Twin Living Labs for Urban Freshwater Ecosystem Restoration Call: HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01-two-stage

TWIN SPRINGS aims to create twin Living Labs in Türkiye (Küçükçekmece–Soğuksu) and an EU Member State (e.g. Portugal, Denmark or Spain) to co-develop, test and scale up innovative nature-based and digital solutions for restoring urban freshwater ecosystems.

The project responds to the call HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-BIODIV-01-two-stage – “Living labs co-creating innovative solutions for forests and freshwater ecosystems restoration.” It combines citizen science, data-driven decision-making, and participatory planning to generate replicable models for freshwater resilience.

Each Living Lab will operate as an open innovation hub engaging municipalities, universities, SMEs, and civil society. Together, partners will:

• Restore degraded springs and wetlands through nature-based methods (e.g. phytoremediation, buffer zones).

• Apply AI, IoT, and GIS for real-time water quality and biodiversity monitoring.

• Empower local communities and youth through co-design and awareness activities.

• Produce policy and investment guidelines aligned with the EU Nature Restoration Law and Water Framework Directive.

The initiative strengthens EU–Türkiye cooperation under the European Green Deal, demonstrating how local ecosystems can act as living classrooms for sustainable transition.