Swiss partner for Horizon Europe living labs on ecosystem restoration: urban green-blue infrastructure, co-creation & municipal networks

We are seeking a consortium for Horizon Europe living lab calls on ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions – primarily HORIZON-NATURE-2027-02-02, but also -02-03 and comparable Cluster 6 living lab topics – in the role of research partner rather than coordinator.

What we offer:

• An interdepartmental team at ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) combining architecture & landscape architecture (Institute of Urban Landscape), social work (participation, environmental justice, community engagement and empowerment approaches, gender and diversity perspectives in restoration planning, and methods to detect and address unequal exposure to environmental burdens (e.g. heat, flooding) alongside biodiversity benefits) and environmental sciences (Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, including Urban Ecosystems) – the full stakeholder spectrum these living labs need, from spatial design to social inclusion to ecology

• Expertise in urban biodiversity, green-blue infrastructure, building greening (green roofs/facades, biosolar roofs), sponge city concepts, urban design & city landscapes, ecosystem design and ecosystem services in settlement areas

• Living lab and co-creation methodology in research and education: multi-actor approaches, Mental Models elicitation, transdisciplinary research design

• Access to Swiss case study sites and municipal partners (e.g. City of Winterthur and many others) plus the Grünstadt Schweiz practitioner network

• Dual anchoring in applied research (ZHAW) and practice (for example: nateco AG, biodiversity/green space development)

What we are looking for: A coordinator-led consortium building a living lab for ecosystem restoration, ideally with an urban or peri-urban focus where our co-design and stakeholder engagement expertise complements natural science and modelling competencies.

Interested in talking? Happy to discuss how we could fit your consortium.