Living Labs for Enhanced Student Learning Experiences: Lab Leaders’ Perceptions on Learning Environments and Stakeholder Collaboration

Living Labs offer immersive learning in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), yet their core nature and value for competency development remain underexplored, particularly from the perspective of lab leaders. To address the knowledge gap, this study examines the perspectives of lab leaders on the potential of living labs as dynamic learning settings. Specifically, it explores two dimensions: (1) how living labs structure learning processes, and (2) the influence of collaboration with societal partners on learning outcomes, framed by the Quadruple Helix Model (academia, industry, government, and community). The study adopts a qualitative research design via semi-structured interviews with seven laboratory leaders across five well-established living labs in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Julius.ai and in vivo coding to identify and categorize themes. The respondents highlighted that in their experience, combining physical and digital settings often facilitates experiential, reflective, and innovative learning while equipping students with practical skills and competencies that improve their employability. Furthermore, the respondents reported that engagement with stakeholders fosters co-creation and well-rounded innovation. These collaborations also help ensure that the living labs can effectively sustain their operation, offering students the opportunities to engage in globally relevant issues such as digital transformation. Nonetheless, obstacles include resource limitations, maintaining enduring teamwork, and adjusting to rapid technological changes. The paper concludes that living labs serve as supplementary instruments and their adoption can help match academic learning curricula and practices with industry needs, while also enhancing student learning in preparation for the world of work.