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The XGain project represents a cutting-edge initiative aimed at addressing the gap between technological advancement and societal requirements by leveraging a participatory, co-creation approach. This article presents the key aspects of stakeholder engagement, the co-creation methodologies applied, and the insights derived from this collaborative endeavour, which focused on engaging stakeholders across six European use cases to collaboratively develop the XGain Knowledge Facilitation Tool (KFT).
Methodological Approach and Key Phases
The approach was structured around three primary phases: stakeholder mapping, initiation of the XGain co-creation process, and the analysis and synthesis of results and recommendations. These phases were designed to support ongoing knowledge transfer and build trust between end users, stakeholders, and XGain partners. Co-creation necessitates iterative processes and adaptable methods to achieve optimal outcomes. A two-tier consultation process—comprising co-creation workshops or interviews and an online survey—was employed to gather stakeholder feedback on use-case-specific needs and functional requirements of the KFT.
The Role of Co-Creation in Innovation and Public Engagement
Co-creation contributes significantly to the legitimisation of innovation processes and the co-ownership and accountability of results produced through multi-stakeholder collaboration. The European Commission defines public engagement in responsible research and innovation (RRI) as “co-creating the future with citizens and civil society organisations, bringing a diverse range of actors, who would not typically interact, to discuss matters of science and technology.”
The XGain co-creation process sought to enable a transition from the Triple Helix model (public sector, academia, and private sector collaboration) to a Quadruple Helix model, incorporating civil society. In the project’s early phase, civil society was represented by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), laying the foundation for agile, practical approaches to engagement and collaboration across the Quadruple Helix. This model includes diverse stakeholder groups contributing to the co-development of meaning and value, while introducing community and local perspectives. Moreover, XGain fosters the integration of social value chains, extending beyond the operational activities of organisations in specific industries to include the broader impacts on local communities and stakeholders.
Legitimacy, Value Chains, and Pop-Up Co-Creation Labs
The emergence of new value chains requires early deliberation on creating legitimacy, addressing site-specific concerns, and adopting action-oriented perspectives. To facilitate this, short-term laboratories—referred to as Pop-up Co-Creation Labs—were implemented in five XGain use case regions. These workshops, structured as multi-stakeholder events, were essential for co-creating knowledge and tangible outcomes. The methods employed were adjusted based on the specific requirements of each use case.
Pop-up Co-Creation Labs are compact, high-intensity workshops designed to produce concrete results in a focused environment within a limited time frame. These labs facilitated local, regional, and trans-regional collaboration in knowledge production and sustainability transitions at the nexus of technology, society, and the natural environment. Participants contributed equally with target, system, and transformational knowledge, providing a solid foundation for the XGain transition towards more socially accepted changes through XGain solutions and related services.
Stakeholder Engagement and Co-Creation Dynamics
The co-creation methodology was structured around multi-stakeholder groups representing varied vertical and horizontal powers, with different needs and engagement levels. Stakeholder mapping was conducted to identify a wide range of actors relevant to the co-creation process, including potential end users from the public and private sectors as well as civil society. In some use cases, the stakeholder base was further extended to include groups from tourism, local services, agriculture, and environmental protection, to ensure a multidisciplinary perspective.
Each identified stakeholder group played a crucial role in co-creation and the ongoing utilisation of XGain solutions. The analysis focused on three main areas:
- Role, responsibilities, and expected level of engagement of the stakeholder group.
- Key linkages between the stakeholder group and XGain objectives and solutions.
- Insight into the needs and challenges related to the XGain KFT.
This approach helped to design XGain solutions by offering a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder needs and potential engagement strategies, alongside the flow of information and relationship linkages between groups. This enabled consortium partners to effectively develop initial strategic engagement plans and visualise local value creation and information exchange.
Living Lab Approach and Co-Creation Workshops
XGain followed a Living Lab (LL) methodology, which focuses on human-centric, open innovation ecosystems involving key stakeholders. LLs provide an opportunity for researchers and innovators to observe user behaviour patterns and gain insights, including those that may not be immediately obvious. The project aimed to showcase the KFT’s design process, with each use case resulting in diverse scenarios involving varying needs for location, connectivity, local requirements, edge computing, and operational business models. The business models developed for each use case were assessed alongside proposed ecosystem technologies.
Core elements of the co-creation process included Pop-up Co-Creation Labs in a workshop format. These were based on a preliminary mapping, which provided a first overview of core stakeholders and potential end users. Both internal and external participatory research activities were conducted in parallel.
