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AIRLAB Open Innovation Laboratory for Air Quality Solutions

Solution Overview

AIRLAB functions as an open innovation laboratory for air quality, founded by Airparif to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative solutions to improve air quality.[1] Officially created on 17 September 2017 by decision of the Airparif Board of Directors, this initiative brings together an ecosystem of stakeholders, including startups, researchers, local authorities, and large companies, to co-create, experiment, and evaluate new technologies and services.[1][8] The creation of the AirLab within Airparif increases the number of measures and innovations to improve air quality, in collaboration with major private sector companies as well as start-ups.[12]

Technical Components

The laboratory operates through a comprehensive evaluation methodology for low-cost sensors based on the principle of the challenge, coupling metrology and ergonomics criteria.[2] The evaluation process involves rigorous testing protocols conducted by the Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais (LNE) for laboratory assessment, followed by field evaluation at Airparif's reference station located at the quai des Célestins in Paris 4th arrondissement.[9] Sensors are installed on the roof of the station at a height of 3 meters above the ground for real-world testing.[9] The Challenge evaluates the performance of air quality sensors for the measurement of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, O3 and CO2.[9] Multiple projects involving fixed, mobile, or portable low-cost sensor systems are currently deployed by Airparif to draw initial insights into the potential gain obtained through sensor multiplication in terms of monitoring, personal exposure characterization, and education.[2] For its 2025 edition, the AIRLAB Microsensors Challenge offers a more advanced evaluation by incorporating two new outdoor testing sites in Accra (Ghana) and Bangalore (India), along with a new underground railway environment in Paris (France).[6]

Implementation Details

A consortium was formed for the creation of AIRLAB in 2017 with ten founding members including the State (Regional Prefecture), Local Authorities (Region, City of Paris and Metropolis), a Union (Île-de-France Mobilité), and Companies (SNCF, Véolia, Icade, EDF and Engie).[8] Airparif created AIRLAB with the support of the Île-de-France Region for the prefiguration, as the laboratory of open innovation on air quality issues in Île-de-France.[8] The initiative operates as an ecosystem and brings together around Airparif partners who are committed to a common goal, namely to improve air quality in Île-de-France, with institutional stakeholders (local authorities, agencies, institutes, etc.), academic research, large companies, SMEs, start-ups and representatives of civil society.[6] With more than 70 members ranging from start-ups to large groups, AIRLAB promotes a model of open innovation functioning as an ecosystem.[10] In 2018, AIRLAB added 10 new projects following the call for experimentation Air Quality from URBAN LAB and AIRLAB with the City of Paris and Paris&Co and with the support of ADEME and the Banque des Territoires.[8] In March 2022, AIRLAB launched a new website.[8] Since its creation, AIRLAB has tested 162 technological or behavioral change solutions as part of AIRLAB-labeled projects involving 107 organizations.[8] The total number of sensors to be evaluated is limited to 50 per challenge cycle.[9]

Benefits and Impacts

The 2021 AIRLAB Microsensors Challenge evaluation lasted nearly 10 months and involved 40 candidate devices from around the world, of which 19 were selected to undergo laboratory and real-world testing at Airparif's reference stations.[1] Performance improvements have been substantial across successive challenge editions, with 80% of tested particulate matter sensors achieving the highest score (1/5) in 2023, compared to 60% in 2022 and only 20% in 2021.[7] For nitrogen dioxide sensors in the 2023 Challenge, only one sensor, the AQS-1 from Vaisala, achieved a good score (2/5), while other sensors showed lower performance with scores ranging from 3/5 to 5/5.[7] The 2023 edition evaluated 17 sensors measuring fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).[7] Airparif published the results of its Microsensors Challenge for the fifth consecutive year in 2023, an initiative supported by the Île-de-France Region and ADEME.[7] The AIRLAB Microsensors Challenge provides a unique opportunity to test a large number of sensors under the same conditions in both laboratory and field settings.[11] One AIRLAB project relating to indoor air quality involves testing different categories of microsensors used indoors to give users unbiased information about the product's suitability for its intended application.[3]

Climate Adaptation Relevance

Air quality monitoring and improvement directly addresses climate adaptation challenges by providing critical data on atmospheric conditions that affect public health during extreme weather events. Enhanced sensor networks enable real-time tracking of pollution episodes that intensify during heat waves and stagnant air conditions associated with climate change. The multiplication of monitoring points through validated low-cost sensors strengthens the region's capacity to respond to air quality degradation linked to changing climate patterns.

Business Analysis

The Challenge is part of the AIRLAB ecosystem, an accelerator of innovative solutions for air quality, supported by Airparif, the Île-de-France Region, the City of Paris and the Greater Paris Metropolis.[9] The 2023 Microsensors Challenge was conducted in partnership with Atmo France, the French Metrology Laboratory (LNE), and the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME).[7] Airparif operates with 65 staff members and an annual budget of €8.5 million in 2016, providing the institutional foundation for AIRLAB's innovation activities.[3] The platform supports innovation through which economic actors, research bodies and representatives from public organizations seek to test and assess innovative pollution measurement and treatment approaches.[4] The evaluation schedule includes laboratory evaluation from October 2023 to March 2024, field evaluation from April 2024 to September 2024, and publication of the evaluation report in October 2024.[9] This structured timeline provides manufacturers and technology developers with clear pathways for product validation and market entry in the growing air quality monitoring sector.

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