Andorra, epicenter of innovation with an event that attracts 350 experts

Open Living Lab Days 2025 positions the country as a benchmark within the European Network of Living Labs

Up to 350 members of living labs from around the world, from the 44 countries that form part of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), are participating in Open Living Lab Days 2025 (OLLD25), the annual event dedicated to innovation organized by ENoLL and Andorra Research and Innovation (AR+I), which is being held this Wednesday and Thursday in Andorra. Under the slogan 'Living Labs for Regenerative Futures: Connecting Local and Global Innovation Ecosystems', this year's edition is particularly significant because it turns the country into a living, participatory case study for regenerative innovation.

The Minister of the Presidency, Economy, Labor, and Housing, and Vice President of Andorra Research and Innovation (AR+I), Conxita Marsol, opened the event and announced that the conference "is the perfect setting to present what will become Andorra's Strategic Plan for Innovation and Diversification 2025-2035, an initiative that follows the same philosophy as living laboratories: putting knowledge at the service of society and doing so collaboratively. A Plan, explained the minister, that “aims to support the transformation of the country in three priority areas: technology, health, sport, and sustainability, which are directly related to the spirit of ENOLL.”

Marsol concluded that this edition of the OLLD “consolidates Andorra's position as a dynamic center for experimentation, collaboration, and innovation, where local and global forces come together to shape regenerative solutions for the future.” For her part, the director of AR+I, Marta Domènech, explained that "through innovation, we try to experiment with solutions that are useful and can respond to local needs. At AR+I, we already have some examples of success, and we are taking advantage of this event for our researchers to explain them. One example is the ARGOS platform, which comes from a challenge we promoted, and through our collaboration, an entrepreneurial company has developed a solution in the country that will be managed by Civil Protection and will predict natural risks in the short term."

This year's edition is the first to be held in the country, thanks to the integration three years ago of Andorra Research and Innovation into ENoLL, becoming the only member of the international network with a living laboratory on a national scale. "Bringing this event to Andorra is a milestone because it gives meaning to the idea of a entire country as a living laboratory. Instead of testing innovation in a district, campus, or city, the whole country becomes an open space where new ideas can be co-created, tested, and scaled. This is unique because Andorra's small size, agility, and commitment to sustainability make it possible to experiment quickly and involve the whole of society," explained ENoLL director Martina de Sole.

The OLLD brings together change agents, creators, entrepreneurs, and academics from around the world to develop new ideas, meet other members of the network, and establish collaborations. During the event, around 50 group working sessions are scheduled to take place at the Congress Center. Spaces have also been set up in the streets and squares in Andorra la Vella to hold informative talks and open exhibitions with the aim of bringing the living lab environment closer to the public.