Our partners

Model Regions & Fellows

Model regions partners

Austria

Croatia

Denmark

Italy

Nederland

Sweden

Fellow Regions

Bulgaria

Romania

Slovenia

Amt der Niederosterreichischen Landesregierung

LNOE is the Department of Environmental and Energy Affairs at the Office of the Lower Austrian Government.

About

Lower Austria committed to the “Climate Action Program” (CAP) already in 2004 and the Regional Government included the topic of climate change mitigation in the state constitution (Landesverfassung) already in 2007. In 2021, the Program was revised and adaptation was elevated as a key for the regional roadmap. The regional NbS projects include topics such as flood management, urban restoration, agriculture biodiversity, water and soil protection. Roughly half of the 573 municipalities in Lower Austria are part of the KLAR!-programme on climate adaptation, building a community of knowledge exchange and, thus, increasing the expertise and the impact in this field.

Role in the project

LNOE coordinates, assisted by GSA, WP2 about the model region Lower Austria. LNOE is responsible for Tasks 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3, i.e. it supervises the entire development of the work package from the conception of the ambition, the execution of the co-innovation labs in three Lower Austrian regions, and the upscaling effort to mainstream Nature-based solutions in the Lower Austrian (and, eventually, national) climate change adaptation tools and strategies. LNOE is therefore represented in both the Management Board and the Steering Committee. In addition, LNOE as WP2 coordinator participates in WP6 on cross-regional support & synthesis as well as WP11 on communication and WP12 on coordination and management.

Niederosterreichische Aagrarbezirksbehorde

The Agricultural District Authority (NÖ ABB) is part of the Lower Austrian state administration.

About

The Agricultural District Authority (NÖ ABB) performs tasks in the following departments:

  • Agricultural structure
  • Sustainable land use, soil protection
  • Landscape design
  • Alpine pastures and grazing
  • Communities

The head office of the NÖ ABB is located in St. Pölten. For the implementation of services the NÖ ABB has branch offices in Hollabrunn, Baden, Scheibbs und Zwettl, two soil protection stations in Pyhra and Obersiebenbrunn including a tree nursery. 
The actual work includes the planning of soil reform measures to improve the agricultural structure in rural areas. Examples are the construction, modification or abandonment of traffic routes, flood protection structures and energy supply facilities. In order to secure the soil as a basis for nutrition sustainably, the state of Lower Austria promotes the implementation of ecological measures and facilities via the NÖ ABB. Important examples are the establishment of soil protection systems (including multi-use- hedges) and projects for landscape design and sustainable land use. Another task of the NÖ ABB is to regulate alpine pasture and grazing management in Lower Austria and the supervision of communities in rural areas. In addition, NÖ ABB represents the state of Lower Austria in numerous organizations at national and European level on the subject of soil protection.

Role in the project

In the ARCADIA project, the Agricultural District Authority contributes its expertise in the establishment and maintenance of nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate resilience in agricultural landscapes, as well as its longstanding experience as a project partner and strategic partner in a multitude of projects and committees with other European countries. Our task is to analyse and carry out processes, that lead to the implementation of NbS in agricultural landscapes in Lower Austria and to refine the most promising solutions for Europe-wide implementation. Nature-based solutions for agricultural landscapes, such as multi-use buffer strips and hedges or no/low tillage agricultural practices, protect arable land against erosion and soil degradation. NbS in this context make agricultural productivity, profitability and sustainability compatible.

Geosphere Austria

GeoSphere Austria (GSA) is the national geological, geophysical, climatological and meteorological service responsible for advising the federal government and warning the public on geological, geophysical, climatological and meteorological matters.

About

According to the law, GSA consults and advises national, federal, municipal and private actors on climate risk assessment to support evidence-based identification and monitoring of climate change adaptation measures. The Competence Unit ‘RiskLab’ at GSA develops and implements risk-relevant concepts, methods and prototypes for the fields of weather, climate and GSA-relevant natural hazards. This includes the development and provision of climate risk services to the public, related actors and private sector. The RiskLab is operated as a cross-cutting topic across different departments and application fields within GSA.

Role in the project

Building and applying the scientific and technical framework for implementing climate risk assessment and monitoring impact of NbS within the model region Lower Austria. Providing and processing climate, exposure and vulnerability data and methods. Expert support and advice for regional partners in terms of climate and risk as well as general process support and management together with the regional lead (RU3).

Niederosterreichische Energie Und Umweltagentur GMBH

The Energy and Environment Agency of Lower Austria (eNu) collaborates with communities, businesses, and individuals to realize a greener, more resilient tomorrow.

About

With a robust portfolio of innovative projects, fueled by the expertise of our dedicated team, we at eNu tackle ecological challenges head-on. From promoting renewable energy to fostering nature conservation, our initiatives pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable country. The experience and know-how of our employees feed into our many initiatives.

With offices strategically located throughout the region, we offer personalized support and forge partnerships that drive impactful change. Established in 2011 and certified for our commitment to excellence, eNu supports and shapes the state’s goals, provides answers to ecological challenges of our times and gives impulses for sustainable action. In the field of adaptation, one of our main focuses is on nature-based solutions to achieve Lower Austrian climate objectives. We participate in international research projects such as ARCADIA and SmartCommUnity. Through these collaborations, we aim to effectively contribute to the development and research of innovative approaches for climate adaptation.

Role in the project

The Energy and Environment Agency of Lower Austria (eNu) oversees and services Climate Change Adaptation Model Regions (KLAR!) and municipalities in relation to climate change and its impacts on Lower Austria. The agency assists in the development and implementation of measures, ensuring that nature-based solutions are integrated into the programs. Thus, eNu serves as both a service platform and an information hub.

At eNu, we conduct regular network meetings, offer training sessions and excursions, and provide updates on relevant news. Well-connected with various local players, such as state administration, civil protection, agriculture, water management, and natural hazard sectors, we also participate in national and international expert events.

