The Water-Oriented Living Labs (WOLLs) Network Webinar Series, launched earlier this year, is continuing to spark meaningful dialogue and cooperation among Water-Oriented Living Labs and partners across Europe.
Designed to strengthen the ecosystem of WOLLs and support the journey toward a Water-Smart Society, the series offers a thematic space for structured knowledge exchange, shared learning, and forward-looking collaboration.
The first webinar, “Connecting WOLLs – Enhancing Impact and Collaboration”, held in April, laid the foundation by highlighting the value of cooperation across Living Labs. With more than 75 participants, the session showcased tools like the Water-Smart Principles and the Harmonization Cube, and featured practical examples from Belgium, Spain, and Finland. Participants engaged actively via Mentimeter to reflect on success and failure factors, and explored how collaboration can amplify impact, even in resource-constrained settings.
The second webinar, building on that momentum, the second one in July shifted the focus toward governance, with a session on “Policy Innovation and Regulatory Sandboxes for Water Management.” This webinar examined how regulatory flexibility and experimentation can catalyse water innovation. Case studies and real-world examples highlighted the role of enabling policy environments, the importance of government support, and the challenges posed by regulatory inertia. As with the first session, a finance-focused segment explored how to fund these innovations and scale them sustainably. Now, as the series continues, we turn to one of the most critical and cross-cutting elements of WOLL success: stakeholder engagement.
The third webinar, “Governance and Stakeholder Engagement in WOLLs,” will be held on 12 September 2025, from 10:00 to 12:00 CEST. This session will explore how inclusive governance models and participatory approaches can foster trust, empower local communities, and strengthen the design and implementation of water solutions. Participants will hear from WOLLs and EU projects using tools such as co-design workshops, gamification, and citizen science, while also discussing financial strategies to support long-term engagement and education. Register here
The WOLLs Network Webinar Series will culminate in an in-person event in November in Perpignan, France, offering a unique opportunity to consolidate insights and shape the future direction of the network. We warmly invite all WOLLs, Water4All partners, and stakeholders to join the conversation and help co-create a more inclusive and effective water innovation ecosystem. Stay tuned for the invitation soon!
