With financial support from the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ), through the EU Initiative for Private Sector Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Living Lab Center Sarajevo (LLC) was officially opened on Wednesday, February 11, at Villa Braun / Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship. This initiative is part of the Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP) program implemented by GIZ.
By establishing the Living Lab Center, the initiative supported by the European Union and the German government gains a concrete space where EU support to the private sector and local community is transformed into visible results. Here, ideas will be turned into and tested as practical solutions that help companies modernize their operations, improve products and services, introduce digital and green practices, and become more competitive on domestic and European markets. Such an approach not only creates new employment opportunities and fosters the development of skills relevant to companies’ needs, but also strengthens the resilience of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy by linking education and industry, contributing to the creation of a stronger, more resilient, and sustainable private sector.
The Living Lab Center Sarajevo is an innovation platform launched through the Private Sector Development Initiative by the FabLab Association in partnership with the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo, with financial support from the European Union and the Government of Germany, introducing a new model of local transformation and social innovation. The Center brings together public institutions, businesses, academia, and citizens with the aim of jointly co-creating, testing, and validating solutions in a real urban environment.
The Living Lab Center Sarajevo represents the first structured and operational framework that systematically connects city needs and advanced technologies into a single collaboration platform. Through processes of co-creation, prototyping, piloting, and evaluation, the Center develops solutions that are immediately applicable, measurable, and directly relevant to the local community. Located in Villa Braun, the Center is a place where ideas are transformed into concrete prototypes and pilot projects, with active participation from citizens, companies, and partners, strengthening collaboration and innovation in addressing urban challenges.
The Living Lab was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Srđan Mandić, Mayor of the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo; Antonella Di Sandri, Head of Operations for Economic Development, Natural Resources and Infrastructure at the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina; Jens Elsner, SEDEP Program Manager at GIZ; and Edin Škaljić, Director of FabLab.
During the event, the vision for the development of Villa Braun as an open platform for collaboration and innovation was presented, along with the activity plan for 2026, including pilot projects, open calls, workshops, demonstrations, and cooperation models with relevant stakeholders.
Building on capacities developed through the EU-funded InnoXcellerate project, the Living Lab Center Sarajevo will operate as an open platform for smart and sustainable urban development, green transition, smart mobility, digital inclusion, citizen participation, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, as well as cultural and creative industries, including XR technologies and digital heritage. Together with the Digital Innovation Hub DigitalStorm, the Center forms a sustainable innovation ecosystem in Sarajevo Canton.
The Living Lab Center Sarajevo will operate through four thematic laboratories: Urban Mobility Lab, IoT Lab, Green Fab Lab, and Immersive Lab, and is certified and networked through the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