Through our public relations efforts, we raise awareness about the topic and make visible the successful adaptation measures. We sensitize municipalities and the public, encourage them to take important steps themselves, and demonstrate through best practice examples how them can be achieved.

Natur Im Garten GMBH

“Ecological Gardening” is a movement supported by the province of Lower Austria that promotes greening, climate change adaptation and biodiversity promotion in gardens and green spaces.

About

The core criteria of “Ecological Gardening” stipulate that gardens and green spaces must be maintained without synthetic chemical pesticides, synthetic chemical fertilizers or peat. The core task is to impart knowledge and practical skills for the ecological,  and climate-friendly design and maintenance of private and public green spaces. To this end, we cooperate closely with local authorities and educational and research institutions. We are a competent partner for those interested in gardening, for municipalities and their inhabitants, but also for the ecologically oriented economy in the horticultural environment. “Ecological Gardening” is also part of the climate and energy program of the state of Lower Austria.

Role in the project

“Ecological Gardening” has been working very closely with municipalities for 15 years and offers targeted further training for those responsible for green spaces: From one-hour webinars, one-day practical days, and excursions to training courses lasting several days.

The focus is always on ecological design and maintenance to achieve climate-friendly and species-rich green spaces in the municipalities. As a result, the organization has close contacts with relevant stakeholders in the municipalities. For WP2 of the Arcadia project, experience with municipalities and contacts with stakeholders are now being incorporated.

The organization pays particular attention to the use and testing of Nature-based Solutions in the municipalities. As part of the labs, individual Nature-based Solutions are to be researched in more detail and their implementation driven forward. To this end, research, awareness-raising measures, and discussions about any hurdles are planned.

ECOPLUS NiederosterreichsWirtschaftsagentur GMBH 

The Lower Austrian Business Agency Ecoplus is a non-profit organization, 100% owned by the Regional Government of Lower Austria.

About

Ecoplus offers services in 3 areas: (1) Innovation Ecosystems (2) Business Parks & Investor Services and (3) Regional Development.

Business Parks & Investor Services: currently, Ecoplus runs 18 business parks throughout Lower Austria, either owned or by participation. The agency provides investors’ guidance, supports municipalities in developing and revitalizing industrial sites and inter-municipality business parks including support for climate-fit business areas.

Innovation Ecosystems: on behalf of the regional government and as part of the Lower Austrian Programme Innovation Ecosystems, Ecoplus currently manages 4 regional cluster initiatives (involving a total of more than 580 members), in the field of Green Building, Food, Plastics and Mechatronics awarded with the European Cluster Management Excellence Gold Label. 

Role in the project

The Lower Austrian Business Agency Ecoplus contributes the business and innovation aspect to the project, especially its implementation in Lower Austria (WP2). The Ecoplus department Innovation Ecosystems will connect the demand with innovative solutions available or to be developed. The department Investor services will improve services for municipalities and private investors on climate-fit business areas. The department Business Park is involved as end-user and will further develop and test Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation.

Regionalna Energetsko-Klimatska Agencija Sjeverozapadne Hrvatske

REGEA is Croatia’s leading energy and climate agency, established in 2008 by Zagreb, Karlovac and Krapina-Zagorje County, and the City of Zagreb.

About

The Agency has extensive experience developing and coordinating national and EU-funded projects on sustainable energy and resource efficiency. Public sector stakeholders present the primary focus of the Agency’s work, which ranges from developing strategic documents in energy, climate, and resource efficiency, performing capacity building and promotional activities, to assisting decision-makers with preparing and implementing large-scale investment projects. Most notably, REGEA coordinated one (eCentral) and participated as a partner on four Central Europe funded projects (ENTRAIN, Store4HUC, BhENEFIT, REEF 2W) along with other Interreg (Danube, MED, CE, Interreg Europe), Horizon Europe projects.

Role in the project

REGEA, as the Croatian national coordinator of activities, leads WP3 with model regions, the City of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje County. Besides coordinating partners’ activities, it serves as the communication point between Croatian partners and the rest of the consortium, supporting the implementation of project activities. Furthermore, REGEA is an active partner in WP6 Cross-regional support & synthesis, WP11 Dissemination, exploitation & communication, and WP12 Coordination and management.

Sveuciliste U Zagrebu Agronomski Fakultet

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About

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Role in the project

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Grad Zagreb

The City of Zagreb, the capital of the Republic of Croatia situated on the geographical, cultural, historical and political crossroads of Europe’s east and west, connects the continental and the Mediterranean spirits into a lively whole.

About

Zagreb is the cultural, scientific, economic, political and administrative centre of the Republic of Croatia and the seat of the Parliament, the President and the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The favourable geographical position between the Pannonian Basin and the edges of the Alps and the Dinaric Alps enabled a spontaneous development of a place of unencumbered communication. The Medvednica mountain protects the city from the cold northern winds, while the spacious lowland and the Sava river open it to the other directions of the world. Almost a million inhabitants reside in Zagreb, or a quarter of the total population of the Republic of Croatia. During its history, people from various parts of Europe came to live in Zagreb, whereas recent history has brought migrations from all over Croatia, contributing to the rich culture of the city.

Role in the project

City of Zagreb is model region in WP3 together with Krapina-Zagorje county. Results aims at digital solutions for the planning, implementing and monitoring of NbS and BGI networks, focusing on detection and assessment of ecosystem services and their benefits for the communities; identifying areas for nature regeneration and restoration with highest value for the communities.

Zagreb Croatia at Night. Aerial View from above of Ban Jelacic Square

GDI – Drustvo Sogranicenom Odgovornoscu za Proizvodnju

GDi is a provider of applied technology solutions that has consistently demonstrated growth and innovation over its 35-year history.

About

GDi delivers a comprehensive suite of industry-specific business process software and data solutions built on leading global technology platforms (being also an official distributor of Esri).

