In October, all Work Package and Living Lab leaders of the new and ground-breaking EU Horizon 2020 project, PROBONO, gathered in Madrid, Spain, to get to know each other and refine the game plan for the five-year project. On October 25th and 26th, the PROBONO consortium met at Hotel Nuevo in Madrid, Spain, to discuss the 25-million-euro Horizon 2020 project with participants from Norway, Denmark, Greece, France, Belgium, Ireland, etc.
"Communication is now much smoother"
"The meeting was so significant since it was the first time, we met each other in person. Communication is now much smoother, and collaboration with each other more fun and fruitful. At the same time, we have nailed down the major issues, and showstoppers currently faced or foreseen by the Work Package Leaders and Living Lab Leaders and brainstormed together for the appropriate solutions, "
explains Marina Laskari [Inlecom Innovation], technical coordinator for the PROBONO project.
"Cross-national crisis"
During the two-day meeting, the partners refined the work packages, communicated and agreed on which tasks to collaborate on and help each other with – and when.
"One basic insight about the climate crisis and the green transition is that it is a cross-national crisis calling for cross-national solutions and collaboration. The Madrid meeting was the first time the PST met in person, as KoM was held online due to Covid-19 restrictions. Although so much work can be done online these days, we should recognize that meeting in person does make a difference in collaboration. Conversations during coffee breaks lead to new ideas and ease the implementation and continued discussion,"
emphasizes Sidsel Brun [Smart Innovation Norway], WP2 leader for the PROBONO project. She adds:
"The PROBONO project aims at establishing a framework for creating socially and technologically Green Building Neighbourhoods across the EU. In Madrid, we started a thorough discussion about what this means in practice. What are the components of a GBN, and how can they be implemented in a sustainable manner? This is a discussion that will be continued throughout the project, qualified by ongoing cross-disciplinary research. "
Demonstrating PROBONO: 6 pilots
The project aims to provide validated solutions for the design, construction, and operation of new and/or retrofitted zero-pollution and positive energy buildings as part of sustainable green neighbourhood developments. The type of neighbourhoods will be piloted across six EU states where the PROBONO living labs will be established:
Madrid Nuevo Norte,Madrid
Dún Laoghaire, Dublin
Sonae Maia Camp, Porto
Anderghem Commune, Brussels
University Campus, Aarhus
University Campus, Prague
"The most significant step for the project's first year is establishing the strategy for future work. It basically means drawing the boundaries and defining the communication tools and the platform on which the pilots will be developed. After this meeting, the WP and LL leaders will return to their respective countries and start working on different assigned tasks",
says Salima Ismayilzada [Smart Innovation Norway], Dissemination leader for the PROBONO project.
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