ESP Europe 2026: A-AAGORA Showcases the Role of Living Labs in Ecosystem Restoration
This year’s conference, devoted to advancing ecosystem services knowledge for achieving a nature and people positive Europe, took place in Prague (CZ), last May
The A-AAGORA project organised the session “Restoration with Nature and People: A Living Lab Approach” during the ESP Europe 2026 conference, bringing together researchers and practitioners to discuss how Living Labs can strengthen ecosystem restoration through participatory and inclusive approaches.
The session explored how people can be meaningfully involved throughout the co-creation, implementation, and evaluation of restoration initiatives, highlighting the importance of recognising citizens and stakeholders not only as beneficiaries of ecosystem services, but also as knowledge holders, co-creators, and active participants in shaping sustainable futures.
Discussions focused on the opportunities and challenges of implementing Living Labs in practice. Speakers emphasised that successful participatory processes depend on building trust, fostering adaptive governance, and creating the conditions for long-term collaboration and shared ownership. The session also addressed the practical barriers that often limit co-creation, including rigid governance structures, fragmented institutional capacities, and short-term funding cycles. The session reflected A-AAGORA’s commitment to advancing ecosystem restoration through inclusive, place-based approaches that integrate scientific knowledge with local experience and community participation. By promoting dialogue across disciplines and sectors, the discussions reinforced the importance of Living Labs as enabling environments for collaborative learning, adaptive governance, and long-term resilience in coastal and marine ecosystems.
