The Smart Living Lab is a cutting-edge, inter-disciplinary and cross-institutional reseach and development centre for built environment of the future, whose aim is to achieve energy efficiency, digital transformation, and the well-being of its users. The Smart Living Lab combines a multitude of research areas and expertise of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg (HEIA-FR) and the University of Fribourg (UNIFR), focusing on both tecnical and societal aspects of built environment. It aims to be a centre of national scope, recognised on an international level and involving a variety of players and institutions.
iimt research at the smart living lab
The international institute of management in technology (iimt) is one of three research groups from the University of Fribourg in the Smart Living Lab. Our reseach focus is to understand user behaviour in decentralised energy systems, the role of energy system actors in transformative processes, and innovation processes in experimental settings such as living laboratories. Find out more:
The research aim of "Public management of sustainable innovation at municipal scale" is the evaluation of local policies and public management practices focused on improving energy efficiency and decentralized energy production. virgile.pasquier(at)unifr.ch
Niche analysis and actor network mapping of the smart living lab. Review the innovative performance of the smart living lab by conceptualizing it as a innovation niche / experimental space in the understanding of Strategic Niche Management (SNM) and Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA). anton.sentic(at)unifr.ch
Interactive simulation of a Crowd Energy system. Developing an interactive simulation of a Crowd Energy system; acting as a testbed for static and dynamic experiments on the sharing behaviour of energy prosumers within the crowd. christian.ritzel(at)unifr.ch and anton.sentic(at)unifr.ch
The Smart Living Lab is a centre for research and development dedicated to the built environment of the future focusing on both technical and societal aspects.
Its goal is to imagine living spaces while focusing on users’ well-being and environmental issues. It draws on the combined skills of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the School of engineering and architecture of Fribourg (HEIA-FR) and the University of Fribourg (UNIFR) in the areas of sustainable architecture, technology and materials, comfort, as well as law and human sciences.