Living Labs in Smart Cities as Critical Enablers for Making Real the Modern Future Internet

The present position paper discusses several challenges originating from the fast growth of the Future Internet (FI) in the context of ICT, mainly within urban environments where a multiplicity of digital-based opportunities may appear for the benefit of various categories of citizens (corporate and residential) as well as of several legal entities. In particular, we focus upon the concept of actual European Living Labs that can be identified as real “enablers” for the fast growth and the proper adoption and/or implementation of modern FI-based facilities and of related services-products in a variety of domains as well as for a diversity of applications, also covering many innovative ones. Living-Labs can provide a diversity of benefits for the market, the technological evolution and the society, thus enhancing progress and development.