Living labs to enhance soil health in managed forests and in natural/semi-natural lands
Project Proposal
Seeking project coordinator and partners: Living labs to enhance soil health in managed forests and in natural/semi-natural lands
Can act as:
Seeking expertise:
KNEIA is seeking a project coordinator and partners to participate in the SOIL4FORESTS project to co-create, test and scale innovative, locally adapted soil health solutions in managed forest ecosystems across Europe through a network of interconnected living labs, improving soil functions, ecosystem services and forest resilience while enabling a sustainable forest bioeconomy and long-term soil governance. The project will directly contribute to the Mission Soil objective of establishing 100 living labs and lighthouses by 2030, while supporting improved soil health, ecosystem services and soil governance in Europe’s managed forests.
TOPIC: “HORIZON-MISS-2026-05-SOIL-02-two-stage: Living labs to enhance soil health in managed forests and in natural/semi-natural lands” indicates: “Forests soils play a fundamental role in global environmental protection, by supporting rich biodiversity, preventing soil erosion, regulating floodings, and mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. (…) In this context, developing a sustainable forest bioeconomy is strategically important for Europe’s green transition.(….). Proposals should: 1) support the establishment of four to five living labs to work together on shared soil health challenge(s) affecting either managed forests or natural/semi-natural types330. Proposals must clearly indicate which of one of these two land types they focus on. Living labs under each proposal should work on common soil health challenge(s) relevant to the selected land type. The living labs must be located in at least three different Member States and/or Associated Countries. Proposals should explain the rationale and mechanism for cooperation within and across the living labs and how the work undertaken will contribute to one or more of the Mission’s specific objectives; (…)”
The outcomes of the project will contribute to improved soil health, enhanced ecosystem services and increased resilience of managed forest ecosystems, while enabling long-term soil governance, supporting climate neutrality goals, and expanding the European network of soil health living labs and lighthouses.
If you are interested, please contact the manager in charge of proposals Ciro Avolio ([email protected])