Living Labs

Living Labs – Introduction

The three Living Labs are established in the municipalities of Lemvig, Silkeborg and Næstved. The selection of these municipalities is strategic, as they represent different landscape, environmental and agricultural challenges, offering the opportunity to test solutions in very different contexts. The three municipalities serve as starting points for collaboration with the local tripartite partnerships in which they are engaged.

Lemvig Municipality features a highly varied geology and a coastal environment with sensitive marine recipients. The municipality is characterised by extensive agricultural and natural areas closely connected to the Limfjord and Nissum Fjord. Here, there is a particular need to manage nutrient leaching to the aquatic environment, while agricultural production must evolve in a more sustainable direction.

Silkeborg Municipality and the Gudenå River catchment, within the local Randers Fjord tripartite partnership,
represent an area with great potential for nature restoration and biodiversity. The area is shaped by lakes, streams and forests, providing opportunities to develop multifunctional landscapes where water quality, biodiversity and recreational values can be combined with farming. Silkeborg also hosts the secretariat for the Gudenå Committee, enabling unique cooperation across eight municipalities.

Næstved Municipality is characterised by some of Denmark’s most fertile agricultural land, but also by landscapes with vulnerable recipients. The challenge here is to balance intensive farming with the need to reduce nutrient emissions and enhance nature values. The municipality therefore represents the complex trade-offs between high production value and environmental considerations. Næstved also serves as the secretariat for three local tripartite partnerships that will take part in the project.

Together, the three municipalities provide a strong framework for Living Labs, where TRANSFORM can develop and test solutions that are both locally rooted and scalable for national strategies.

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Workshop Structure and Co-creation Model

A central part of TRANSFORM is the way knowledge and solutions are developed in close dialogue between researchers and local stakeholders. This takes place through a workshop-based process, where municipalities, land-owners, farm associations, civil society organizations and researchers participate together in a joint development process.
The workshop structure is organised in several steps, following the logic of the Green Tripartite Agreement’s requirements for local transformation plans:

  1. Identification of data and development of digital tools in dialogue with the local “green tripartite” partners.
  2. Assessment and prioritisation of areas based on their potential for biodiversity, climate, aquatic environment and agricultural production.
  3. Review of previous experiences and discussion of legal and regulatory opportunities and barriers.
  4. Development of new collaboration and planning methods, where local stakeholders are actively involved.
  5. Testing of new business models and value chains in agriculture.
  6. Evaluation of various policy instruments and scenarios.
    Workshops are held both within the individual Living Labs and across the three municipalities. This iterative process allows the creation of solutions that are locally rooted, yet comparable and usable in a national context.
    The co-creation model is based on the principle of mutual learning. Researchers contribute analyses and tools, while local actors bring knowledge of practice, experience and needs. This combination ensures that the solutions are not only theoretically robust but also practically applicable and socially accepted.

 

Stakeholder Involvement and Governance

Stakeholder involvement is a basic element in TRANSFORM. The project is built around a co-creation approach where researchers, authorities, agriculture, businesses and civil society develop solutions together.
The governance structure of the project is designed to balance interdisciplinary research with practical implementation:

  • The project is managed by a Management Committee that coordinates activities across work packages and Living Labs.
  • An Advisory Board provides expert sparring and ensures that scientific quality is maintained.
  • A Stakeholder Board gathers representatives from key stakeholder groups who can give input to the project’s direction and disseminate results to their respective networks.
  • The researchers collaborate closely with local actors in the Living Labs so that results and tools reflect the specific needs of municipalities and local communities.
    This structure makes it possible to ensure research-based knowledge, broad legitimacy and practical applicability. The governance model thus supports the translation of project results into solutions that are locally anchored but which also contribute to national green transition strategies.