The CO-VALUE pilots on emerging technologies carried out with Aguas de Alicante and Weitec held their third and final workshop, an encounter in which members of the public were able to explore early versions of the proposed solutions and take part in an open negotiation on the key elements of each proposal. 

As in the other pilots of the project, the process followed three phases. The first was an open co-creation stage, during which participants expressed their needs, concerns and priorities regarding digital services, information transparency and the responsible use of data, without yet discussing specific functionalities. This was followed by a second phase of joint work, where companies and citizens began shaping the proposals, revising approaches and refining possibilities based on the initial discussions. 

In this third workshop, Aguas de Alicante presented an early and simplified version of an app designed to improve the information the company provides to the public. Participants reviewed the proposal, discussed which elements they found most useful and voted on which improvements should be prioritised. Through this process, the company has been able to bring its future product much closer to people’s real needs, directly incorporating the preferences, expectations and limits expressed by the public. 

Meanwhile, Weitec focused the session on an in-depth negotiation regarding the use of data and images captured by its drones. Participants considered what information could be genuinely valuable to them, under which conditions it should be used responsibly, and which ethical and privacy boundaries must be clearly defined before advancing further in the technological development. 

This final session marks the closure of the emerging technology pilots in Alicante, where CO-VALUE has put into practice a collaborative innovation model that places the public at the centre of the most sensitive decision-making processes in technological development — an approach that strengthens transparency, trust and the social relevance of the solutions co-created by companies and citizens. 

The CO-VALUE pilots on emerging technologies carried out with Infer.IA and Golden Owl held their third and final workshop, an encounter in which citizens were shown digital representations of the solutions under development and took part in an open negotiation on the final aspects of each proposal, particularly concerning the use of personal data and their economic viability. 

As in the other pilots of the project, the process followed three phases. The first was an open co-creation phase, during which citizens shared their general needs, concerns and priorities regarding digital technologies and data use, without yet discussing specific functionalities. This was followed by a second phase of joint work with the companies, where citizens, Infer.IA and Golden Owl began shaping the proposals and refining their approaches based on the earlier discussions. 

In the third workshop, the companies presented initial visual versions of the solutions they are developing — a local AI tool for citizens in the case of Infer.IA, and a platform to help prevent and report online fraud in the case of Golden Owl — with the aim of testing these initial concepts with citizens before moving forward. 

This final session focused especially on the negotiation and voting of key elements: which data each tool should handle, which ethical limits should be applied, which features should be prioritised, and which conditions would influence their sustainability and economic viability. Citizens were able to express their position, reject certain options, prioritise others and clearly mark ethical boundaries for the responsible use of their data. 

This closing session marks the end of the pilots on emerging technologies, through which CO-VALUE has implemented a collaborative innovation model that places citizens at the centre of the most sensitive decision-making processes in technological development — particularly in areas where trust and transparency are essential. 

CO-VALUE’s circular economy pilot held its third and final workshop, a session in which the participating companies — Solublion, EGM Atalayas and Fych — presented citizens with prototypes made from their biodegradable materials and recycled plastics. This final stage opened a space for direct negotiation, allowing citizens and companies to discuss, adjust and jointly reflect on the characteristics and potential applications of the prototypes. 

This workshop marked the end of a process carried out in three successive phases. The first was an open ideation phase, in which citizens shared their needs, expectations and concerns regarding the use of biodegradable plastics and recycled materials. This was followed by a second phase of collaborative work with the companies, where citizens and technical teams refined and further developed the initial proposals. 

The third workshop focused on the presentation of prototypes, gathering direct feedback on their design, usability and potential use, while also creating a space for negotiation and joint adjustments between citizens and companies. The companies explained how they had incorporated previous contributions into the prototypes, while citizens were able to examine the materials first-hand and share their observations openly. 

This final session concludes the pilot, through which CO-VALUE has tested a model in which citizens and companies work together from the outset all the way through to the prototyping stage, exploring how to integrate their perspectives into real innovation processes in the field of circular economy. 

On 20 November, the European Week of Regions and Cities included a CO-VALUE roundtable held within the framework of the Alicante Futura Summit, hosted at the Alicante Science Park. The event brought together startups and established companies to reflect on a new way of driving innovation from within society. 

The session, led by CO-VALUE, focused on a key idea: citizens should not be limited to validating innovations once they are developed – they must be involved from the outset, co-creating solutions alongside companies and other ecosystem actors. 

The roundtable was facilitated by Marzia Mazzonetto, from StickyDot, a consultancy specialised in participatory methodologies and coordinator of the CO-VALUE project. She opened the discussion by emphasising: “We must adapt valorisation methodologies so that citizens participate in innovation from the very beginning – beyond simply asking whether they like a product or not.” 

