Through the Living Labs for Citizens Science– RI4C2 International Conference, three Pilot Living Labs were launched within existing EC2U Virtual Institutes (EC2U VIs), whose structures are defined on the basis of three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Good Health and Well-Being (VI GLADE) (SDG #3); Quality Education (VI QE) (SDG #4) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (VI SCC) (SDG #11).
The invited speakers generously shared their knowledge and expertise on Citizen Science events and activities. In the area of Good Health and Well-Being, the four presenters discussed examples and ideas related to Better ageing at home (living lab on life habits and health), Smart-house-living-lab and Gendered Innovation Living Labs. In the area of Quality Education, the main topics addressed were the use of current technology in education (Disruptive technology as a catalyst for ecological transition from environmental education) and the impact of art as a tool to address cultural biases in our communities.
Regarding the theme of Sustainable Cities and Communities, speakers from the University of Jena, the University of Iasi (UAIC), and the Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch, presented projects whose success was based on the involvement of citizens to bring direct and indirect benefits to their own communities. Additionally, the University of Pavia, Italy, briefly presented their Living Lab project: A Living Lab for Citizen Involvement in Science.
The highlights of this conference were the networking opportunities and the potential for developing future collaborative international projects as emphasised by Ludovic THILLY, Coordinator of the EC2U Alliance and RI4C2 project.
