is why they conducted the robotic competition in 2013 just to prove their capabilities, but not in the following year 2014.
References
Available at: http://www.regim.org/ [Accessed 2016].
Available at: http://robocomp.regim.org/ [Accessed 2016].
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