GDi’s expertise is in Operations Support Systems (OSS), Decision Support Systems (DSS), Cloud Computing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), catering effectively to both commercial and public sector clients. The focus of GDi’s product development is geared towards the intelligent management of assets, operations, and resources, aiming to streamline processes and enhance decision-making capabilities.

GDi participates in a number of EU projects (Horizon, ESIF – Croatia) focusing on R&D and continues to contribute to the digital transformation initiatives of its customers, driving efficiencies and stimulating growth in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Role in the project

GDi participates in the project within the preparation and implementation of pilot projects in City of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje county led by REGEA through the application of digital tools, all aimed at finding and enabling the most acceptable natural solutions for adapting to climate change and transformation towards resilience in both urban and rural areas.

Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija

Krapina Zagorje County as a regional authority unit actively implements a set of activities that aim to improve citizens’ standard of life.

About

These activities are realized through planning and ensuring development in several areas – education, health, urban planning, traffic, energy efficiency, infrastructure, economy and civil society. There are many EU projects and actions regarding community – financing schools, clinics, local roads, preserving nature and biodiversity, helping local economy to grow, trying to be completely transparent doing these jobs, accessible to public at any time and involving citizens in decision-making. Krapina Zagorje County has adopted short and medium term priorities, upgrading and improving strategic documents and defining guidelines in particular areas. These strategic documents and objectives are in accordance with national documents and EU standards and best practices.

Role in the project

Krapina-Zagorje County participates in the project with regional team lead by REGEA to stimulate smarter, faster, systemic and NbS triggered transformation to resilience at local & regional level. For that task, we will participate in building experimental co-innovation labs. Main goal is to find digital solutions for the planning, implementing and monitoring of NbS and BGI networks, focusing on detection and assessment of ecosystem services and their benefits for the communities and identifying areas for nature regeneration and restoration with highest value for the communities.

Zagorska Razvoijna Agencija

Zagorje Development Agency is regional coordinator established in 2018 by the Krapina-Zagorje County.

About

As a regional leader in the preparation and implementation of projects, the Agency provides advisory support to peer bodies from Krapina-Zagorje County, free of charge, in the preparation and implementation of projects financed from EU funds, national programs, transnational cooperation programs and strategic projects from the Krapina-Zagorje County Development Strategy. Also, the Agency, in addition to providing the above advisory services to beneficiaries, itself implements a number of projects in various field of activity (INTERREG, ERASMUS+, Horizon,..), and one of them is the establishment of permanent exchange of information and cooperation between decision makers, civil society organizations, youth and other stakeholders in the processes of implementing projects, programs and overall development. 

Role in the project

As regional development agency for the Krapina Zagorje County, one of 5 model regions within the project ARCADIA, ZARA coordinates and implements activities with stakeholders and project and associated partners from Krapina Zagorje County and is an active partner in WP3 Model regions Zagreb & Krapina Zagorje (HR).

Odense Kommune

Odense Municipality is the fourth most populated in Denmark with the third largest city, Odense, in the middle.

About

Odense Municipality is located along Odense Fjord with approximately 13 kilometers of coastline. The coastal areas are primarily low-lying and flat, and in the residential areas, there are occasional challenges with flooding from storm surges, heavy precipitation and rising shallow groundwater. 

The catchment area for Odense Fjord constitutes approximately 1/3 of the island of Fyn. In the most recent assessment of the condition of the fjord, it was assessed to be in poor ecological condition. ARCADIA will support new and on-going catchment-based initiatives to improve the environmental conditions in the fjord in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Odense Municipality serves as the planning authority, responsible for planning urban development and the infrastructure necessary to deal with more extreme weather conditions in collaboration with the water utility, VandCenter Syd. 

Role in the project

Odense Municipality is the lead coordinator of WP5 – Model Region Funen with the responsibility to coordinate and manage the work across the Danish partners. With the municipality’s high ambitions of a green and resilient community, – climate-neutral by 2030 and climate-adapted by 2050 according to Odense Municipality’s Climate Adaptation Plan 2023 – the ARCADIA project will support and amplify the work already going on. As part of the project, Odense Municipality will be facilitating three Co-Innovation Labs focused on sustainable urban drainage, cross-cutting collaboration and catchment-based approaches.

To support future implementation of nature-based solutions, Odense Municipality is developing a Water Cycle Master Plan. Nature-based solutions require collaboration across sectors to be multifunctional, providing several benefits at the same time, and supporting natural processes. Through ARCADIA, Odense Municipality will promote water management inspired by nature. 

VandCenter Syd

VCS Denmark – VandCenter Syd in Danish – is one of the largest water and wastewater utilities in Denmark. We are known as a frontrunner within the sector.

About

Our main operational activities include catchment, treatment and distribution of potable water and transport, treatment and disposal of wastewater – and in recent years our activities have increasingly incorporated climate adaptation as well. We contribute to the protection and improvement of the aquatic environment and the development of green urban living.

VCS Denmark is a local water and wastewater utility as well as an internationally acknowledged company. The two aspects of our activities complement each other: we have first-hand experience with the challenges of delivering high-quality services to our customers; and we are able to turn our experiences and know-how into valuable knowledge for other water and wastewater utilities with similar challenges.

Our international activities bring us inspiration. So does our active participation in a broad range of research projects cooperating with Danish and foreign universities and utilities as well as with private companies.

Role in the project

Our role in the project is to contribute with the knowledge we have built up about nature-based solutions in water management. In our role as a front runner, we have tested various nature-based methods for water management. We would like to put this knowledge to use and expand.

In addition, we want to contribute to creating a future where we understand each other better and work together to create sustainable solutions for our planet. We hope that across the organizations in ARCADIA we can develop a common language, so that we get the same images on the retina when we talk together about “nature-based solutions” and “climate adaptation”. It is an important conversation which fortunately is already underway in the project. The basis for broad joint solutions across many organizations is that we understand each other when we talk to each other. With a common language within ARCADIA, we can help develop the wild solutions that the complex problems we face require. 

