Table Of ContentUser innovativeness in Living Laboratories
Everyday user improvisations with ICTs as a source of innovation
Sabrina Sauer
User innovativeness in Living Laboratories
Everyday user improvisations with ICTs as a source of innovation
Sabrina Sauer
Promotion Committee:
Chair: Prof. dr. K. van Oudenhoven-van der Zee, Universiteit Twente
Secretary: Prof. dr. K. van Oudenhoven-van der Zee, Universiteit Twente
Promotor: Prof. dr. N.E.J. Oudshoorn, Universiteit Twente
Assistant promotor: Dr. ir. E.C.J. van Oost, Universiteit Twente
Members: Prof. dr. V. Evers, Universiteit Twente
Prof. dr. V. Frissen, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
Prof. dr. S. Kuhlmann, Universiteit Twente
Prof. dr. E.H.M. Moors, Universiteit Utrecht
Prof. dr. J. Pierson, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Prof. dr. S. Wyatt, Universiteit Maastricht
Te funding for this thesis was provided by the Dutch Research Delta
(DRD), a collaborative efort between KPN, TNO and several Dutch
universities.
CTIT Ph.D. Tesis Series No. 13-256
Center for Telematics and Information Technology
P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE
Enschede, Te Netherlands
Tis thesis was printed with fnancial support from the Graduate School Science, Technology
and Modern Culture (WTMC), and the Department of Science, Technology and Policy
Studies (STePS) of the University of Twente
Cover design and layout: Wesley de Roo
Cover image: “MOLESKINE DOODLES: Recharge” © Kerby Rosanes, 2013
Printed by Wöhrmann Print Service
ISBN: 978-90-365-0012-8
ISSN: 1381-3617
DOI: 10.3990/1.9789036500128
http://dx.doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036500128
© Sabrina Sauer, 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microflming, and recording,
or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the
author.
USER INNOVATIVENESS IN LIVING LABORATORIES
EVERYDAY USER IMPROVISATIONS WITH ICTS AS A SOURCE OF INNOVATION
PROEFSCHRIFT
ter verkrijging van
de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Twente,
op gezag van de rector magnifcus,
prof. dr. H. Brinksma,
volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties
in het openbaar te verdedigen
op woensdag 18 september 2013 om 16:45 uur
door
Sabrina Christina Sauer
geboren op 12 juli 1980
te Heemskerk
Dit proefschrif is goedgekeurd door de promotor:
Prof. dr. N.E.J. Oudshoorn
en de assistent promotor:
Dr. ir. E.C.J. van Oost
“Innovation ofen is born of looking at things in a fresh and unusual way”
(Coyne, 2010: 89).
Contents
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ 8
Chapter 1. Innovative co-creation in Living Laboratories .................................. 13
1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................13
1.2 Living Laboratories .................................................................................................................14
1.3 Tesis objective, research questions and outline.................................................................24
Chapter 2. Conceptual framework and research methodology .......................... 27
2.1 Te paradox of the Living Laboratory .................................................................................27
2.2 Innovation and Innovativeness: creating, adopting and improvising ..............................29
2.3 User-technology relations ......................................................................................................35
2.4 Studying improvisational practices of users in a daily life setting as a dance of
agency ............................................................................................................................................38
2.5 Methods ....................................................................................................................................42
Chapter 3. Exploratory analysis: Living Labs’ users across the European Network
of Living Labs ....................................................................................................... 52
3.1 Te European Network of Living Labs .................................................................................52
3.2 Methodology ...........................................................................................................................54
3.3 Living Laboratory users, themes, goals and methods of inclusion ...................................55
3.4 Conclusions ..............................................................................................................................68
Chapter 4. Tinker, tailor, solder, try: high school students designing smart sensor
prototypes in the SensorLab ................................................................................ 76
4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................76
4.2 Teoretical frame and research methodology .....................................................................79
4.3 Te SensorLab’s sociomaterial confguration ......................................................................81
4.4 Students designing in practice: improvisation practices in the SensorLab .....................87
4.5 Conclusion: user improvisation practices as an innovative product ..............................102
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Chapter 5. Entrepreneurs testing sustainable ICTs as they go about their business
in the Climate street ............................................................................................106
