About the BAS Living Lab
The BAS Living Lab is a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and real-world innovation ecosystem developed within the ENPOWER project to address energy poverty and support the transition to sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.
Building Advisory System Living Lab
The BAS Living Lab (Building Advisory System Living Lab) is a flagship initiative of the ENPOWER project, designed as a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and real-world innovation ecosystem addressing one of the most pressing societal challenges in Europe and beyond: energy poverty and the transition to sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.
Developed at the University of Banja Luka in cooperation with leading European research institutions, the BAS Living Lab serves as a central hub for research, innovation, policy support, and stakeholder engagement, bringing together academia, public authorities, businesses, and citizens to co-create practical and scalable solutions.
Living Lab methodology
The BAS Living Lab is grounded in the Living Lab methodology, an internationally recognised approach to innovation that places users and stakeholders at the centre of the research and development process. Rather than operating in isolated laboratory conditions, the BAS Living Lab functions in real-life environments, where solutions are designed, tested, and validated in direct interaction with end-users and communities.
At its core, the BAS Living Lab is a co-creation platform, built on the principles of:
This approach enables the BAS Living Lab to address energy challenges not only from a technical perspective, but also by considering social, behavioural, and economic dimensions, ensuring that solutions are both effective and inclusive.
Core components
Technical and social R&I
Advancing both technological solutions and understanding of societal dynamics.
Stakeholder collaboration
Strengthening local and international research and innovation ecosystems.
Capacity building
Supporting training, education, and knowledge transfer activities.
Policy and business advisory
Providing evidence-based recommendations for decision-makers.
The BAS Living Lab is designed as a multi-layered socio-technical ecosystem, combining physical pilot environments with a cloud-based digital infrastructure that supports data collection, analysis, and knowledge sharing.
A key feature of the BAS Living Lab is its integrated digital platform, which connects field data, for example from buildings, energy systems, and communities, with cloud-based analytics and visualization tools. This enables real-time monitoring, predictive modelling, and informed decision-making, while ensuring transparency and accessibility in line with Open Science principles.
Four interconnected case studies
Energy Efficiency Retrofitting in Public Buildings
Improving energy performance and indoor environmental quality in institutional buildings.
CS2Renewable Energy Integration in Rural Communities
Supporting sustainable energy solutions in underserved and remote areas.
CS3Digitalisation and AI in Energy Management
Applying smart technologies and data analytics to optimise energy use in buildings.
CS4Socioeconomic Aspects of Energy Poverty
Analysing the social, economic, and behavioural drivers of energy vulnerability through surveys, workshops, and stakeholder engagement.
These case studies are not isolated pilots but interconnected components of a unified system, enabling the BAS Living Lab to generate robust, transferable knowledge and solutions.
- Stakeholder co-creation processes, including workshops, consultations, and collaborative design activities.
- Real-time data collection and analysis, through IoT-enabled infrastructure and cloud services.
- Development of advisory tools and services, tailored to citizens, businesses, and policymakers.
- Training and educational programmes, including e-learning modules and hands-on learning opportunities.
Integrated solutions for energy poverty
The BAS Living Lab addresses the urgent need for integrated and systemic solutions to energy poverty, a challenge that affects millions of households and has wide-ranging implications for health, wellbeing, and economic resilience.
Its relevance lies in its ability to bridge the gap between research and real-world application, support evidence-based policymaking, empower local communities, and strengthen research and innovation capacity, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.
Long-term impact
- Replicated in other regions and contexts.
- Scaled up into broader policy and market solutions.
- Integrated into long-term research and innovation strategies.
A sustainable and scalable model for innovation
The BAS Living Lab is designed not only as a project-based initiative, but as a sustainable and scalable model for innovation. Its modular architecture, open data approach, and strong stakeholder engagement ensure that its results can create lasting impact.
Ultimately, the BAS Living Lab represents a transformative approach to addressing energy challenges, where technology, policy, and society converge to create lasting impact.