Key Goals and Practical Outcomes
The primary goals of the workshops were:
- To establish a foundational understanding and prepare use case lead partners for their roles as hosts of the labs.
- To actively involve multi-stakeholders in the XGain co-creation process.
- To foster mid- and long-term partnerships based on non-hierarchical, mutual learning exercises.
On a practical level, workshops aimed to:
- Conduct a needs analysis and data collection, identifying social, ecological, legal, technical, and economic constraints.
- Co-create innovative solutions in collaboration with end users and stakeholders.
Workshops also facilitated trust building, stakeholder expectation management, inclusion of marginalised perspectives, joint problem definition related to use cases, mutual learning, and co-ownership of results related to XGain solutions. The labs were held both on-site and online (the latter applied to the Isles of Scilly use case) across six European regions: Catalonia, Dalmatia, Lithuania, Flanders, Central Macedonia, and Isles of Scilly. The labs adopted adaptable concepts for each use case scenario, with a primary approach rooted in the World Café method from the Art-of-Hosting portfolio. This facilitated the connection of multiple ideas and perspectives from diverse stakeholders regarding the XGain “fair transition”.
Workshop Insights from Use Cases
The six use cases—Catalonia, Dalmatia, Lithuania, Flanders, Central Macedonia, and Isles of Scilly—provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities across Europe. Key inputs from each region are summarised below.
Catalonia, Spain
Focus: This use case examines the application of agricultural drones and technologies to enhance rural development, focusing on efficiency and sustainability in farming, supported by renewable energy integration. Workshop Insights: Stakeholders highlighted the importance of embracing new working dynamics like teleworking and building cooperation networks. KFT was identified as a key tool for talent attraction, addressing biosecurity concerns, and aiding decision-making.
Central Macedonia, Greece
Focus: This use case leverages 5G and connectivity technologies to improve elderly care and tourism, with an emphasis on deploying eHealth robots for real-time healthcare services. Workshop Insights: Stakeholders focused on addressing social isolation among elderly populations, proposing new KFT directions, and emphasising user-centric design principles, privacy features, and strong communication strategies.
Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom
Focus: This use case addresses connectivity challenges in remote regions, focusing on improving network coverage for agriculture and tourism. Workshop Insights: Connectivity issues during peak seasons were highlighted, and stakeholders stressed the need for better understanding of digital farming tools, including maintenance and interpretation support.
Lithuania
Focus: The use of drones and hyperspectral cameras for crop assessment, reducing chemical use, and supporting forest monitoring. Workshop Insights: Concerns over forest pollution and connectivity limitations in forested areas were discussed, with stakeholders expressing interest in comparative analysis offered by the KFT.
Dalmatia, Croatia
Focus: Addressing fragmented connectivity in rural coastal areas, supporting innovation in oyster farming through remote monitoring. Workshop Insights: Emphasis was placed on encouraging younger farmers to adopt sustainable solutions, and stakeholders highlighted the importance of aligning solutions with environmental regulations.
Flanders, Belgium
Focus: Developing a “digital shepherd” for livestock monitoring, leveraging 5G and edge processing to improve livestock health and farm sustainability. Workshop Insights: Social innovation and sustainable farming models were discussed, with a focus on the KFT’s role in supporting decision-making and farm maintenance.
The XGain project exemplifies the power of co-creation in addressing the complex intersection of technological innovation and societal needs. Through the active involvement of diverse stakeholders across six European use cases, the project has demonstrated how participatory approaches can lead to the development of solutions that are not only technically sound but also socially accepted and relevant. The iterative, flexible methodologies employed—such as Pop-up Co-Creation Labs and the Living Lab approach—have enabled the identification of key functional requirements and fostered collaboration among public, private, and civil society actors.
As the project progresses, the insights gained from these workshops and stakeholder engagements will continue to shape the evolution of the XGain Knowledge Facilitation Tool (KFT), ensuring that it remains aligned with the needs of end users and contributes to sustainability transitions across sectors. The collaborative process has proven essential in building trust, fostering mutual learning, and creating a shared sense of ownership among stakeholders.
Moving forward, the lessons learned from the XGain project will be invaluable in informing future co-creation initiatives, particularly in the realm of digital and technological solutions for sustainable development. By continuing to bridge the gap between innovation and societal needs, the XGain project sets a strong precedent for the role of co-creation in driving positive change at both the local and global levels.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA) (granting authority). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.