5. Experimental Environments

5.1 Introduction

In addition to science and business, the government also has an increasing need to experiment with policy. The role of society is becoming increasingly relevant in these experiments; the so-called quadruple helix. Due to the wide variety of actors and interests, it is complicated to tackle these experiments on a grand scale, and small-scale testing must be made possible quickly. There is therefore a need for environments in which a great diversity of groups (citizens, governments, scientists, companies, artists, etc.) have the opportunity to come together and work together on different societal challenges. Through participation and co-creation, as described in Chapter 3, the experimental environments described here allow for simple interventions and early prototypes and can quickly be tested in the “real” world, without waiting for proof that something actually works.

Experimental environments offer the opportunity to develop and test innovations that bring about change in a social context. However, these transitions are not easy to manage and related issues are often surrounded by uncertainties and ambiguous information. There is therefore a need for space in the early stages of the development process to try out and validate simple ideas. In addition, the effects of developed interventions on changes in simulated and / or real-life contexts must also be tested further in the process and, if necessary, adjusted. See, for example, the monitoring and effect measurement methods as described in chapter 9.

KEMs in this category help set up experimental environments, in virtual environments, everyday life and workplaces. They answer questions such as: how do you set up an experimental environment? What conditions must an experimental environment meet? What degree of imitation is needed? What should collaboration with stakeholders look like in projects in this setting?