We are constantly working to improve, streamline, make things more sustainable and more cost-effective. And we want to contribute to a good city, clean streams and a clean fjord. We hope that ARCADIA can help us with that.

Syddansk Universitet

The University of Southern Denmark was founded in 1966 and is currently Denmark’s third-largest university.

About

SDU has 20,396 students, 3,983 employees, and a turnover of DKK 3.4 billion. The university has six campuses and five faculties, with strong representation in the Region of Southern Denmark, offering both education and research in the towns Esbjerg, Kolding, Sønderborg, and Odense.

SDU contribution to ARCADIA comes from two Faculties: Natural Science and Health Science, with special focus on tasks related with WPs 5; 7 and 8.

The tasks 7.2 and 7.3 are under the direct resposability of the Faculty of Health Science/ the Danish Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Science (DRIVEN).

Role in the project

The SDU’s Faculty of Science, in particular the Biology Department will contribute to the WP5 – Task 5.1 for creating a vision of and strategy for nature-based transformation to resilience with the main goals of stimulating smarter, faster, systemic and detecting the Natural-based Solutions triggered transformation to resilience at local & regional level. The team will support the development of experimental co-innovation labs for building open co-innovation laboratories to design, test and foster adoption of the most promising approaches. Furthermore, the researchers will support in setting up the regional impact-to-scale strategy and plan by stimulating conditions for transformation across sectors & policies, also in cooperation with WP7.


The Danish Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Science (DRIVEN) from the Faculty of Health Sciences playes a crucial role in WP 7, task 7.2 is to participate in the design of theory-informed surveys and interviews to understand attitudes, values, and preferences for different potential nature-based solutions, such as vegetated drainage beds, artificial wetlands, coastal meadows, and rainwater ponds. These studies will target citizens and businesses in Funen. SDU will lead WP 7.3, where we will co-develop guidance for the Funen region (and a template for other regions in ARCADIA), to help them achieve behavior change in a structured, systematic, and evidence-based manner. The guidance will help them develop new or modify existing behavior change interventions for nature-based solutions, targeting a range of individual, social, and policy factors.

Odense Fjord Samarbejdet

Odense Fjord Samarbejdet (Odense Fjord Cooperation) is a local network of 17 partners who initiated a strong partnership with the shared goal of improving the ecological condition of Odense Fjord.

About

Odense Fjord Samarbejdet (Odense Fjord Cooperation) is a local network of 17 partners – ranging from businesses, local authorities, an agricultural organisation, the university and NGOs – who together initiated a strong partnership with the shared goal of improving the ecological condition of Odense Fjord. The partnership has officially existed since 2022. Representatives of our partners are organised in working groups, supported by a small secretariat.

Together, we identify and carry out activities to solve the issues at hand – both on land, that is in the big catchment area of the fjord, and in the water. On land, an important task is to gain more insights about the local sources of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are a big challenge to the water quality. Using methods such as hotspot analysis, citizen science and modeling, we now have a better understanding of the conditions and can plan measures accordingly. Current activities in the fjord are planting eelgrass, sandcapping and establishing stone reefs and mussel banks.

Role in the project

Locally, we are responsible for involving the diverse partners of Odense Fjord Samarbejdet in ARCADIA. Likewise, we ensure that relevant insights and methods from the private-public partnership are transferred to the project. This role will for example play out, when Odense Fjord Samarbejdet is in charge of one of the three local labs in relation to ARCADIA.

We are happy to be part of ARCADIA, as it combines several of the topics we work with, for example state-of-the-art research on nature-based solutions and a local network-approach. We are looking forward to learning and taking action together with all the other partners in the project.

Region Syddanmark

The Region of Southern Denmark is one of the five regions in Denmark and covers more than 12.000 m2 of southern Jutland and 39 islands of which the biggest is Funen.

About

The Region of Southern Denmark is one of the five regions in Denmark and covers more than 12.000 m2 of southern Jutland and 39 islands of which the biggest is Funen. There are 22 municipalities in the region with over 1,2 million citizens. The main task is healthcare services but very important part of regions mission is regional development within education, culture, environment as well as development of city-regions, urban and rural areas in close cooperation with municipalities. The Region of Southern Denmark is governed by the Regional Council, which consists of 41 elected officials.

Regions geography stretches over many forms of landscapes. Catchments for the rivers and coast follows the landscape and expands over the boundaries of municipalities. The Odense River and Fjord catchment is the largest catchment on the Funen island and it’s shared by five municipalities. ARCADIA supports cooperation and cross-sectoral work in order to secure good ecological condition in the water of the fjord.

Role in the project

The Region of Southern Denmark contributes to ARCADIAs WP5 – Model Region Funen. The Region has participated in several climate projects and has a large national and international network within climate adaptation. That gives great opportunity to share knowledge and exchange experiences and results with other projects. Using national climate alliance framework (Klimaalliancen) the Region can involve local decision makers and politicians.

The Region supports the holistic approach used in Odense River and Fjord catchment and expects that nature-based solutions can be a main player in reducing the challenges with the aquatic environment in Odense Fjord. Furthermore, nature-based solutions obligates to close cooperation across sectors, authorities and the research institutions in order reduce climate change impact but also added values in form of recreational areas and increased biodiversity.

ART-ER Società Consortile per Azioni

ART-ER coordinates the regional innovation ecosystem that includes the Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network, the Technopoles, Clust-ERs, Incubators.

About

ART-ER Attractiveness Research Territory is the Joint Stock Consortium among the Emilia-Romagna Region, universities and research centres, the Union of the Chambers of Commerce and other local representatives. Its purpose is to foster sustainable growth by developing innovation and knowledge, attractiveness and internationalization.
ART-ER coordinates the regional innovation ecosystem that includes the Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network, the Technopoles, Clust-ERs, Incubators.
It supports the Region in processing Structural Funds and has a long lasting experience in European funded projects.