5.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................106
5.2 Teoretical frame and research methodology ...................................................................108
5.3 Sociomaterial confguration: sustainable technologies, sustainable behaviour ............112
5.4 User involvement and innovativeness: testing in practice ...............................................116
5.5 Conclusion: resisted improvisations and situated expertise limit user
innovativeness .............................................................................................................................127
Chapter 6. Get Smart: citizens co-creating the community game “Swarm” ......130
6.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................130
6.2 Teoretical frame and research methodology ...................................................................133
6.3 Sociomaterial confguration of SMARTiP: smart citizens co-creating smart ICTs ......134
6.4 User innovativeness: co-creation in practice .....................................................................143
6.5 Conclusion: user innovativeness – improvisations accommodated and
resisted by ambiguities ...............................................................................................................173
Chapter 7. Conclusions .......................................................................................177
7.1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................177
7.2 Case study summary .............................................................................................................178
7.3 Comparing cases ...................................................................................................................183
7.4 Governing user innovativeness: themes across Living Labs ...........................................189
7.5 Six suggestions .......................................................................................................................200
References ............................................................................................................205
Documents ...................................................................................................................................205
Interviews .....................................................................................................................................214
Observations ...............................................................................................................................214
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................215
Samenvatting in het Nederlands .........................................................................228
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Acknowledgements
For as long as I can remember, stories about imagination fascinated me. Te most tragic
fgures in the stories I read as a child were those who lacked imagination such as the scarecrow
Trapito, or the characters in the Neverending story who were taken by an ominous “nothing”
as imagination died. Te most enchanting fgure in fction was, to me, Alice in Wonderland’s
elusive Cheshire Cat, who tells Alice that if you do not know where you want to go, it does not
matter which road you take. You decide where you want to go, make a plan, set out and strive
to reach your destination.
But what happens if there is a bump along the road? Or when your goals, ideas and plans
change?
You improvise. You travel another road, meet other people, have new experiences and ideas.
I have taken a few diferent roads so far, studying flm, new media and acting, and worked
in diferent felds, from subtitling to sofware marketing. For me completing this PhD thesis
was a little like setting out with a clear goal in mind and fnding that the bumps, the obstacles
and the unforeseen actually provided the most fascinating insights. However, without having
a wonderful group of people around me to help me refect on the possible diferent roads to
take, on how to deal with the bumps in the road or ofering me a hand to climb over obstacles,
I do not think I would have been able to put my insights into writing.
First of all, I am indebted to my wonderful promotor Nelly Oudshoorn and assistant-promotor
Ellen van Oost. You coached me, provided invaluable feedback, and never ceased to support
me. Tank you for your patience when I seemed to make it my mission to read “just one more
bookshelf ” on topics that made me curious. Your sharp pen and detailed observations helped
me focus. Also, your personal support during the rougher times in the last four years helped
me complete this thesis. Tank you!
I would also like to thank the Dutch Research Delta (DRD), a collaborative efort between
KPN, TNO and several Dutch universities, which made my PhD project possible. Te events
organized by the DRD helped me hone my presentation and moderating skills, and allowed
me to interact with a vast range of diferent researchers. Trough the DRD I also met Marc
van Lieshout, who allowed me to collaborate on a TNO-project, thereby ofering me a frst
taste of ethnographic research. Tis experience helped me prepare for my feldwork. Tank
you for giving me this opportunity!
Being able to participate in the graduate school of Science, Technology and Modern Culture
(WTMC) allowed me to fnd my way in the feld of Science and Technology Studies while
ofering me a chance to meet a stimulating group of fellow PhD students and exchange ideas
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