Representatives from Aguas de Alicante, Golden Owl, Solublion, and InferIA took part in the session. These four organisations are actively collaborating with CO-VALUE to explore how to integrate citizens into R&D&I processes through professionally guided co-creation methodologies. 

Startups Solublion and InferIA agreed that working “from scratch” with citizens helps avoid technical bias and leads to the creation of products that respond to real, ethical and emotional needs. “Technical bias prevents us from seeing beyond what we already know. Citizens are the light that shows us where innovation should go,” said Daniel Domene, from Solublion. 

David Tomás, from InferIA, contributed one of the event’s most powerful reflections: “We haven’t found the ‘million-dollar idea’, but we have discovered something far more valuable: what truly matters to citizens – their ethical boundaries and real needs.” 

Meanwhile, Golden Owl and Aguas de Alicante highlighted that citizen participation provides primary information that cannot be found in any database, offering new perspectives on security, privacy, social contradictions and collective priorities. “Citizens give us a source of information that doesn’t exist in any database. Their awareness of security and privacy forces us to rethink the entire innovation process,” explained Ana Beik, from Golden Owl. 

From Aguas de Alicante, Cristina Ramos stressed the transformative impact of the process: “For a large company, this process humanises. It connects you with realities you don’t see from within and gives you insights that are priceless.” 

This awareness among the companies did not emerge solely during the roundtable itself. On the previous day, Marzia Mazzonetto facilitated a reflective session with the participating organisations to revisit their initial expectations about the project and the role of citizens, and to compare them with what they had actually experienced throughout their involvement in CO-VALUE. The companies acknowledged that while some of their expectations had been met, many others had been exceeded or entirely reshaped, revealing unexpected insights. They agreed that the process had been deeply enriching, prompting them to challenge assumptions, uncover new perspectives and gain a more profound understanding of the true value of working alongside citizens. 

The roundtable clearly demonstrated that CO-VALUE’s approach – based on structured and professional citizen co-creation processes – is not only viable, but also generates innovations that are more relevant, socially valuable and aligned with real needs. 

Marzia Mazzonetto closed the session with a clear call to action: “Our goal is for this approach to be replicated. We need more experiments in companies that want to create real added value together with citizens.” 

At 4th and 5th of November, the Alicante Science Park (PCA) hosted representatives from the Italian agency ART-ER and the Tecnopolo di Bologna for a peer-learning mission organised within the framework of the European project CO-VALUE, aimed at exchanging methods and experiences on innovation and value co-creation. 

The visit, coordinated by the PCA as host partner, brought together participating CO-VALUE companies —FYCH Technologies, Solublion, InferIA and AMAEM— alongside public and private stakeholders from Alicante’s innovation ecosystem. Its main objective was to gain first-hand insight into how Alicante is implementing a model that integrates the public into business innovation processes and evidence-based decision-making. 

The mission began with an introductory meeting to establish a common working framework. The programme continued with a visit to La Marjal Park, managed by Aguas de Alicante (AMAEM), where participants shared experiences on citizen-centred innovation applied to water management and urban services. 

At the PCA, FYCH Technologies and Solublion presented their progress, challenges and key takeaways from their involvement in CO-VALUE’s experimentation phase. Later, InferIA showcased its work related to personal data and artificial intelligence, prompting a technical exchange on how to embed public perspectives in data-driven innovation models. 

The mission also included a visit to ImpulsAlicante and its citizen innovation laboratory, Ci.Lab, which demonstrated a consolidated model for involving the community in the design of urban solutions. The Italian delegation highlighted the strong connection between public-sector innovation, citizen participation and business activity that characterises the Alicante ecosystem. 

The visit concluded with a joint reflection session in which participants identified replicable good practices, reinforced collaboration between regions and outlined next steps to advance CO-VALUE’s value co-creation methodology. 

With this mission, the Alicante Science Park strengthens its position as a European reference point in participatory innovation and knowledge transfer, while deepening cooperation between Spain and Italy within the wider CO-VALUE framework. 

The CO-VALUE project successfully concludes its first co-creation phase with the completion of the final Emerging Technologies workshops, held in Alicante with Aguas de Alicante and Weitec.

During these sessions, citizens and participating companies worked together to identify key needs and generate innovative solutions to address current urban challenges.

With the completion of this first phase, CO-VALUE now moves into a second stage, in which companies will take on a more active role in the development and validation of proposed solutions.

This new phase marks an important step towards consolidating projects with real and sustainable impact, strengthening the connection between technological innovation and local needs.

The CO-VALUE project successfully concluded its Emerging Technologies workshop at the University of Alicante – San Fernando Building, featuring the active participation of Golden Owl and Inferia.