Role in the project

ART-ER is the project coordinator, with a role in several work packages with the following tasks: support to the implementation of activities in the model region Emilia-Romagna, the identification of enablers & barriers to nature-based transformation and is involved in the task of providing mutual assistance among regions to implement their co-innovation labs; it leads the activities to catalyze large scale & cross-border implementation.

ART-ER supports the set-up of the Green transformational framework and processes and contributes to the design and planning of nature-based solutions and green infrastructures and leads the assessment of finance and business innovation for large-scale impact.

Finally it supports the dissemination, exploitation and communication along with other partners. Also, it coordinates the design of the guidebook for transformative change, capability building program and policy/innovation briefs.

Fondazione Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui cambiamenti climatici

The Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Foundation is an international research center that collaborates with experienced scientists, economists, and technicians who work together to provide full analyses of climate impacts on socio-economic systems.

About

The Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Foundation is an international research center that collaborates with experienced scientists, economists, and technicians who work together to provide full analyses of climate impacts on socio-economic systems. CMCC also supports policymakers in setting and assessing costs, mitigation, and adaptation policies. Furthermore, the Foundation promotes and carries out basic and applied scientific research and develops operational services with a high content of knowledge and technological innovation in the various fields on which climate change has an impact, favoring collaboration between universities, national and international research bodies, local authorities and manufacturing sectors. CMCC was established in 2005 with the financial support of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, and the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea, and it has been fully operative since 2006. In 2015 it became a Foundation, representing CMCC’s legal status, contents, aims and operational modalities.

Role in the project

As ARCADIA’s partner, CMCC leads the work package 6 “Cross-regional support and synthesis” which will steer a coherent accomplishment of the regional workflows. In its stewardship role, the WP6 will serve as an interface between model & fellow regions and the support offered by other work packages. Moreover, WP6 will foster twinning and peer experts’ exchanges, a task directly led by the CMCC which will ensure mutual assistance for regional innovation laboratories. Beside the sixth, CMCC will contribute to the successive work packages too, such as WP7 (Values, attitudes and incentives for transformational change), WP8 (Design & performance of nature-based solutions & infrastructures), WP9 (Governance, policy and finance), WP11 (Dissemination, exploitation & communication) and WP12 (Coordination and management).

Deda Next S.r.l.

Deda Next (DEDA) is part of Dedagroup S.p.A., one of the largest Information Technology group backed by Italian capital.

About

DedaGroup with a turnover of €253 million and more than 1,900 employees, is an important aggregating hub of leading Italian firms in the Software and Solutions as a Service market, and a natural reference of businesses, financial and public service institutions in the development of their IT and digital strategies.
Since its foundation in 2000, the Group has grown consistently and today, in addition to having more than 20 offices in Italy, it also operates in Switzerland, France, Germany, UK, the USA, Mexico, and China. With headquarters in Trento, it supports over 3,600 clients worldwide through its offices.
The public sector – in the broad sense of all levels of national and local structures within the Public Administration, and public service organizations (energy and utilities, healthcare, transport, postal) – is the third market of the group, with a mix of software, management, documentary and geographical solutions, and design and process competencies, particularly in the areas of digital processes, archiving, analytics and data management. DEDA works with municipalities – small and large -, Regions and Ministries.
Deda Next’s daily commitment is to support public administrations in their journey towards digitalization. The goal is to aid cities in becoming local development centers, central institutions in creating a data-driven administration, and companies in developing their networks and innovating their processes. The cloud, transparency, redesigned administrative procedures, and data management are the key elements of Dedagroup Public Services’ range of products and services.
The R&D team collaborates with the ecosystem of research centers (FBK, FEM, Cineca), Universities, (UniBO, UniTN) innovation hubs (HIT, AESS), start-up and players in the IT sector.

Role in the project

In Arcadia project DEDA will take care of the dissemination and communication activities. DEDA will lead WP11 by exploiting its wide experience in developing and commercializing innovative products for the public sector and using its strong knowledge of the ecosystem of municipalities all around Italy.

GECOsistema

GECOsistema is a specialist environmental engineering and research company providing advanced consulting, scientific research, innovation, product developments, data science and modeling services in the fields of environmental, climate risk and geospatial intelligence.

About

GECOsistema operates at both global, national and local levels in collaboration with highly qualified partners. It combines advanced data science and machine learning, environmental modeling, GIS and Geospatial Analysis tools, remote sensing, predictive analytics, to give the critical insight needed into environmental, climate and geospatial issues.

Role in the project

In the ARCADIA project, GECOsistema leads Work Package 8, focusing on the design and performance of nature-based solutions (NbS) and infrastructures. WP8 aims to guide the selection and design of locally appropriate NbS and blue-green infrastructure networks, assist model regions in assessing the performance and unintended consequences of nature-based interventions, and develop data spaces and monitoring schemes to evaluate progress and support large-scale design. Leveraging over 20 years of expertise in these areas, GECOsistema will streamline access to climate risk data, models, methods, frameworks, and metrics. This will guide the model regions in the implementation of locally-adapted NbS and blue-green infrastructures, demonstrate their risk-reduction performance and ancillary outcomes, and implement shared data spaces and monitoring schemes to assist regional teams.

Regione Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is one of the most developed regions in Italy and is renowned for its quality of life and services, with a strong manufacturing sector, the most effective health system in Italy and an advanced R&D&I ecosystem.

