Ocean Living Lab
About us
The Ocean Living Lab is an innovative open ecosystem dedicated to solving territorial challenges and promoting sustainable development. Established in the picturesque Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve in the Basque Country, the Ocean LL integrates local communities, researchers, businesses, and public authorities to co-create, test, and implement groundbreaking solutions to increasingly pressing environmental problems.
As a cross-border hub for open innovation, the lab focuses on enhancing biodiversity, improving ecosystem functions, and developing nature-based solutions to combat the effects of climate change. Together, we aim to create a scalable global model for sustainability, grounded in the unique environmental, social, and economic context of Urdaibai.
Areas of work
Biodiversity & Ecosystem Protection
Implementing nature-based solutions to enhance resilience in the natural systems we live in.
Community & Education Engagement
Actively involving citizens, schools, and cooperatives in real-world testing and co-creation. Teaching how to care for the future of our region.
Sustainable Development
Supporting green economies and sustainable land and water management.
Climate Resilience
Innovating strategies to address climate impacts on wetlands, coastal ecosystems and soil health.
What is a living lab?
Living Labs are open innovation ecosystems in real-life environments based on a systematic user co-creation approach that integrates research and innovation activities in communities, placing citizens at the center of innovation.
Living Lab refers to a real-life setting in which experimentation is encouraged, and where room for failure is provided. Another key feature is the involvement of multiple stakeholders such as public institutions, private stakeholders, academics and research institutions, NGOs, individuals and groups of citizens. From this inclusive engagement derives the core feature of LLs, co-creation which this refers to acts of collective creativity where the objective is to create something that is not known in advance, and which shows the potential impact of collaborative interaction to foster new and innovative solutions to rising problems. Therefore, two other main features of LLs, which result from the multi-stakeholder collaboration, are innovation and learning.
Mission
Combat territorial challenges by promoting and protecting the natural environment of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, engaging the local communities and improving the competitiveness of local companies through open innovation. Ocean LL aims to improve environmental, social, and economic factors through a collaborative approach with nature and people at the centre of the discussion.
Vision
Generate and support an inclusive, citizen-driven space for co-creation, testing, and validation of new services and products as a means to improve the well-being of people in the Urdaibai region and its sustainability. To then share our achievements with other regions in Europe in the pursuit of a sustainable and innovative future for our communities and the environment.
Projects at the Ocean Living Lab
Discover what is happening at the Ocean Living Lab!
ClimaGen
ClimaGen promotes climate-resilient regeneration in vulnerable neighborhoods to support cities’ transitions to net-zero. Five demonstration cities will expand public green spaces by 25%, while four replication cities will test co-creative solutions for future implementation. The project aims to provide renaturing, knowledge sharing, scaling and replication strategies in the EU’s journey to climate neutrality.
iCOSHELLs
The EU-funded iCOSHELLs project tackles Europe’s soil health crisis by establishing six Soil Health Living Labs across the continent. These hubs will develop, test, and scale innovative solutions to restore degraded soils, engaging stakeholders in real-world applications. Through LLs and collaboration, iCOSHELLs aims to accelerate soil recovery and resilience across the EU.
ProLight
ProLight advances energy-efficient building solutions to support a low-carbon future. By integrating social awareness, behavioral change, and renewable energy within local policies, the project connects research with practice. It analyzes district renovations in Greece, Austria, and Finland, and energy communities in Spain, Italy, and Portugal, offering scalable insights for municipalities and social housing.
WATER-MINING
WATER-MINING advances next-generation water management solutions to address water security challenges while promoting resource recovery. The project demonstrates innovative technologies for urban wastewater treatment, seawater desalination, and mining water reuse, aligning with EU policies. It promotes sustainable water use, and supports regional economic growth.
REWAISE
The REWAISE project is building a smart water ecosystem to drive a resilient circular economy. By creating new business opportunities and governance frameworks, it maximizes value in, from, and through water; recovering resources, enhancing economic benefits, and promoting societal well-being while reducing CO2 emissions.