Fieldlabs@Scale Masterclass: The role of public funding in the long-term sustainability of fieldlabs

Fieldlabs@Scale Masterclass: The role of public funding in the long-term sustainability of fieldlabs Tuesday March 3rd, 11.00-12.00 (online)By: MSc. Orlando Vazquez Villegas; dr. Jaime Bonnin Roca, PhD; & prof. dr. Marcel L.A.M. Bogers. Second Masterclass of the Fieldlabs@Scale research project. In this project, an interdisciplinary consortium investigates ways to scale up mission-driven innovations in domains such as smart industry, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure. Fieldlabs@Scale Masterclass:The role of public funding in the long-term sustainability of fieldlabs Fieldlabs are essential for innovation ecosystems to jointly test and upscale their innovations while reducing risks and costs. However, many of them rely on project-based public funding, such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which often leaves them struggling to survive once this funding ends. Current public funding instruments tend to focus on short-term results rather than the long-term sustainability of fieldlabs. By comparing regional funding approaches in the Netherlands, we identified that ERDF has evolved from initially investing in infrastructure to support technology updates and voucher schemes. While this has helped to sustain fieldlabs’ operations, we identified three key challenges: 1) standardizing programs can make processes simpler but limit flexibility to tailored instruments to meet specific needs; 2) simplifying reporting can improve efficiency but may weaken accountability; and 3) ongoing public funding can provide stability but also risks creating long-term dependency. If you recognize these challenges, this masterclass will give you the opportunity to share your own perspectives. We will use your input to shape a policy brief aimed at strengthening the coherence between the needs of your fieldlab and the public funding instruments available in your region.