Organisations wishing to take part in this innovative initiative can do so in two ways:

• Member Organisations have full participation, in compliance with the rights and duties established in the framework agreement. Organisations wishing to do so can sign this agreement, on which the LLSA is based, before a notary. Following this, member organisations are given access to LLSA services and can take part in any events organised by the network.
• • Partner Organisations play a specific role in particular LLSA projects. They contribute new technologies, products, scenarios, experiments, expertise, solutions, etc. In this case, they are not required to sign the framework agreement, and instead sign a partnership agreement. A partner does not have the same rights and duties as a member organisation, although partners do have access to some LLSA services and can attend events organised by the network.

The Monitoring Commission is defined as the senior LLSA body and makes all the strategic decisions specifically regarding the two main pillars of the network – members and projects. The three main functions of the Commission are:

• Ensure the fulfilment of the Framework Agreement
• Object to or veto the admission of new members
• Object to or veto LLSA projects or proposals

The Commission is made up of 16 members; half of these represents the public institutions of the LLSA and are permanent. The other half represents the rest of the companies and universities; their presence is rotational among all the private and non-institutional entities that form a part of this network.

LLSA membership gives access to:

• A meeting and networking forum
• Information about the existing needs of the Andalusian Public Health System (APHS).
• Scenarios where specific projects can be piloted and validated
• Help in seeking out partnerships and funding for an idea or project
• Advice on specific aspects of public procurement and the purchase of technology.

In short, LLSA provides a stable partnership framework where businesses, universities and end users can work together facilitating the development of new products and services aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens and APHS users.

Admission of new members to the LLSA is carried out following a similar procedure to that used by the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) which is based on the concept of admission in “waves”

On a yearly basis the LLSA Secretariat organises various waves for interested entities to join this network. Each of these waves includes a dissemination plan which provides information about admissions and the requirements that must be met by the entities that wish to present their candidature.

All applicants for this innovative initiative must present the following documentation:

• Application form correctly completed (clearly explaining contribution to LLSA and obligations on forming part of the network)
• Backing from at least two network members
• A proposal or project idea that you would like to implement in the LLSA and that must be in line with one or more of the network’s interest areas.

In the LLSA framework, a scenario is any physical or virtual space in which end users can interact. These spaces can be used to identify needs and also to pilot and validate products or services. Scenarios are equipped with a set of tools, computer applications, services and methodologies to enable technology-based projects capable of improving and sustaining the Andalusian Public Health System to be developed quickly and harmoniously.

To correctly comply with these requirements, all LLSA scenarios have a supervisor who ensures they operate correctly and include all the promised resources and helps set up projects in these scenarios.

All users have to do to use a particular existing scenario is contact the supervisor. If a project requires the creation of a special scenario, users must apply to the LLSA Office, which, together with the Innovation Office, will help project members find the required scenario.

If you wish to use an existing scenario, or need a specific scenario in which to develop your project, or if you would like to contribute a new scenario to LLSA, please send your application to escenarios@livinglabsalud.es.

Any member organisation, or any group belonging to any existing area of interest, can outline the need to create a new scenario, provided:

• The subject matters falls within one or more LLSA strategic lines:
• • Telemedicine and teleassistance.
  • Robotics and virtual reality.
  • Biosecurity.
  • Training.
  • Innovative health processes.
  • Interoperability.
• The chosen line of work is not similar to that of existing areas.
• The scenario has a critical mass of participants. To achieve this, it must previously have been distributed among other LLSA members.
• It responds to open innovation, user-driven concepts

LLSA members can find a simple application form on the Intranet, with instructions for putting forward this type of suggestion.

There are no restrictions in this regard. Each member organisation, depending on their experience, interests and aims, can participate in one or more groups from any LLSA areas of interest.

The presentation of a new project follows a similar procedure for suggesting an area of interest; there is a form available for this on the Intranet.

New projects may also be submitted by directly contacting the staff of the Innovation Office, at ofinnovacion@livinglabsalud.es.

Once the proposal has been received it will be presented to the LLSA Advisory Committee (a body made up of experts from the Andalusian Public Health System) who will evaluate the project, make recommendations regarding its level of interest and submit a report. The Innovation Office will analyse the Committee’s proposal and if necessary will make recommendations to the presenting entity. The Office will then confirm with the LLSA Secretariat that the proposed project complies with the following basic requirements:

• The project follows an open-innovation user-centred methodology.
• It contributes towards some of the priority areas of interest defined by the LLSA.
• It responds to a real need of the users of the Andalusian Public Health System with potential benefit to the System.

Once the project has been evaluated, the Secretariat will issue a statement to all the Monitoring Commission members informing them of the success (or not) of the new project. The Commission will have one week to object to or veto the decision. When this one-week period has elapsed without objection from the Commission, the Secretariat will consider the project valid or not.

LLSA does not provide funding for projects, although it does have a consulting and support service, the Innovation Office, to advise on setting up technology-based, healthcare-related projects. One of the functions of this office is to help seek funding for projects to be developed within the LLSA framework.

If you are an LLSA member with a project proposal and you need help finding adequate funding to implement it, you can contact the Innovation Office at ofinnovacion@livinglabsalud.es.

FIt is not compulsory for all the partners of an LLSA project to be members in order for it to be approved by the Commission. The minimum requirement is that one member of the consortium must be an LLSA member; other consortium members will be considered LLSA partners.