Korowód Bioregional Center

Mission: To serve as a catalyst for systemic change by applying relational science and activating participatory governance mechanisms across the bioregion. We will cultivate a robust, collaborative network to jointly map, develop, and test adaptive solutions for ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation, with a focus on enhancing soil health, freshwater management, and native biodiversity. This effort is concentrated on leveraging the intelligence of place to ensure that interventions lead to measurable, place-based regeneration and durable social-ecological outcomes.

KBC offers territorial commitment in the Sudeten Mountains in southwest Poland on the border of Czech. We are located in a mosaic landscape with 2 National Park and many nature reserves with mix forests, grassland, and agricultural fields. We are also part of a pan-European association of bioregional centers and regenerative projects. We offer a holistic methodological toolkit for landscape partnerships:

• Integrated Methodologies: We operationalize a deeply integrated suite of frameworks: ILM, Bioregional Restoration Planning and Mapping, the 4 Returns Framework, Bioregeional Mapping, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) IUCN Global Standard, the One Health approach and Theory of Change (ToC) such as Theory U and Inner Development Goals. This ensures project alignment across ecological, social, and economic impact domains and inner capacity development to create external systems change

• Transdisciplinary Rigor: Our expertise is grounded in applied relational science and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) development, using transdisciplinary methodologies and the Theory U framework and co-creative regenerative organizational design to ensure solutions address societal and governance barriers

• Extensive Network: We have an extensive network of Quadruple Helix partners in various fields and disciplines that we can build robust partnerships with based on trust and proven co-creative collaborative proposal writing

• Bioregional Focus: We are looking to scaling a network of Bioregional Living Labs across EU watersheds, aligning efforts across borders in central/eastern Europe, across the EU and beyond, to restore connectivity and drive regional circular bioeconomies

• Co-Creative Design: Our expertise lies in co-creative bottom-up proposal design, leveraging principles from regenerative organizational theory and systems thinking

• Strategic Analysis: We provide high-level analysis, including value chain impact/dependency analysis, ecosystem service analysis, and strategic advice on ESG/compliance reporting and exploitation of research results (To Exploitation)

KBC is seeking partners to complete our Quintuple Helix framework, ensuring alignment with our holistic, place-based bioregional approach and expertise in systemic change:

• Research & Academic Institutions (SSH Focus): Researchers committed to holistic applied place-based science in soil, water, NbS, ecosystem restoration , biodiversity and agroecology to build resilience and opportunities at the landscape level for people and nature using our frameworks (ILM, 4 Returns). Specific interest lies with ecosystem services, NbS and SSH-aligned researchers (e.g., behavioral psychologists, ethnobotanists, historians, cultural studies) to embed deep social context and drive inner capacity development

• Business SMEs & Financial Innovation: Partners looking to explore and deploy novel financing models, including blended finance, the Bioregional Finance Facility model, and ecosystem service markets (carbon and biodiversity credits). We seek expertise in business development, exploitation of research results, and creating viable business models in regenerative agriculture and nature restoration

• Local & Regional Government Bodies: Authorities committed to developing long term Bioregional Plans to support the Nature Restoration Law and implement place-based initiatives rooted in community and 20+ year ecosystem stewardship

• Tech & Monitoring Organizations: Specialists who can provide effective monitoring and the development of indicators utilizing AI, GIS, and satellite tech

• Farmer Networks & Cooperatives: Engaged farmers and networks dedicated to building initiatives at the landscape level and adopting agroecological/regenerative transitions

• Environmental & Community NGOs: Orgs representing specific interests (e.g., wetland conservation/rewilding, cultural heritage/traditional knowledge preservation, youth/intergenerational justice, or water rights advocacy)