About

With a population of almost 4.5 million inhabitants (2020), Emilia-Romagna is located in the North-East of Italy, within the Italian most productive area. Its area of 22,453 km2 corresponds to 7.5% of the national surface. Nearly half of the region (48%) consists of plains, while 27% is hilly and 25% mountainous.
With an efficient network of infrastructures and its strategic geographical position, Emilia-Romagna is an important commercial hub well linked to all Italian cities and the main European cities. Indeed, its geographic position enables Emilia-Romagna to act as a link between northern and southern Italy, and between the Adriatic and Mediterranean regions and Central and Northern Europe.
“Climate change” is one of the focus of Emilia-Romagna Region policies that in 2018 has approved a Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy and in 2020 signed, together with 60 regional stakeholders, the “Pact for Work and Climate” that outlined the interaction between social and environmental aspects. These principles have been followed and strengthened by the approval, in 2024, of a strategic document, the Roadmap for Carbon neutrality before 2050. In 2021 Emilia-Romagna region signed the Mission Chart for Adaptation, an initiative launched by the European Commission.

Role in the project

The Emilia-Romagna Region coordinates WP1 as a Model Region, with the support of regional partners. The theme of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) as tools for climate change adaptation and regional resilience is a priority for the Emilia-Romagna Region. Increasingly extreme events have devastating impacts on the regional territory, such as the recent floods of 2023 and 2024 and the severe droughts of the past decade. Scientific task forces have identified significant weaknesses in the regional territorial system. Within the ARCADIA project, the Region is primarily engaged through its “Protected Areas, Forest and Mountain Development Department”, which is tasked with assessing how the sustainable management of mountain areas can contribute to the overall safety of the regional territory. This purpose will be pursued in collaboration with an intersectoral working group focused on defining future climate change adaptation and mitigation policies based on scientific evidence.

Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione, l’ambiente e l’Energia dell’Emilia-Romagna

Arpae is the regional agency for prevention, environment and energy of the Emilia-Romagna region.

About

ARPAE carries out activities of authorisation, concession, monitoring of the state of the environment, supervision and control, and analyses, and adds to its environmental protection and prevention activities those concerning the field of energy. Its commitment is also in the development of forecasting systems and models to improve monitoring and knowledge of environmental systems and the factors, both anthropic and natural, that affect them.
ARPAE also plays a key role in observation, forecasting, research and development in the field of meteorology and climatology, in order to support climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.
To ensure a direct presence on the territory, Arpae is structured in several locations across the Emilia-Romagna region.

Role in the project

ARPAE is part of the IT Model Region team and it is involved as technical partner in the development of Emilia-Romagna co-innovation lab (WP1). ARPAE will support the development of the co-innovation lab concerning forest management. In this lab, environmental modeling will be developed and applied in order to assess the impacts of extreme events (under current climate and future climate scenarios) concerning hydrogeological risk.
Different ‘what if’ scenarios will evaluate the criticalities and assets of different forest management options.

Canale Emiliano Romagnolo

The CER is at the same time a unique centre for irrigation studies in agriculture and one of the most important irrigation consortia in Italy.

About

On the one hand, the CER provides water supply to the provinces of Bologna, Ferrara, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, and Ravenna, covering an area of over 300,000 hectares. The concrete-lined canal is 135Km long, with a decreasing flow from 60m3/s to 6m3/s and several pumping stations overcoming a positive height difference of 15 meters. On the other hand, the CER has a statutory purpose to carry out research on efficient water use in agriculture. Built upon over 60 years of experience in the field, the CER found actionable solutions for water saving, water reuse and drought management. Between the most successful innovation it can be found IRRIFRAME, the decision support system for irrigation owned by the National Association of Reclamation Consortia, or Cognitive Manager the big data incubator for water management at the basin level.

Role in the project

Through its involvement in WP1 (Model region Emilia-Romagna – IT), CER plays a pivotal role in translating the vision of ARCADIA into actionable, scalable solutions. By leveraging its expertise in water management, ecosystem services, and stakeholder engagement, CER helps ensure that NbS interventions in the Emilia-Romagna region are not only scientifically sound but also socially inclusive and economically viable. As ARCADIA progresses, CER’s contributions will continue to be instrumental in shaping resilient landscapes and communities in response to climate challenges.

Parco dell’Appennino Tosco-emiliano

The Parco Appennino Tosco-Emiliano (PTE) is a protected natural area spanning the Apennine mountain range between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in Italy.

About

Recognized as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve, the park is renowned for its rich biodiversity, encompassing lush forests, high-altitude meadows, and a diverse array of wildlife, including wolves, golden eagles, and rare amphibians. The park also features scenic hiking trails, ancient villages, and cultural landmarks, offering visitors opportunities for outdoor recreation, eco-tourism, and heritage exploration. It plays a crucial role in regional conservation efforts, sustainable tourism, and climate resilience initiatives, making it a key asset for both environmental preservation and local development. The Parco Appennino Tosco-Emiliano stands as a testament to the harmonious coexistence of nature and culture in Italy’s heartland.

Role in the project

As a key partner in WP1 (Model region Emilia-Romagna – IT), PTE ensures that nature-based solutions in the Emilia-Romagna region are designed, tested, and implemented effectively. Its expertise in forest and water ecosystem management, combined with its capacity to engage stakeholders, makes PTE a cornerstone of the ARCADIA project’s mission to create climate-resilient landscapes and communities.

Romagna Acque Società delle Fonti S.p.A.

Romagna Acque Società delle Fonti S.p.A., guaranteeing the collection, purification and primary supply to the distribution manager, Hera S.p.A., is the “wholesaler” of the Romagna aqueduct system.

About

Romagna Acque Società delle Fonti S.p.A., guaranteeing the collection, purification and primary supply to the distribution manager, Hera S.p.A., is the “wholesaler” of the Romagna aqueduct system. A key element of the water system, of the Municipalities of the Provinces of Rimini, Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna and of the Republic of San Marino, is the Ridracoli reservoir, which covers 50% of the territory’s drinking water needs. The remaining water demand is satisfied by other sources of supply: groundwater in the Rimini area, surface water in the Ravenna area, where the Standiana water purification plant (NIP2) is located which treats surface water taken from the Emiliano-Romagnolo Canal, and from both source typologies in the Forlì and Cesena areas.

