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DRIVING ENERGY AND climate action
with LIVING LABS
BACKGROUND
The 2ISECAP project has redefined energy and climate transitions through its innovative Living Lab (LL) approach. This initiative engaged six European regions—in Estonia, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland—to develop Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) while empowering collaboration, innovation, and stakeholder engagement.
Living Labs are dynamic, real-world collaborative spaces where diverse stakeholders—local governments, businesses, citizens, and researchers—come together to co-create sustainable solutions.
The essence of Living Labs lies in their:
- Multi-stakeholder Cooperation: Bridging public, private, and civic sectors.
- Co-Creation of Actionable Plans: Designing and implementing strategies like SECAPs tailored to local needs.
- Experiential Learning and Knowledge-Sharing: Generating insights through hands-on participation.
This approach transforms communities into testing grounds for sustainable development, facilitating solutions that are innovative, practical, and inclusive.
Key Achievements through the 2ISECAP Project
Each of the six participating regions developed unique success stories while addressing shared challenges:
- Ljutomer, Slovenia: Created the region’s first SECAP, achieving robust stakeholder participation and cross-sectoral collaboration.
- Karditsa, Greece: Advanced sustainable mobility and piloted innovative solar energy solutions for households.
- Padova, Italy: Signed 36 climate agreements, culminating in the submission of a Climate City Contract to the European Commission.
- Thun, Switzerland: Established the “Circular Network” to promote sustainability in the construction sector.
- Tartu, Estonia: Developed a Circular Economy Roadmap for South Estonia, positioning itself as a regional leader in sustainability.
- León, Spain: Brought together diverse stakeholders on a shared platform to drive the city’s energy transition and improve SECAP execution.
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What Made it Work
Several factors contributed to the success of the Living Lab model under the 2ISECAP project:
- Innovative Tools: Strategic analyses like SWOT and PESTEL, as well as brainstorming and focus-group methodologies, nurtured creative problem-solving.
- Active Collaboration: Workshops, bilateral meetings, and cross-sectoral partnerships ensured inclusive participation and alignment of interests.
- Flexibility: Adapting strategies to meet local needs and resource constraints proved crucial for progress.
challenges and solutions
Implementing Living Labs was not without its hurdles. Key challenges included stakeholder coordination, resource limitations, and the need for sustained engagement. These obstacles were addressed through:
- Clear Goal-Setting: Aligning all stakeholders around well-defined, measurable objectives.
- Trust-Building: Facilitating open communication to encourage collaboration and resolve conflicts.
- Leveraging Local Expertise: Tapping into the knowledge of community members and local experts to create tailored solutions.
tHE rOAD aHEAD
The success of the 2ISECAP project sets the stage for the continued evolution of Living Labs. To maximize their impact, future initiatives should focus on:
- Expanding stakeholder involvement to include a broader range of voices.
- Refining tools and methodologies for better monitoring and implementation.
- Promoting international knowledge-sharing to replicate success stories across regions.
Learn from the Living Lab Stories
Discover how the Living Lab model transformed energy and climate planning in these six regions and how its principles can inspire sustainable innovation in a community.
