Title:	LIVING LABS FOR E-MARKET DEVELOPMENT FOR EMERGENT FARMERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Author(s):	Willem J.j. Thompson , J.s. Van Der Walt
ISBN:	978-972-8924-55-3
Editors:	Piet Kommers and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2008
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Poverty, Agricultural Development, Emerging farmers, e-markets, Land reform, Living labs
Type:	Short Paper
First Page:	441
Last Page:	445
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	We belief that one of the best tools to promote highly innovative action research in different application areas is through the use of “living labs”. Living labs is a highly evolving theory and practice, related to almost any managerial or technical problem, which can be used in order to help companies in knowing where to focus their management attention. According to CoreLabs/ENoLL, (2007:3) a Living Lab enables users to take active part in research and innovation. Pallot( 2006) argue that a "living lab" is neither a traditional research lab nor a “testbed” but rather an "innovation platform" that brings together and involve, or in stronger words, engage all stakeholders such as end-users, researchers, industrialists, policy makers, and so on at the earlier stage of the innovation process in order to experiment breakthrough concepts and potential value for both the society (citizens) and users that will lead to breakthrough innovations. Essentially a Living Lab is a computer-supported environment for development of real communities in real, live environments. It is based on pillars such as collaboration, virtualization, learning, experimentation, and action research. Important stakeholders take active part in the creation, design and implementation of innovative solution for problems experienced in real situations, by turning real-life situations into Living Labs as real time experimental environments and learning support systems. This research aims to understand the challenges hampering the creation of e-markets for agricultural production of South African emerging farmers in the quest to expand beyond subsistence farming. It also addresses how to take advantage of available opportunities provided by a Living Lab based on learning support systems for enhancing the creation and utilization, of e-markets.
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