Systems Innovation Approach: stakeholders’ involvement for a climate resilient region, a Living Lab at the Main River basin

Climate change poses major challenges globally and is likely to exacerbate competition for water, land, and energy resources. In the Main River Basin (Germany), this will have considerable consequences for agriculture, forestry, water, and energy management. At present, most adaptation measures are sector-focused, but the challenges are interconnected. The region is at risk for being pushed beyond its resilience threshold and therefore, a holistic and multi-sectoral strategy is urgently needed to achieve a new level of responsiveness to cope with climate change impacts.

The co-design and co-production of science-driven technical, social, and cross-sectoral innovations and governance is required to build new and climate resilient transformation pathways. A systemic transformation of the region requires time and broad societal support, which must be considered when formulating development paths. To address these challenges, Systems Innovation Approach (SIA) is implemented. This method aims at going beyond the immediate problems to better understand the underlying patterns, and how we can learn and adapt as the system continues to change. The Main River basin is one of the nine pilot areas of the EU funded ARSINOE project (Climate-resilient regions through systemic solutions and innovation) that are implementing innovative technological approaches. Stakeholders’ engagement is ensured through the so-called Living Labs. In the ARSINOE project, Living Labs are a participatory research tool often used in planning, product design and innovation which brings together a collective of key stakeholders to explore a focal issue. Living Labs act as open innovation spaces which foster co-creation with users and the focus is to better solve stakeholder needs.

Through a series of workshops supported by SIA tools (mental mapping of interconnected challenges, future common vision using Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as guiding principles, backcasting) we have created an open atmosphere with committed participants that are willing to collaborate to tackle future climate challenges in the Main River region. This contribution presents our successful experience turning research into practice, lessons learnt and challenges we faced to ensure the participants’ engagement.

The presented study is supported by the project ARSINOE (GA: 101037424), funded under EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.