Role in the project

TASK 1.1 – Vision of and strategy for nature-based transformation to resilience: Stimulate smarter, faster, systemic and NbS triggered transformation to resilience at local & regional level;
TASK 1.2 – Experimental co-innovation labs: Build open co-innovation laboratories to design, test and foster adoption of the most promising solutions;
TASK 1.3 – Regional impact-to-scale strategy and plan: Catalyse impact at scale by stimulating conditions for transformation across sectors & policies.

Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna

The Università di Bologna is one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious academic institutions.

About

The Università di Bologna (UNIBO), founded in 1088, is the oldest university in the Western world and remains one of the most prestigious academic institutions in Europe. With a strong tradition of academic excellence, interdisciplinary research, and international collaboration, UNIBO is a key player in fostering innovation, sustainability, and societal transformation. The university is home to over 87,000 students and offers a wide array of degree programs, including numerous sustainability and climate-related disciplines.

As a leader in environmental sciences, engineering, and policy studies, UNIBO actively contributes to groundbreaking research in climate adaptation, sustainable development, and nature-based solutions (NbS). The university’s state-of-the-art research centers and collaborations with institutions worldwide place it at the forefront of global climate action. Its commitment to fostering knowledge transfer, policy integration, and community engagement further strengthens its impact on addressing modern challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and urban resilience.

Role in the project

The Università di Bologna contributes to the project in several key areas:

  • Research and innovation in Nature-based Solutions
    • The university’s researchers are engaged in advancing NbS, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches that integrate environmental science, engineering, and urban planning.
    • UNIBO provides insights into the effectiveness of NbS in mitigating climate-related hazards such as flooding, heatwaves, and biodiversity loss.
  • Data collection and climate modeling
    • Through its advanced research centers, the University supports climate risk assessments and predictive modeling to assess the impact of various interventions.
    • UNIBO contributes to the design of adaptive strategies for local and regional governments to implement resilient infrastructures.
  • Policy and governance support
    • The University collaborates with policymakers to develop strategies that integrate NbS into urban and regional planning.
    • UNIBO assists in creating governance frameworks that facilitate the large-scale adoption of sustainable climate adaptation measures.
  • Community engagement and knowledge transfer
    • Through workshops, public events, and co-design sessions, Università di Bologna fosters active participation from local communities, ensuring that solutions are tailored to their specific needs.

Autorità del Bacino distrettuale del fiume Po

The Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale del Fiume Po (Po River Basin Authority) is an essential institution for the sustainable management and protection of Italy’s largest river basin.

About

The Autorità di Bacino Distrettuale del Fiume Po is responsible for regulating and managing water resources across one of Europe’s most vital hydrographic districts. With expertise in hydrological risk management, sustainable water use, and environmental protection, the authority ensures that the Po River basin remains resilient in the face of climate change and extreme weather events.

Role in the project

The Po River Basin Authority plays a pivotal role in ensuring the integration of these solutions within the hydrological and environmental frameworks of the region. Its key contributions include:

Hydrological and climate risk assessment

  • Conducting climate vulnerability studies to assess risks such as flooding, drought, and extreme weather impacts in the Po River basin.
  • Providing data-driven insights and predictive modeling to enhance the effectiveness of NbS for flood mitigation and water management.

Implementation of Nature-based Solutions

  • Supporting the development and application of sustainable water retention measures, such as wetlands restoration and riverbank reforestation.
  • Promoting ecological infrastructure projects to enhance biodiversity, regulate water flows, and reduce the impacts of extreme climatic events.

Policy and governance support

  • Collaborating with local and regional policymakers to integrate NbS into existing water management regulations and strategies.
  • Assisting in the development of governance models that encourage participatory decision-making among stakeholders, municipalities, and communities.

Knowledge sharing and public engagement

  • Organizing workshops and seminars to educate stakeholders and local populations on sustainable water management practices.
  • Contributing to the dissemination of best practices for flood and drought risk reduction through international cooperation networks.

Ente Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi

The Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna National Park covers an area of ​​approximately 36,000 ha, equally divided between Emilia Romagna and Tuscany, including territories in the provinces of Forlì-Cesena, Arezzo and Florence.

About

The Foreste Casentinesi Park extends along the Tuscany-Romagna Apennine ridge, descending steeply along the parallel valleys of the Romagna side and more gradually on the Tuscan side, which has gentler slopes, up to the wide valley floor formed by the Arno. The Romagna side includes the territories of the municipalities of Bagno di Romagna, Santa Sofia, Premilcuore, Portico-San Benedetto and Tredozio. On the Tuscany side of the Casentino municipalities of Poppi, Bibbiena, Chiusi della Verna, Pratovecchio Stia and, finally, the Mugello municipalities of San Godenzo and Londa. Established by Presidential Decree on the 12th July 1993, it is a public body pursuant to art. 9 of Law no. 394/91 and is subject to the supervision of the Environment Ministry.

The National Park primary task is to preserve the high natural values ​​present within the protected area and to promote the sustainable development of human activities that take place in it, if these do not adversely affect the natural environment. Specifically in the area are currently guaranted:

  • The defense and the reconstitution of hydraulic and hydrogeological balances.
  • The preservation of animal or plant species, plant or forest associations, geological point of interent, paleontological aspects, biological communities, habitats, landscape values, natural processes, hydraulic and hydrological balance, ecological balance.
  • The application of management methods and environmental restoration suitable for achieving integration between man and natural environment, including through the preservation of the
    anthropological, archaeological, historical, architectural values and agro-forestry-pastoral and traditional activities.
  • Promoting education, training and scientific and interdisciplinary research, as well as recreational activities compatible with the nature conservation.

