VOLABIOS

Living Labs

The VOLABIOS Living Lab

The VOLABIOS Living Lab is a virtual, Europe-wide collaborative space designed to bring together individuals affected by schizophrenia, healthcare professionals, researchers, developers, and policymakers. It fosters open innovation and continuous feedback to refine and co-design tools and methodologies for better understanding, diagnosing, and managing schizophrenia (SZ).

Our Living Lab isn’t just a platform—it’s a movement toward inclusive, patient-centered care. It is structured around a quadruple-helix model, engaging academia, industry, government, and civil society, with special attention to diversity, gender equality, and inclusivity.

Living Lab Objectives

Facilitate End-User Engagement: Through participatory activities like hackathons and collaborative workshops, we capture insights and ideas from real users, including patients, caregivers, and clinicians.

Support Solution Co-Creation: Participants contribute directly to the development of AI-powered diagnostic tools, mobile health applications, and data-sharing strategies.

Drive Innovation: The lab acts as a testbed for emerging technologies related to VOC (volatile organic compounds) detection and multi-omics data analysis in SZ.

Strengthen Community and Trust: Building a supportive community that fosters dialogue, reduces stigma, and increases public awareness of SZ and its scientific underpinnings.

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Key Activities

Online Hackathons: Targeting students and early-career professionals to propose tech solutions for SZ challenges, with non-monetary awards and mentoring opportunities.

Virtual Platform Development: A GDPR-compliant open API-enabled platform for sharing anonymized data, discussing ideas, and iterating product designs.

Technical Meetings: Regular cross-sector meetings ensure validation processes remain robust and adaptable across various user groups and geographical contexts.

Community Building: Establishment of an online social hub to enable ongoing discussions and connections between all stakeholders.

This approach ensures that real-world needs shape the direction of the VOLABIOS toolkit, from data collection protocols to decision support systems. By doing so, the Living Lab helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge science and actual patient benefit, empowering users while enhancing scientific validity and societal impact.

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Living Labs agenda

Upcoming

Past

Event locations