%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2015 %T Exploring the Benefits of Integrating Business Model Research within Living Lab Projects %A Olivier Rits %A Dimitri Schuurman %A Pieter Ballon %K business model %K collaboration %K innovation %K living labs %K user research %K value network %K value proposition %X Business model and living lab research both have similar objectives – to maximize the probability of successful market introduction of innovative solutions – be it through different means. Yet, there are still only few studies or reports discussing both, with those studies that do touch the subject staying at a high level. iMinds Living Labs has gained a lot of experience in combined living lab and business model innovation projects and, rather than being competing approaches, our results have shown that these two research methodologies can be complementary, where the combined approach turns out to be more powerful than each individual approach used alone. The goal of this article is to promote the inclusion of business model research in a model of "a living lab as a service" (and vice versa) by explaining the benefits and by introducing a practical framework to implement such combined research tracks based on the experience at iMinds Living Labs over the past few years. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 5 %P 19-27 %8 12/2015 %G eng %U http://timreview.ca/article/949 %N 12 %1 iMinds Olivier Rits graduated as an Engineer in Applied Physics from Ghent University in Belgium. Olivier joined Alcatel-Lucent as a business developer where he worked on the go2market strategy for innovative solutions, both on networking and applications. He joined iMinds in 2013, focusing on the intersection between technology, business, and innovation. Olivier leads the business model practice at the iMinds Living Labs, where he is responsible for the methodologies used and providing business support to startups, SMEs, and larger organizations. %2 iMinds Dimitri Schuurman holds a PhD (2015) and Master's degree in Communication Sciences (2003) from Ghent University in Belgium. He joined the research group iMinds – MICT – Ghent University in 2005 and started working at iMinds Living Labs in 2009. Together with his iMinds colleagues, Dimitri developed a specific living lab offering targeted at startups and SMEs, in which he has managed over 50 innovation projects. As a senior researcher, Dimitri is currently responsible for the methodology and academic valorization of living lab projects. He also coordinates a dynamic team of living lab researchers from iMinds – MICT – Ghent University. His main interests and research topics are situated in the domains of open innovation, user innovation, and innovation management. In early 2015, he finished his PhD entitled Bridging the Gap between Open and User Innovation? Exploring the Value of Living Labs as a Means to Structure User Contribution and Manage Distributed Innovation. %3 iMinds Pieter Ballon is the Director of iMinds Living Labs, the International Secretary of the European Network of Living Labs, and a Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. He specializes in business modelling, open innovation, and the mobile telecommunications industry. Formerly, he was senior consultant and team leader at TNO. In 2006–2007, he was the coordinator of the cross issue on business models of the Wireless World Initiative (WWI), which united five integrated projects in the European Union's 6th Framework Programme. Pieter holds a PhD in Communication Sciences from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and a MA in Modern History from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/949