COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEMS

(organized by M. Vintges & Living labs from FoodCityBoost)

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As the world grapples with pressing global challenges – from climate change and resource depletion to food insecurity and energy transition – the need for innovative, systemic, and sustainable solutions has never been more urgent. Rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and increasing pressure on ecosystems are not only affecting the environment but also endangering global food production, energy systems, and livelihoods. Addressing these interconnected issues requires collective action, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a focus on resilience.

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Clusters and Living Labs (LLs) have emerged as powerful frameworks to tackle these challenges by fostering collaboration across industries, sectors, and regions.

A cluster brings together a geographic concentration of interconnected organizations, including businesses, research institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Clusters drive innovation by enabling resource sharing, collaborative problem-solving, and the development of solutions tailored to sectoral challenges. By pooling expertise and fostering synergies, clusters enhance competitiveness and promote sustainable transformation within their ecosystems. The cluster can have some Fieldlabs and the cluster, or a part of it, can be used as a living lab.

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Living Labs, meanwhile, serve as dynamic, open-innovation platforms where real-world experimentation and co-creation take center stage. These ecosystems provide opportunities for diverse stakeholders to work together, test new solutions in real-life settings, and refine them through iterative feedback. Living Labs not only accelerate innovation but also ensure that these innovations are relevant, user-centered, and sustainable, integrating social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

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Together, clusters and Living Labs form the backbone of collaborative ecosystems that address systemic challenges. By connecting diverse actors, enabling knowledge sharing, and encouraging cross-border cooperation, they create the conditions necessary for transformational change in sectors such as agriculture, energy, and urban planning.

 

Session overview

This session explores how clusters and Living Labs enable collaborative ecosystems to tackle climate challenges, drive innovation, and foster sustainable development.

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Keynotes: clusters and Living Labs

• The first keynote will highlight Greenport West-Holland, a leading example of a cluster that integrates the entire agri-food value chain to foster innovation and sustainability. Greenport connects actors across farming, logistics, knowledge development, and policy, creating synergies that drive solutions for climate resilience, food security, and economic growth. By addressing challenges such as resource efficiency and decarbonization, Greenport demonstrates the transformative potential of clusters.

• The second keynote will focus on the role of Living Labs as experimental and collaborative spaces. These labs enable stakeholders to co-create and test user-driven solutions in real-life contexts, helping to address challenges like climate adaptation, sustainable resource management, and community resilience.

 

Diversity of cluster typologies

Participants will then explore the diversity of cluster models through short presentations, showcasing how clusters can be tailored to address specific regional and sectoral needs. These examples will highlight the importance of both local and global cooperation in solving complex challenges.

B) Organization and support of the Agriculture Living labs An example of an support association (in France)

 

Case studies

Three case studies will illustrate how clusters and Living Labs are driving change:

• RE-Greenhouse: The Interreg RE-Greenhouse project focuses on reducing greenhouse agriculture’s reliance on fossil fuels in North-West Europe. With 11 partners across 5 countries, this initiative promotes renewable energy adoption through cross-border collaboration and pilot projects, demonstrating how climate-resilient solutions can enhance sustainability and competitiveness. For the Dutch pilot it shows the importance of being a cluster.

• SUAVE EuroCluster: This project supports SMEs in advancing Urban Agriculture by addressing environmental, technological, and social challenges. By transforming urban spaces into sustainable ecosystems, SUAVE showcases how agriculture can reduce cities’ environmental impact while fostering inclusion and economic resilience.

• A Living Lab Case Study: A practical example will demonstrate the role of Living Labs in co-creating in a project within a living lab tackling a solution to real-world challenges, emphasizing user-centered innovation and collaboration, showing the possibilities a living lab offers to this sort of solutions

 

Collaborative workshop

The session will conclude with an interactive workshop where participants will collaborate to design a cluster or Living Lab tailored to their own region and agri-food sector. This hands-on exercise will encourage participants to identify key challenges, map stakeholders, and co-create actionable strategies to build impactful collaborative ecosystems.

 

Why attend?

Climate change and systemic challenges cannot be addressed by individual organizations or regions alone. This session offers participants an opportunity to:

• Explore how clusters and Living Labs foster innovation and collaboration to address climate and sustainability challenges.

• Learn from inspiring case studies that demonstrate real-world solutions and impact.

• Actively engage in a collaborative workshop to experience the process of creating a functional and impactful ecosystem.

 

Join us to discover how clusters and Living Labs can empower regions and communities to drive innovation, foster sustainability, and build resilience for a brighter, climate-resilient future.