Doñana Terra Innova project presented the Doñana 2030 Living Lab at an event held in the village of El Rocío (Huelva). The Living Lab is conceived as an ideas laboratory and collaborative workspace aimed at addressing the challenges facing the natural park from within the territory itself.

Doñana Terra Innova seeks to position itself as a key instrument to turn the area of influence of the natural park into a benchmark for socio-economic development and sustainable innovation, while protecting and making the most of its natural and territorial resources.

The Doñana Terra Innova project, funded by the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI) and supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, is led by Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA) and also involves Asaja-Huelva, the Federación Onubense de Empresarios (FOE), the Universidad de Huelva (UHU), and the second-tier cooperatives OnuCoop and Seprocoop.

The project is part of the CDTI’s specific call “Dinamización de Doñana”, included within the Industry Line of the Doñana Action Framework promoted by the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO).

The event was attended by Ana Funes, Head of Service at the Doñana Technical Office. This body, under MITECO, is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the Doñana Action Framework from within the territory. In her speech, Funes highlighted the importance of this first call led by CDTI: “This is another example of how the Spanish Government is committed to science and innovation to conserve Doñana and boost the economy of the municipalities in its surrounding area.”

In addition, Fabián Varas, Director of Advanced Innovation Services at CTA, explained that “the Doñana Living Lab is designed to transform ideas into action, enabling companies, cooperatives and local organisations to directly participate in creating viable and applicable solutions.”

Varas added that the Living Lab will identify the challenges affecting the territory’s economic activity, detect opportunities for improvement and growth, prioritise the needs of the productive sector and generate proposals with the potential to become concrete projects.

Meanwhile, Daniel Caldentey, Secretary General of the Federación Onubense de Empresarios (FOE), stated during the closing of the event that the Living Lab “is a space where the public and private sectors come together to contribute innovative and sustainable ideas and proposals for the Doñana area.” According to Caldentey, this Living Lab “marks the beginning of the project and will help organise and structure all the ideas and initiatives that will be developed within it across different productive sectors: agriculture, livestock farming, water management, tourism, and others.”

During the event, representatives from FOE presented the details of the ideas laboratory and how it will operate, explaining how it aims to transform real needs into practical solutions. They also outlined the process for joining the project, the tools available to participate, and the opportunities it offers to organisations located in the area surrounding the Doñana National Park.

The event also included open dialogue sessions for the exchange of ideas and for connecting with key stakeholders in local development through a Living Lab activation dynamic called “From Diagnosis to Action.” This activity enabled participants to identify the territory’s priorities through a guided practical exercise.

A key instrument to make Doñana a benchmark for sustainable innovation

The Doñana Terra Innova project, funded by the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI) and supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, will carry out initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable innovation in the municipalities located within the area of influence of the Doñana Natural Area, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Doñana Terra Innova has established the following email address as the single, common channel for receiving ideas and proposals for future R&D&I projects:

donanainnovacion@corporaciontecnologica.com

Over the two-year duration of the project, Doñana Terra Innova will focus on identifying, diagnosing and defining innovative initiatives, as well as designing business plans, entrepreneurial projects and Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) actions. Particular attention will be given to strategic areas for the territory, such as water management, sustainable agriculture and improving working conditions in the agricultural sector.