Abstract:

The present study used to check the possibilities for implementing a Virtual Living Lab as a virtual institution, the virtual organization development. Such future virtual device is to optimize and stabilize the R & D cooperation between the partners of the Think BETA network, a European think tank, funded by the Federal German Ministry for Education and Research. The advantages and disadvantages of conventional networks are assumed to be well known. The study examined the specific factors such a virtual organization. It refers to the specific case of the Think BETA network. It is based on the results of qualitative interviews with the participants of the network, the utilization of relevant literature and an analysis of success factors for the virtual organization of the practical results of existing cooperation on the one hand and the virtual work on the other.

Cooperation in R&D projects, the exchange of researchers and the merging of research in Europe is a core element of innovation in Think BETA. Due to the progressive development, differentiation and professional integration in smart cities other aspects are particularly significant that can by simple collaborative projects can not be realized satisfactorily for achieving the desired level of innovation, however, appear to be necessary: on the one hand, the openness of the existing merger, so the opening of the innovation process of making active use of the outside world in order to increase the innovation potential and on the other hand ensuring the continuity of the cooperation in the field of Smart Cities across temporal and spatial boundaries, individual projects and technical limitations of time. Another peculiarity arises from the work area ICT for Smart Cities in which the involvement of users as co-creator is common in all areas of digital media, such as in open source communities.

The aim of this study was to identify the factors for the expansion and stabilization of cooperation in Virtual Living Labs. Since this does not seem possible due to the large number of partners, their spatial distribution and their structural inequality in physical space to current conditions, here are the factors to be examined, which allow the cross-border, virtual collaboration. Background is the idea of Think BETA, which is an appropriate form for the perpetuation of their cooperation in order to a further development to a future virtual institute.

Think BETA is a European R&D network and provides an infrastructure for the collaborative development of interdisciplinary, innovative research and development between partners from the Baltic States, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, USA and Sweden as well as other associated partners. One of the goals of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is to develop the promotion of such networks and the associated potential for innovation and international cooperation to strengthen international competitive advantages of European companies and research institutions with a focus on the in the Baltic Sea Region. The Think BETA partner network with each other in order to improve the exchange of researchers involved and a common strategy for research development in the field of ICT for Smart Cities advancing from which European R&D projects have been produced. They train to develop the network into a future virtual institute.

Keywords:

Virtual, Living Lab, ThinkBETA, Betaville, Open Line studio, future virtual institute, Smart City, Diversity, Intercultural, Research R&D, Science, Study.