Research Institute
The RLabs Research Institute is an independent, nonprofit research institute conducting research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, foundations, academia and other organisations. Through the institute RLabs also provide various institutions the opportunity to do their research in a Community Driven Living Lab setting. We also assist research organisations with research methodologies and instruments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with an emerging market focus.
Another service we provide through our Research Institute is giving international research academics the idea interactive research environment in Cape Town, South Africa. This includes:
- Hosting and Accommodation
- Research facility (internet, desk, assistant, telephone, printing etc.)
- Access to Community members in developing community (community for interviews, questionnaires, case studies, focus groups etc.)
- Link with local universities in the Western Cape
Our main research focus areas are:
- ICT for Development, Mobile for Development
- Social and New Media
- Community Informatics
- Social Informatics
- Informatics and Design
- Mobile and Youth Trends
- Community Engagement
- Education
- Economic Development
- Science and Technology
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Social Innovation
- Business Model Innovation
With our vast and well established research networking including academic institutions and research organisations in 16 countries the RLabs Research Institute provides its clients the ideal opportunity to access well documented and peer-reviewed research papers and reports
The Research Institute Chair is Dr. Gary Wills who is a Senior Researcher at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom who is supported by a strong team of multi-discipline researchers. Previous clients of the RLabs Research Institute includes Western Cape Department of Social Development, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cooperation between Finland and South Africa (COFISA), Living Lab in Southern Africa (LLiSA) network, Amsterdam School of Business and MoVigo Technologies.
