Living labs of agriculture in innovation districts

Based on the concepts of Knowledge-Based Urban Development (KBUD) and Living Labs (LL) of Agriculture, this article analyses the open innovation processes of two agricultural living labs: VivAgriLab on the Paris-Saclay campus in France and AgroLab Uniandes in Colombia, aiming to understand the adaptation possibilities of their models to Brazilian university campuses. The methodology used was Case Study involving bibliographic research, document analysis, and secondary data collection. Results show that VivAgriLab effectively integrates organised civil society around agriculture and environmental preservation through applied scientific research and open innovation processes. It demonstrates that agriculture-focused living labs can promote interaction and integration between society and academic research in agricultural production. VivAgriLab fosters meetings between researchers and stakeholders, encouraging transdisciplinary projects supporting the region's ecological, agroecological, and food transitions through a multisectoral approach. AgroLab Uniandes facilitates dialogue, co-creation, experimentation, and the integration of traditional, experiential, and scientific knowledge, focusing on research, technology, and education. While its high-tech solutions enhance efficiency in urban agriculture, they raise concerns about accessibility and scalability for small-scale and resource-limited farmers, potentially widening the gap between advanced and traditional practices. AgroLab and similar initiatives should pair technological innovations with robust education, training, and support programs to democratise urban agriculture, ensuring all farmers can benefit from and contribute to the evolving urban agriculture landscape. Each, in its way, contributes to sustainable development and presents a viable solution to the challenges faced by the scientific community in conducting applied and transdisciplinary research in real-world contexts.