DATE & TIME
1 October 2026, 09:00 – 10:15
TRACKS
TRACK 1: Living Labs for Grand Societal Challenges
TRACK 4: Living Labs for Business and Emerging Technology
TRACK 5: Living Labs Operation, Methods, Tools, and Impact
ROOM
Darwin
TYPE OF SESSION
Topic Debate
Description
Space technologies are advancing rapidly, yet their translation into tangible societal value remains limited. While data and technological capabilities are increasingly available, a critical gap persists between innovation and its effective adoption in real-world contexts, particularly in supporting decision-making, public policies and territorial development.
In this context, the session will explore how Living Labs can bridge this gap by facilitating the co-creation, experimentation and validation of space-enabled solutions with local stakeholders.
The session will open with a policy perspective from the European Commission, followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from EUSPA, Living Labs and innovation initiatives working at the intersection of space technologies and societal challenges. Drawing on experiences from different territorial and policy contexts, as well as Living Labs projects, the panel will explore how collaborative innovation approaches can support the uptake of space-enabled solutions, strengthen innovation ecosystems and contribute to more effective decision-making and territorial transformation.
By connecting climate adaptation, digital innovation, urban and territorial development, and the European space agenda, the session contributes to the OLLD26 focus on impact and value, highlighting the role of Living Labs as key enablers linking technology, policy and society.
Agenda
| Timeslot | Item | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Introduction and framing | Martina Desole, ENoLL Director |
| 09:05 – 09:20 | European policy perspective: space innovation, research and societal impact in Europe | Representative from DG RTD / DG DEFIS, European Commission (TBC) |
| 09:20 – 10:05 | Panel debate: from space data to policy and territorial impact | Teresa Martinez Reche (Copernicus EXT Consultant, EUSPA) TBC; Vasco Mantas (NASA member and Director of Earth Observation, University of Coimbra); Marta Martorell (Director, Digital Society Technologies Research Group, i2CAT Foundation); Renske Martijnse-Hartikka (Senior Project Manager, Smart Urban Mobility, Forum Virium Helsinki); Patrik Ondrejech (Strategic Coordinator, KIRA); Bernard Thumerel (Co-founder, E2L Earth Observation Living Lab) |
| 10:05 – 10:15 | Audience Q&A | All participants |
| 10:15 | Closing | Martina Desole, ENoLL Director |
Speakers
Vasco Mantas
Director, Climate and Spatial Intelligence Platform, University of Coimbra, and International Member, NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions Science Team
Vasco Mantas
Director, Climate and Spatial Intelligence Platform, University of Coimbra, and International Member, NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions Science Team
Dr Vasco Mantas works at the Earth Science Department of the University of Coimbra, leads the university’s Climate and Spatial Intelligence Platform (CSIp), and is an international member of NASA’s Precipitation Measurement Missions Science Team. His work focuses on transforming Earth Observation data into actionable knowledge for communities, institutions and decision-makers, with a strong emphasis on land surface and atmosphere interactions and watershed resilience.
At CSIp, he develops and applies Earth Observation and AI-based methods using multi-modal data, integrating satellite observations, ground information, drones and other geospatial sources. This work supports multidisciplinary research and operational applications, including land use and land cover mapping, precipitation monitoring, product validation, vegetation characterisation, environmental risk assessment and watershed-scale decision support. A central goal is to create robust, transparent and user-oriented interconnected products that can be tested, improved and adopted through Living Lab approaches.
Beyond his research activities, he is Secretary of AGU Informatics, co-leads the NASA GPM Mentorship Programme, and mentors students, teachers and early career scientists internationally.
Marta Martorell Camps
Director, Digital Society Technologies (DST) research group, i2CAT
Marta Martorell Camps
Director, Digital Society Technologies (DST) research group, i2CATMarta Martorell Camps is the director of the Digital Society Technologies (DST) research group at i2CAT and a member of the Board of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). A specialist in digital social innovation, Living Labs, digital rights, and value-based impact assessment (Key Value Indicators – KVIs), she promotes ethical, inclusive, and people-centered approaches to digital transformation. She leads European and international projects related to the digital and green transition, socio-digital inclusion, international cooperation, and the development of open innovation ecosystems. She is a frequent speaker at international forums such as OpenLivingLab Days, the UN Science Summit, ISIRC, and the Smart City Expo World Congress. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Sustainability program at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), where she researches methodologies for assessing the impact of social and digital innovation aimed at generating public and social value.
Renske Martijnse-Hartikka
Senior Project Manager, Forum Virium Helsinki
Renske Martijnse-Hartikka
Senior Project Manager, Forum Virium Helsinki
Renske is a senior project manager with a degree in Political Science and International Relations and wide experience across both the private and public sector. For over fifteen years she has worked to make cities better places to live, under the umbrella of many different EU-funded projects and often with a focus on sustainable urban mobility and innovation procurement.
She has been employed since 2018 by Forum Virium Helsinki, the non-profit innovation organisation that forms part of the City of Helsinki. Her work focuses on leading large cross-European projects, for example on automated vehicles, on the ground and in the air, and on satellite data.
She has worked in the space data ecosystem for several years, as Coordinator of the EU-funded SPACE4Cities Pre-Commercial Procurement. The possibilities and impact of using highly innovative satellite data-based solutions in urban planning and city challenges are at the core of that work, alongside the innovation procurement aspect and close cooperation between companies and cities.
Patrik Ondrejech
Project Director and Regional Innovation Strategist, Trnava Region and Regional Development and Innovation Agency (EcoLab Trnava)
Patrik Ondrejech
Project Director and Regional Innovation Strategist, Trnava Region and Regional Development and Innovation Agency (EcoLab Trnava)
Patrik Ondrejech is a public policy architect and regional innovation strategist at the Trnava Region and its Regional Development and Innovation Agency, where he serves as Project Director of a multimillion-euro EU-funded regional innovation ecosystem programme, leading a team of around 35 people and the EcoLab Trnava Living Lab. He co-authored the REWARD project (Interreg Europe) during a traineeship at the Trnava Region’s Representation to the EU in Brussels, and helps shape the region’s flagship innovation and mobility strategies, translating research, technology and experimentation into measurable territorial impact.
Trained as a lawyer at Trnava University with a background in international law, including as a Jessup International Moot Court competitor and coach, he brings a governance and policy-driven perspective to open innovation. He served as Youth Delegate of Slovakia to the Council of Europe Congress and works to build inclusive, future-oriented regional innovation ecosystems in Central Europe.
Beyond his institutional role, he founded the Trnava+ civic initiative and the Studio Mendelssohn design studio, and champions Living Lab approaches that connect public administration, education, research and local communities.