During the workshop, citizens were able to explore cutting-edge technologies and co-create innovative solutions with real impact. The sessions focused on how emerging technologies can transform, enhance sustainability, and improve citizens’ quality of life.

Participants had the opportunity to discuss potential applications and contribute their own ideas, fostering a dynamic exchange of knowledge among quadruple helix stakeholders.

The workshop demonstrated how citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation can bridge the gap between research and society, providing tangible examples of how citizen participation, combined with startup expertise and academic research, can generate practical and scalable solutions.

This session highlighted the value of co-creation and participatory approaches, reinforcing the CO-VALUE project’s mission to empower citizens.

A big thank you to all participants, as well as Golden Owl and Inferia, for making this workshop an inspiring and productive experience.

The CO-VALUE project successfully concluded its Circular Economy workshop at Las Atalayas, Alicante Business Park, marking an important milestone in the initiative’s efforts to foster community-driven innovation.

During the workshop, citizens explore sustainable solutions for local challenges. Through interactive sessions and collaborative exercises, participants exchanged ideas, co-created innovative approaches.

The workshop provided a unique opportunity for participants to see how collaborative innovation can generate real and measurable impact on Alicante’s environmental and social landscape.

The session was not only informative but highly interactive, allowing attendees to actively contribute their perspectives and learn from one another. Feedback highlighted the value of combining research, citizen input, and startup innovation to tackle sustainability challenges.

This workshop is a concrete example of how the CO-VALUE project is bridging the gap between research and society, demonstrating the power of co-creation and participatory approaches in developing solutions that are both innovative and practical.

A heartfelt thank you goes to all participants for making this event a success, and to the organisers for facilitating a space where ideas could flourish.

CO-VALUE continues its mission to promote citizen engagement, collaborative innovation, and sustainable urban development, paving the way for a greener, smarter Alicante.

CO-VALUE announces the launch of the fourth edition of its newsletter, a publication that gathers the project’s most recent developments and marks the beginning of a new phase focused on citizen experimentation. This new issue reflects the consortium’s commitment to the co-creation of knowledge and the active participation of society in innovation processes, thereby reinforcing the collaborative approach that defines the initiative.

This edition presents the activities carried out in the pilot sites of Alicante, Spain, and Emilia-Romagna, Italy. In Alicante, focus groups and participatory workshops have been launched, bringing together citizens, companies and start-ups with the aim of co-creating solutions to local challenges related to the circular economy and emerging technologies. Meanwhile, in Emilia-Romagna, following a phase of needs assessment and identification of the necessary incentives – involving local stakeholders – the project has begun experimenting with participatory methodologies and new forms of citizen engagement. These actions are helping to advance towards a more inclusive model of innovation, in which knowledge becomes a shared asset and a tool for social transformation.

The newsletter also highlights CO-VALUE’s participation in the RE’25 conference, held in Valencia, where the team presented its work on cross-sector collaboration and the role of artificial intelligence in responsible innovation. It further reports on the participation in the Researchers’ Night in Predappio, Italy, where the MOVERT pilot offered an immersive experience with drones to explore new forms of sustainable urban mobility and to foster dialogue between science and society.

With this edition, CO-VALUE moves forward into a more practical and participatory stage of the project, in which the quadruple helix model — integrating academia, industry, public administrations and citizens — plays a fundamental role. Over the coming months, new workshops and activities will be held across the pilot regions, with the aim of continuing to explore how knowledge can generate shared value and tangible responses to contemporary social challenges.

The fourth edition of the CO-VALUE newsletter is now available and can be accessed at the following link: https://mailchi.mp/co-value.eu/newsletter-10138138. The project invites all interested individuals to subscribe and take part in this collaborative process, which seeks to build a more open, democratic form of innovation with real impact on society.

CO-VALUE is proud to participate in the European Week of Regions and Cities, joining a series of events under the “Close to You” programme on 20th October in Alicante. Among them, the Alicante Futura Summit: Lessons from the Collaboration between Citizens and Startups will offer a unique opportunity to explore how community-driven innovation can create real impact.

At the summit, attendees will discover how the quadruple helix model—which brings together citizens, startups, researchers, and public authorities—drives tangible results in the city of Alicante. Featuring seven pilot cases from the EU-funded CO-VALUE project, the session will demonstrate how collaborative efforts have generated practical and scalable solutions to local challenges.

From advancing digital inclusion to promoting sustainability, participants will gain valuable insights into effective knowledge valorisation in action. The event will also feature contributions from Mr Luis Barcala, Mayor of Alicante, along with direct testimonies from citizens and startups, offering a first-hand view of how innovation and community engagement intersect.

This summit promises to be an inspiring showcase of how collaborative innovation can turn ideas into action, improving lives and shaping the future of cities.