On 22 September, more than 120 participants from over 30 countries came together online to exchange ideas, meet potential partners and explore opportunities for collaboration under upcoming Horizon Europe calls.
The matchmaking event “Horizon Europe: Joining Forces via Living Labs for a Nature-Positive Future” brought together researchers, policy experts, SMEs, NGOs and other organisations interested in using Living Labs to address environmental and societal challenges.
We were delighted to co-organise the event together with partners from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden and to see such strong international interest and engagement.
From ideas to potential partnerships
Matchmaking was at the heart of the event. Participants delivered 30 pitches, presenting their expertise, project ideas and possible contributions to selected Horizon Europe topics. The enthusiasm continued until the very end, when several participants stepped forward with spontaneous pitches.
Alongside networking and pitching, the programme offered practical insights from experts working with Living Labs from different perspectives. Richard Tavares, Project Adviser at the European Research Executive Agency (REA), highlighted key aspects to consider when incorporating Living Labs into proposals for Horizon Europe 2027 topics, sharing valuable insights from the Executive Agency’s perspective.
Moving from proposals to implementation, PhD Mikko Jokinen from the Natural Resources Institute Finland shared lessons from the ALFAwetlands Horizon Europe project in his presentation “How to Build a Living Lab and Live with It? Lessons Learned in the ALFAwetlands Horizon Europe Project- Case Finland.”
Dr Rita Lankauskienė from the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences complemented this practical perspective with her presentation “Living Labs in Action: Bridging Methodological Approaches and Practical Solutions,” drawing on her extensive experience to show how methodological approaches can be translated into practice.
The combination of expert insights, 30 pitches and active networking made the event a valuable meeting point for organisations looking for new partners and opportunities to develop future Horizon Europe collaborations.
A sincere thank you to our speakers, participants and co-organisers for their expertise, ideas and enthusiasm- and for making the event such an engaging and productive experience.
Event co-organisers:
- Research Council of Lithuania with the Lithuanian Science and Innovation Relations and Competence Office in Brussels (LINO) and National Contact Points
- Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development (LSMC EKVI)
- Research Council of Finland
- Latvian Council of Science
- Estonian Research Council
- Sweden’s Innovation Agency (Vinnova)
- European Rural Development Network (ERDN)
- National Network of Living Labs (LLLNet)
