As part of the Horizon Europe INSPIRE Project and under the coordination of MedINA, the Smart Village Labs in Kythera and Konitsa organised a series of User-Innovation Workshops during May 2026. Similar workshops were implemented across all seven INSPIRE pilot areas, bringing together local residents, stakeholders and community organisations to identify, assess and prioritise social economy solutions and community-led initiatives that respond to local needs and challenges.
The workshops formed part of INSPIRE’s wider User Innovation and Capacity Building approach, which aims to strengthen the role of local communities in shaping the future of their territories. To support this process, MedINA, in cooperation with INSPIRE partners, developed the User-Innovation & Capacity Building Guide, providing a structured methodology that guided participants through the identification of local needs, the generation of ideas, the assessment of potential solutions and the development of initial implementation roadmaps.
At the heart of this approach is the principle of user innovation, which directly involves citizens in identifying needs and designing solutions that respond to their everyday realities. Rather than being passive recipients of support, participants act as co-creators, helping to identify priorities, shape initiatives and select social economy solutions that are both relevant and feasible for their communities.
Throughout the workshops, participants explored examples of community-led initiatives from across Europe through the INSPIRE Atlas of Social Services and Social Economy Initiatives, which served as a source of inspiration for local action. They also worked with participatory tools for idea generation, prioritisation and decision-making, while the Implementation Roadmap developed by INSPIRE partner PEDAL Consulting helped translate selected ideas into initial implementation pathways.
Kythera: Strengthening Cooperation Around Food and Agriculture
In Kythera, members of the Smart Village Lab “KYTHERIAN LAND – Our Land, Our Food” came together to explore practical solutions that could strengthen the island’s agri-food sector and respond to priorities previously identified by local stakeholders. Through discussions, idea-generation exercises and collaborative prioritisation activities, participants worked together to transform local needs into concrete and achievable actions.
The process resulted in a shared vision centred on strengthening Kythera’s agri-food identity, improving cooperation across the sector and enhancing the visibility and value of local products. Key priorities included the development of a common agricultural narrative for the island, the promotion of the island’s high-quality local products and their producers through targeted visibility and promotional actions, and the exploration of new forms of cooperation and collective representation. Participants also highlighted the importance of technical and scientific support for producers, improving product quality and added value, and strengthening links between farmers, businesses and local institutions.
Together, these priorities contribute to a more resilient, sustainable and locally rooted agri-food system and were translated into initial implementation pathways that will be further refined during the next stages of the INSPIRE project
Konitsa: Empowering Women Through Collective Action, Heritage and Creativity
In Konitsa, members of the Smart Village Lab “BRIDGE TO TOMORROW – Women of Konitsa: Empower. Create. Connect.” came together to explore practical solutions that could reinforce women’s participation in the social and economic life of the area. Building on priorities previously identified through local discussions and co-creation activities, participants focused on actions aimed at promoting well-being, confidence, skills development and social engagement, while drawing on the area’s rich cultural heritage.
Guided by the User-Innovation methodology and tools, participants worked together to transform local needs into concrete and achievable actions. The process resulted in a shared vision centred on women’s empowerment, creativity, knowledge exchange and community participation.
The documentation and digital promotion of traditional recipes, local gastronomic heritage, and the role of women in preserving and transmitting this knowledge emerged as one of the actions with the greatest social impact. At the same time, participants prioritised activities that support women’s well-being and self-confidence, handicrafts, as well as cultural initiatives that encourage creativity, social interaction and the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.
Together, these priorities aim to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in Konitsa, while strengthening local identity, social cohesion and opportunities for collective action. The selected initiatives were further explored through initial implementation pathways, providing a clear basis for the next phase of development within the INSPIRE project.
From Participation to Action
The User-Innovation Workshops marked an important transition from identifying local needs to collectively shaping practical solutions. Beyond the actions selected in each territory, the process strengthened local ownership, collaboration and the capacity of communities to actively participate in shaping their future.
By placing local people at the centre of decision-making and innovation, INSPIRE continues to demonstrate how rural communities can build on their own knowledge, strengths and aspirations to co-create solutions that are both locally relevant and sustainable.
INSPIRE supports social inclusion, well-being, and rural development through Smart Village Labs, which aim to establish more inclusive governance frameworks. INSPIRE is 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 European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
