Activity Reporting
2022-24
Monash Living Labs Infrastructure
This report details the activities and engagement of Monash Living Labs Infrastructure from 2022-2024, the foundational years of development.

Monash Living Labs Infrastructure was activated through a scoping study, key initiatives across education, research & operations, profile building, and industry relationship development.

The report highlights the foundational work to explore the value, implementation and embedding of a relational infrastructure approach at Monash University.

by Sam Rye

Engagement
Across 2 foundational years we have worked across the University and delivered education, research and industry engagement activity.
500+ Students
Engaged through Flagship Rich Experiences (MIG, RED & MIVE) and Monash SEED. Support through talks, challenges, coaching sessions and brokering of relationships with living labs at Monash.
100+ Researchers
Supported 12x Monash Living Labs (and aligned initiatives) through strategic advisory, curated and created resources & coaching, representing 100+ researchers and $90m of research revenue.
500+ Industry
Direct profile and reputation building activities with industry and university collaborators and audience.
77k+ Online Audience
Direct Audience Reach through Monash Living Labs Infrastructure Website, Social Media & Blog.
Living labs are used around the world to enable people to work together to explore challenges, experiment, prototype and test concepts in real-world contexts.
Living labs bring together researchers, industry partners and civil society to tackle societal challenges through co-creation and open innovation approaches.
Context
Monash University is home to many living labs operating across climate change, mobility, sustainable development, health, education and more.
The Monash Living Lab Infrastructure (MLLI) has been activated in response to the growing need to provide centralised support and specialist capabilities to unlock the potential of living labs as vehicles for collaborative education & research at the University.
In the foundational years (2022-24) we have focused on activating through experimentation, in partnership with frontrunners in the Education, Research, Enterprise and Operations portfolios. This has had the dual benefit of delivering impact across the University, and informing the development of the infrastructure through real world needs.
Unique Support
Monash Living Lab Infrastructure serves an important an unique niche at the University, which is complementary to other research and education support and coordination efforts.
Nurturing Connections
We create and nurture connections between otherwise disconnected activities, people, and organisations - within and beyond the University.
Improving Practice & Knowledge
We foster reflection, capture knowledge and advance practice through coaching, learning networks, resources and more.
Staff Agency & Enhanced Profile
We help to create a collective narrative and profile for living labs, and grow staff belonging and agency through our networks and services.
Team
Sam Rye has acted as the Lead for the foundational years of 2022-24 of the MLLI.
With a background working across multiple geographies, sectors and disciplines, Sam has leveraged his experience and networks to activate and shape a coherent vision for an institutional infrastructure which supports living lab practitioners, culture and capability across the University.
Supported by the Office of PVC Research Infrastructure (Jack Jasieniak) and MSDI (Professor Rob Raven), the Monash Living Lab Infrastructure has been a collaborative initiative in action.

Monash University

Living Labs

Driving real world change and research impact through user-centred, open innovation ecosystems

What people are saying
"Sam Rye's work with Monash University’s Living Labs Infrastructure has helped shape innovative practice, and his ability to connect global trends with practical strategies has enriched our understanding at Social Innovation Canada of how labs can catalyze transformative impact.
I look forward to continuing our collaboration and benefiting from his forward-thinking leadership in this evolving space."

- Andrea Nemtin, CEO, Social Innovation Canada
Snapshot: Industry Engagement
Over 2 years, we have engaged widely through talks, workshops, and are opening doors to new educational and research partnerships.
We are positioning Monash University as a trusted and knowledgeable learning partner and thought leader in the field of living labs and grand challenges.
Snapshot: University Engagement
We have also engaged with Universities and research institutes around the world about living lab practice, including presenting at conferences, engaging in knowledge exchanges overseas and hosting visiting scholars to share their experience and recommendations with Monash University's academic and professional leaders.
We are positioning Monash University as a trusted learning partner and collaborator for research and education partnerships, and a leading University for living lab approaches.
What people are saying
"I am so happy that Sam Rye has agreed on giving a small talk and will participate in our panel. I can't think of anyone else on this planet who knows more about the future of Living Labs at the moment!"

- Professor Vaike Fors, Halmstad University
Highlights from Foundational Years
Monash Living Lab Infrastructure
Monash Innovation Guarantee (MIG)
  • Worked with the MIG team to shape Challenge statements in 2023, 2024 & 2025
  • Invited and coordinated industry partner (ENGIE), researchers and BPD relationships
  • Dedicated innovation coaching for 30+ students
  • Delivered "Co-design for SDGs" talk to 400 students

Education
Research, Experimentation & Discovery (RED)
  • Worked with the RED team to shape Challenges in 2023 & 2024.
  • Supported engagement with student teams and research partner, Net Zero Precincts.
  • Delivered talk about Living Labs as trans-disciplinary vehicles for research in 2023.
  • Delivered talk about Prototyping & Co-creation in 2024.

Education
Net Zero Precincts ARC Linkage
  • Provided specialist capability to research team about futures methodologies.
  • Provided advisory and implementation support to project team for living lab structure, process and methodologies.
  • Provided industry engagement expertise, capability and capacity - working with 8+ industry partners within the living lab.
  • Encouraged & supported connection with Operations and Education portfolios.
  • Provided specialist capability for communications support to project.

Research & Education
Open Living Lab Days (OLLD 2023)
  • Presented talk on Monash Living Lab Infrastructure in stream on "Universities in Transition: The University Campus as Living Labs, Citizen Science and Challenge-based learning" at OLLD in Barcelona.
  • Created ongoing relationships with key European contacts leading Living Labs coalitions.
  • Grew profile and recognition as Monash University as a key actor in Asia-Pacific research and education landscape, resulting in a number of follow up discussions about research partnerships, symposium and interest in collaborative publications.

