The SOILCRATES project was presented at the international conference “Building Bridges: Shaping Europe’s Science-for-Policy Landscape,” held on May 26–27 at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna and organized by the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM). The event brought together researchers, policymakers, and institutions from across Europe to discuss how science can better inform public decision-making.

During the session “Bridging the gap: universities and municipalities co-producing solutions for urban transformation” provided an opportunity to present the Granada Tierra Viva Living Lab, a key initiative supported by the SOILCRATES project.

Granada Tierra Viva Living Lab: A Space for Local Innovation

The Granada Tierra Viva Living Lab is designed as a collaborative space where researchers, local governments, and citizens work together to develop and test solutions for territorial sustainability. It is one of several Living Labs being developed across Europe within the framework of SOILCRATES, aiming to support more effective soil governance and rural-urban transformation through participatory research and innovation.

The Living Lab, located in the province of Granada (Spain), connects academic research with public needs by fostering open dialogue, data-driven experimentation, and community engagement. Its activities include:

  • Co-creation workshops involving local stakeholders,

  • Citizen science programs to monitor and understand local environmental changes,

  • Scientific advising for local and regional policymakers,

  • Public innovation initiatives aligned with sustainable land use, rural revitalization, and climate adaptation.

By embedding research within real-world contexts, the Granada Tierra Viva Living Lab contributes to the development of practical, scalable strategies that address Europe’s shared challenges around soil health, depopulation, economic transition, and climate resilience.

A Model for Collaborative Transformation

The session was coordinated by the University of Granada, which presented the Living Lab in the context of its broader collaboration with the Provincial Council of Granada through the Impronta Granada initiative. The dialogue between representatives from both institutions emphasized the importance of local-level partnerships in achieving systemic change.

This experience reflects one of the core ambitions of SOILCRATES: to demonstrate how local Living Labs can become drivers of territorial innovation and policy co-production, with potential impact at regional, national, and European levels.

More information about this event visit : https://improntagranada.es/urban-imprint/the-university-of-granada-promotes-the-european-debate-on-public-innovation-and-universities-in-vienna/