Changes in rural areas, such as depopulation, land abandonment and the loss of biodiversity, may proceed very slowly yet are often irreversible. Policymakers can steer these developments in order to reduce their negative impacts but this requires knowing whether current policy instruments are effective, who is benefiting from them and in what measure, what driving forces will be most influential and how they will affect people, planet, profits and land-use. To be truly useful, this knowledge must transcend siloed thinking and be the corollary of a joint effort uniting different actors under a common cause. PoliRur will provide this knowledge by combining several key activities needed to design effective place-based, human-centric and forward-looking rural policies. These include actionable research that takes place within an inclusive learning environment where rural populations, researchers and policymakers come together to address common problems; an evaluation exercise that uses text mining to assess the perceived effectiveness of past or planned policy interventions; and a foresight study that tries to glean the development trajectory of agriculture and its allied sectors until 2040 using several scenarios in which the evolution of rural populations occupies a central place. As a result of these activities, PoliRur will leave decision makers at different levels of government better equipped to tackle existing and emerging rural challenges, rural populations more empowered and rural areas more resilient.

The MarTe project aims to facilitate sustainable blue growth in the Baltic region by establishing Estonian and Latvian marine innovation Excellence Hub. This will be achieved through the collaboration of diverse stakeholders including academic institutions (TalTech, University of Tartu, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology), public sector (Environmental Investment Centre, Kurzeme Planning Region, Saaremaa Development Centre, Latvian Investment and Development Agency), industry (Association of Estonian Marine Industries, Port of Ventspils), and coastal communities (WWF, Baltijas Krasti, Saarte Koostöökogu). By leveraging quadruple-helix collaborations, MarTe will create a cross-border innovation strategy and supportive network for fostering new technologies throughout the marine industry value chain. Project objectives include collaborative R&D, ecosystem empowerment, and policy influence for advancing marine technologies, reinforcing stakeholder linkages, improving ecosystem capacity building, closing the knowledge gaps, supporting SMEs and startups, and elevating the visibility of the regional blue economy innovation ecosystems. In alignment with EU Green Deal and regional smart specialization strategies, the strategic framework focuses on marine technology innovation uptake in areas like offshore energy, smart vessels and ports, sustainable use of marine resources and marine ecosystem protection. Through a comprehensive approach encompassing stakeholder engagement and capacity building, MarTe strives for a significant impact on the sustainable blue economy in Baltics.

The aim of PANEL 2050 project is to create durable and replicable sustainable energy networks at local (municipality/community) level, where relevant local stakeholders collaborate for the creation of a local energy visions, strategies and action plans for the transition towards low carbon communities in 2050. The PANEL 2050 project will focus on the creation of these sustainable local energy networks in CEE countries, where this type of networks at local level is almost completely absent and therefore additional support is needed for the creation of the first successful local energy networks that have the potential to set an example and a new standard for local energy road mapping in other local communities in the CEE region. Furthermore, the PANEL 2050 project will not choose a specific focus on a certain type of stakeholder, but will try to work at the local level and assemble all relevant and available stakeholders related to sustainable energy. The number and type of stakeholders will vary very much in different local settings and the ambition of this project is to create sustainable energy networks at local level that will connect and involve all relevant stakeholders that are present at local level into the local policy development and implementation. At present, the involvement of local shareholders in local policy development in any field in CEE countries is very limited and the aim of this project is to create durable sustainable energy networks in a number of local communities in different CEE countries that will also be a replicable example that can be spread to other communities in CEE countries. Introducing stakeholder concept to energy planning will help generate sustainable energy policies and create more sustainable future for Europe.