Knowledge Exchange, Profile & Reputation
Future of Labs Gathering (2024)
  • Invited and co-funded by Social Innovation Canada to attend practitioner-led gathering on social innovation and living labs.
  • Led session focused on International Practice Network opportunities with Canadian and European peers.
  • Grew profile and recognition as Monash University as a key actor in Asia-Pacific research and education landscape, resulting in a number of follow up discussions about research partnerships, symposium and interest in collaborative publications.

Knowledge Exchange, Profile & Reputation
Monash SEED
  • Provided specialist knowledge on value proposition design to Monash SEED's Incubator Program
  • Coached 20+ students on applied methodology for social impact

Education
What people are saying
"Working with the Monash Living Lab Infrastructure is a fresh injection of rigour, pragmatism and innovation practice.
Working across complex interconnecting systems, Sam has created clarity on meaningful containers for collaborative partnerships whether it’s across participatory ecosystems for place-based work all the way towards systems finance prototyping.
We, at Regen Melbourne, consider Monash Living Labs Infrastructure a vital partner and front door to Monash University to realise our ambitions to transition towards a thriving place for all people and planet."

- Nicole Barling-Luke, Director, Regen Melbourne
Monash Living Lab Infrastructure
Activity Summary
2022-2024
Activity Summary
1) Governance & Advisory
We have developed a cross-University Advisory Group consisting of:
Activity Summary
1) Governance & Advisory - continued
We also hold key relationships with colleagues with whom we are opportunities for deeper integration and collaborative proposals to elevate living labs at Monash University, these include:
Activity Summary
2) Activation & integration
We have worked with a number of University initiatives providing brokering within research and education, connections to operations, specialist skills, coaching and more.
Activity Summary
2) Activation & integration - continued
We have worked with a number of University initiatives providing brokering within research and education, connections to operations, specialist skills, coaching and more. These include:
Activity Summary
2) Activation & integration - continued
We have worked with a number of University initiatives providing brokering within research and education, connections to operations, specialist skills, coaching, collaborative proposal development and more. These include:
Activity Summary
Knowledge, Capability Building & Exchange
Activity Summary
Strategic Advisory & Embedded Support
Throughout 2022-24 we have been exploring high touch advisory, bespoke support and embedding with existing and emerging initiatives to support the development of living lab approaches. This support has been provided at different levels to the following:
Activity Summary
Profile (Talks, Writing, Participation)
Building awareness, recognition and increasing the reputation of Monash University as a key living lab actor, learning partner and collaborator in the Asia-Pacific has been a priority.
The foundational years have focused on building up networks, being active in aligned conversations, research networks and communities of practice. This can shift to a more strategic footing with longer term investment and team capacity.
In the first 2 years we represented Monash University through:
Australian Living Labs Innovation Network, UNDP Strategic Innovation, European Network of Living Labs, Canadian University Living Lab knowledge exchanges, Future of Labs Gathering, Australia National Missions Community of Practice (CSIRO), OECD Missions Lab, REBEL Network (Halmstad University), Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) Lab gathering, Portfolio Approaches community (UNDP).
We also launched Monash University's first Living Lab Infrastructure website:

Monash University

Living Labs

Driving real world change and research impact through user-centred, open innovation ecosystems

In addition, we leveraged Sam Rye's professional website and social media channels for significant additional online presence and engagement:

Fieldnotes by Sam Rye | Social & Environmental Regeneration

Fieldnotes by Sam Rye | Social & Environmental Regeneration

Exploring practices for working in and with complexity, to regenerate the environment and our societies.

What people are saying
"Sam Rye's body of work on bringing system change into practice has been incredibly valuable in my role as a designer at the Strategic Innovation Unit at UNDP.
His "Visualizing Experiment Portfolios" article, specifically, served as a foundation for developing ways to visualize what we called "portfolios of multiple interventions" at UNDP. 
His experience in relational infrastructure has been essential for me in bridging the gap between strategy and actionable design, allowing our work at UNDP to be more accessible and engaging for diverse stakeholders.
Sam's participation in our webinar on making systems portfolios physical shows this connection, helping to transform abstract concepts into practical tools that resonate with both internal teams and our external partners."

- Simone Uriartt, Innovation and Design Specialist, UNDP Strategic Innovation Unit
Future Opportunities
We hope the Activity Report above shows the breadth and depth of what has been possible through the resourcing of 1 person across 2 years.
Looking to the future, we believe the field of living labs has significant growth potential with co-investment and enterprising approaches to sustainably fund a Monash Living Lab Infrastructure to act as a super structure to elevate living lab practice across Monash University. Living labs are growing globally, and have a significant role to play in our aspirations outlined in Impact 2030, whilst regenerating trust, delivering societal impact, and strengthening the academic - policy - community interface.
We believe some of the opportunities which show the most promise include:
What people are saying…
"Sam is an exceptional leader who drives social transformation by uniting diverse teams across sectors, disciplines, and cultures to address the critical challenges of our time.
He has a unique ability to shape social infrastructure and embed co-design and collaborative mindsets throughout the university. I am particularly impressed with his strategy that seamlessly integrates Research, Education, and Operations, bringing together these distinct areas to generate real impact.
Sam’s work has significantly strengthened the university’s connections with local communities, as well as the public and private sectors. His leadership has resulted in tangible, real-world outcomes.
Recognized as a global authority in the field of Living Labs within Higher Education, Sam’s expertise was further validated by his invitation to speak at the Living Labs conference in Canada in 2024."

- Susie Ho, Director of Monash Innovation Guarantee, Monash University
Thank You
For more information, contact:
Sam Rye
Monash Living Lab Infrastructure

Monash University

Living Labs

Driving real world change and research impact through user-centred, open innovation ecosystems

Made with