Explore the Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses
The interactive map is a dynamic and evolving tool that showcases the Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses working toward healthy soils across Europe to support the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”
It offers a clear and structured overview of the Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses. [read more]
It serves as a key tool to visualise, connect, and strengthen the ecosystem of Living Labs (LLs), Lighthouses (LHs) and Experimental Sites (ES) across Europe. It serves as a key tool for:
- Mapping current Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses.
- Facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration.
- Spotlighting key information and insights around their activities and results.
What are the Mission Soil Living Labs and the Lighthouses?
Mission Soil Living Labs are user-centred, place-based and transdisciplinary research and innovation ecosystems that involve multiple partners to co-design, test, monitor and evaluate solutions in real-life settings for improving soil health. Mission Soil Living Labs are essential for addressing specific soil health challenges and advancing sustainable soil practices, fostering partnerships among land managers, scientists, businesses, and citizens. Mission Soil Living Labs can vary by land use type: Agriculture, Forestry, Industrial, Natural & Semi-natural, and Urban.
Living labs characteristics comprehends:
- Active involvement of the (end-) users.
- Co-creation, co-design and co-development of solutions.
- Testing and experimentation in real-life conditions.
- Participation of a multiplicity of stakeholders.
- Use of multiple methods and tools originating from a range of disciplines and domains.
Living Labs comprise multiple Experimentation Sites that are local sites (one farm, one forest exploitation, one industrial site, one urban city green area, etc.) that can be included in a Living Lab area or be located outside a Living Lab area.
When demonstrating exemplary performances in terms of soil health improvements, these sites can evolve into Lighthouses serving as models for effective soil management. Lighthouses are sites for demonstration of exemplary solutions, training, peer-to-peer learning, and communications related to improving soil health.
Livings labs and Lighthouses are key to accelerating the adoption of sustainable practices by users and to developing solutions adapted to local conditions.
Have you heard about the catalogue?
To further showcase the outstanding work of these pioneers, SOILL has published the Catalogue of Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses. This publication offers a comprehensive overview of the planned work, scope, and ambitions of these Living Labs as they embark on their journey.
For each Living Lab, the catalogue details target land use types, relevant Mission objectives, key strengths, and planned improvement techniques, serving as a valuable resource for anyone interested in their work. By offering insights into each project's specific goals, the catalogue aims to foster greater collaboration and connect a continent-wide community of innovators, and reflects a shared European commitment to tackling pressing soil challenges.
The catalogue provides a snapshot of the Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses at a specific point in time. Discover more and engage with them on the SOILL Hub.
European and Emerging Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses
The European/Emerging Soil Living Labs are not funded by the European Commission under the framework of the Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe". The European Soil Living Labs are fully aligned to the Mission Soil criteria but do not receive direct funding from the dedicated Mission Soil topics, while the Emerging Soil Living Labs are potential living labs including on-the-ground experiments that have not yet fully aligned to the Mission Soil criteria. Discover more in the infographic you find below and on the Map of European and Emerging Soil Living Labs.