Overall objective. To develop innovative high-quality flexible adult learning pathways for smart specialization oriented SMEs. Specific objectives:1. To identify new patterns how to cover gap of knowledgeable and skilled human resources.2. To develop high-quality flexible approaches for unlocking potential of the available human resources and their motivation.3. To foster implementation of new human resources management patterns and approaches in smart specialization oriented SMEs. 4. To encourage integration of new adult education provision approaches into human resources management patterns, including more productive cooperation between different adult education providers, prior learning recognition and guidance and counselling bodies in involved countries. Participants:1.Adult education developers and providers – professionals working in the adult education institutions and developing and providing adult education trainings and other measures (at least 18 persons, 3 per partner). 2.Human resources development specialists in smart specialization oriented SMEs (30 persons, 5 per partner). 3.Participants of stakeholders’ groups: public institutions, being responsible for education guidance and counselling, bodies recognition of the prior learning, education quality assurance; employers’ associations, trade unions, chambers of trade and commerce, adult education associations and their members (at least 240 persons).Activities: 1. Elaboration of the intellectual outputs: 1.1. Methodology for integration of AE into personnel development measures of smart specialization oriented SMEs; 1.2. Guidelines on application of the methodology.2. Transnational short-term trainings: 2.1. Training for AE experts on preparation for piloting of the methodology in SMEs; 2.2. Training of AE experts for exchange of experiences and lessons learnt during the piloting of the methodology; 2.3. Training for AE experts, SMEs on application of the methodology. 3. Multiplier events (6 in total, at least 240 participants at the total). 4. Management and coordination, including communication and dissemination. Expected results and impactThe project aims to develop innovative high-quality flexible adult learning pathways for smart specialization oriented SMEs, and it is foreseen to be the main intangible result. The tangible results are intellectual outputs: 1. Methodology for integration of AE into personnel development measures of smart specialization oriented SMEs. 2. Guidelines on application of the methodology.Potential longer term benefitsThe methodology and the guidelines have potential to be integrated in the adult education praxis and applied further by partners, other AE institutions, as well used by smart specialization oriented SMEs and other stakeholders. Innovative intellectual outputs will empower adult education providers will knowledge and skills, helping them to develop tailor made adult education approaches and content, thus having positive impact on adult education quality in a longer term. Smart specialization oriented SMEs will obtain knowledge and skills helping them to manage human resources availability and quality, to attract and upskill local people available and achievable considering realistic socio-economic and demographic situation. Better HR management will support and promote economic activities of the SMEs, who will manage HRs by applying the developed methodology. Other stakeholders will use the knowledge for improvement of existing approaches and/or transformation into new initiatives. In a long term perspective beneficiaries will be also regions’ less advantaged social groups: low skilled persons, young people, persons in age 50+, as new pathways will increase their possibilities to upskill, find jobs and become active participants of the economy. Methodology to be used in carrying out the project:Activities and tasks are planned and will be implemented in a way they support achievement of the objectives.Size and scope of the each activity group has been planned it ensures appropriate time for addressing and involvement of the target groups and stakeholders, provision of activities, gathering data and information, and elaboration of the main results - intellectual outputs. Sequence and timing of the activities are structured in a way results of implemented activities provide and ensure smooth implementation of the further activities. Partnership is ensuring all necessary knowledge, skills and competencies, which, mutually exchanged and shared will support partners in achievement of the objectives.

STARGATEs contribution beyond state-of-the-art in applied climatic data solutions is the implementation of analytics models to support local and regional policy formulation and implementation related to mitigation on microclimate changes. Currently, policy making organizations predominantly utilize own data, typically limited to their own jurisdiction/administrative area. However, once the policy development process expands the evidence base and data sources beyond the traditional approach, there is need for global data. The addition of national, European and even global reference data sets for comparative analysis — including meteorological, climatic analysis, satellite data sources to improve decision making processes. The studies at landscape scale are required to understand leading ecological processes. The focus will be on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and will extensively study the benefits of applying agri-environment-climate technical solutions to achieve sustainable agricultural development at landscape level. It means to support farm management modernization and at the same time get to know the underlying ecological factors that shape the farming landscape. STARGATE will leverage access to this data and also STARGATE climatic platform including developed models platforms to foster easy and affordable adoption by policy making bodies. The simples approach to decision support in policy development is effective visualization of data. Good visualization supports the policy developers’ in modelling sustainable policies and decisions. Unlike algorithmic simulation and modelling, visualization leaves the actual decision and assessment to a human user and thus provides an extra quality assurance before actual policy decisions are made. STARGATE provides innovative components for visualization of big data with a particular emphasis on geospatial visualization and advanced, dynamic charting.