A workshop was held at Leipzig University as part of the preliminary steps to establish the Leipzig Living Lab (LL), under the framework of PRO-CLIMATE.
Organized under the coordination of Leipzig University (led by Dr. Alex Yandell and Dr. Yvonne Jaeckel) in partnership with the City of Leipzig, the two-day event brought together key stakeholders from academia and municipal departments. The activity was part of a broader process facilitated by Dr. Catalin Anton from Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Ireland, in his role of coordinating the development of Living Labs across the project.
The first day involved a focused exchange among the core representatives of the Leipzig Living Lab, aimed at designing the initial framework, structure, and thematic direction of the Living Lab. Discussions explored the environmental and socio-political challenges specific to Leipzig, stakeholder dynamics, and opportunities for collaboration across sectors. This internal session laid the groundwork for co-defining the Living Lab’s purpose as a real-life experimentation environment to support climate adaptation through systemic, inclusive, and context-driven solutions.
On the second day, the workshop opened to include representatives from the City of Leipzig, and was structured around the theme of communication for climate adaptation, led by Dr. Ann-Marie Nienaber from Coventry University. The dialogue focused on identifying existing communication gaps, developing shared messaging strategies, and enhancing interdepartmental coordination. Participants emphasised the urgent need for a unified communication approach, better digital integration, and clearer role distribution to improve citizen engagement and visibility of climate adaptation efforts.
Insights gathered from both days will directly feed into the creation of the Pilot Operational Plan (POP) for the Leipzig Living Lab. This plan will be co-developed by ATU and Leipzig University, with valuable input from the City of Leipzig and the PRO-CLIMATE project partners. The POP will define the Living Lab’s operational structure, key stakeholders, engagement strategies, and co-creation pathways, ensuring alignment with both local context and PRO-CLIMATE’s overarching goals.