Role in the project

The Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi serves as a living laboratory for testing and scaling NbS in real-world conditions. By participating in ARCADIA, the park helps develop replicable models for integrating protected areas into climate adaptation strategies across Europe. The park’s involvement is essential in the following areas:

  • Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services
    • The park contributes by monitoring biodiversity trends and assessing how climate change affects forest ecosystems.
    • It helps design strategies to preserve natural habitats while promoting ecosystem-based approaches to mitigate climate risks.
  • Sustainable forest and water management
    • The park’s experience in forest conservation and water cycle regulation is critical for developing sustainable land-use models.
    • Its expertise aids in designing reforestation projects and water retention systems to prevent erosion and enhance climate resilience.
  • Implementation of Nature-based Solutions
    • The park provides a testing ground for innovative NbS, such as restoring degraded landscapes and protecting wetlands to improve carbon sequestration.
    • It works on enhancing natural flood defense mechanisms and improving soil stability in response to extreme weather events.
    • It facilitates knowledge-sharing through workshops, seminars, and research collaborations with other ARCADIA partners.

Stichting Vrije Universiteit

Established in 1971, the Institue for Environmental Studies (IVM) is a leading environmental research institute that is internationally recognised for its high quality research output in a range of environmental disciplines, as well as for its interdisciplinary work.

About

The mission of IVM is to contribute to sustainable development and care for the environment through scientific research and teaching. IVM aims to do excellent problem-oriented research that is useful to a wide range of stakeholders in the Netherlands and internationally. A unique strength of our research is to understand sustainability problems in their social and economic context. IVM’s research community works within four departments: Environmental Economics; Environmental Geography, Environmental Policy Analysis; and Water and Climate Risk. Since 2001 IVM has been part of the Faculty of Science at VU Amsterdam (legal name Stichting VU).
The Department of Environmental Economics (EE) leads the institute’s efforts in improving insights into the interaction between the environment and the economy. The department is one of the main groups of environmental economists in Europe, consisting of around 35 scientific staff and PhD researchers. The department strategy is to consolidate and further strengthen its position as a major player in the European field of environmental economics. Important fields of application include climate change, energy, circular economy, water, ecosystem services, and environmental and natural resource management. The philosophy of the EE department is to closely integrate its research projects with its teaching programme and to initiate and conduct research jointly with stakeholders and collaborating institutes. In the coming years, the EE department will further explore new research fields related to climate economics, economics of sustainable energy, and economics of natural capital.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely. – a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct
We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 5,500 staff work at the VU and over 30,000 students attend academic education.

Role in the project

Its participation in ARCADIA ensures that financial, social, and policy-related aspects are fully integrated into NbS implementation:

Economic valuation of Nature-based Solutions

  • Conducting cost-benefit analyses (CBA) to assess the economic feasibility of NbS interventions.
  • Evaluating the distributional effects of climate adaptation policies, ensuring equitable access to environmental benefits.

Climate risk and adaptation assessments

  • Developing multi-risk and economic modeling frameworks to quantify climate risks.
  • Identifying economic drivers that influence stakeholder decision-making in climate adaptation.

Social vulnerability and resilience analysis

  • Integrating social welfare indicators into environmental policy assessments.
  • Examining how low-income and vulnerable communities are affected by climate adaptation strategies and ensuring inclusivity in NbS planning.

Governance and policy integration

  • Supporting the design of governance frameworks that promote NbS implementation at local and regional levels.
  • Advising policymakers on financial instruments and incentive mechanisms for sustainable climate adaptation.

Stichting Wageningen Research

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is a globally renowned institution specializing in life sciences, environmental research, and sustainable development.

About

Located in the Netherlands, WUR is internationally recognized for its innovative approaches to sustainable land use, water management, and agricultural resilience. Its research spans across multiple disciplines, integrating science, policy, and practical applications to support climate adaptation and sustainability efforts.

Role in the project

Through its work in ARCADIA, WUR will continue to drive transformative climate adaptation by developing and implementing scalable, nature-based solutions. Its contributions will help shape policies and practices that ensure a more sustainable, climate-resilient future for communities across Europe.

WUR’s interdisciplinary approach ensures that ARCADIA’s strategies are both scientifically sound and practically implementable. Its expertise in data-driven environmental research, economic modeling, and stakeholder engagement strengthens the project’s overall impact.

Climate KIC

EIT Climate-KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, using a systems approach to shape innovation to support cities, regions, countries and industries meet their climate ambitions.

About

Climate KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, creating climate-resilient communities and fighting climate breakdown by mobilising systems change in countries, regions, cities, and businesses. Together with partners across the globe, Climate KIC orchestrates solutions and facilitates learning to bridge the gap between climate commitments and current reality, driving faster and more ambitious action.
Founded in 2010 upon the initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, for over 15 years Climate KIC received funding and strategic guidance as an EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC). Today, as an independent foundation, Climate KIC continues to collaborate with EIT and other EU institutions, as well as intergovernmental organisations, UN agencies, national and regional governments, cities, civil society, academia and the private sector to boost climate innovation across Europe and beyond.

Role in the project

Within ARCADIA, Climate KIC leads the workstream on green transformational framework and processes (T7.1), whose goal is to consolidate knowledge and develop frameworks for regions to leverage transformative change through nature-based solutions.

Climate KIC draws on its extensive expertise in developing frameworks, methodologies and guidance under a range of EU Mission Adaptation programmes, including Pathways2Resilience, NBRACER and DesirMed.

Building upon those frameworks, Climate KIC will design a scorecard preparedness tool to guide regions in their self-assessment, and lead the review and evaluation of adaptation progress at local and regional levels and across key community systems identified as such by the regions themselves.

Sustainable Business Hub Scandinavia AB

Sustainable Business Hub is a cluster organisation in southern Sweden with the purpose of uniting companies, public actors and academia to stimulate green innovation and sustainable business development.

About

Sustainable Business Hub is a cluster organisation in southern Sweden with the purpose of uniting companies, public actors and academia to stimulate green innovation and sustainable business development. Our organisation was founded in 2000 and is currently working with actors and projects in three focus areas: Climate Adaptation, Sustainable Energy and Circular Resources.

We have coordinated and taken part in several projects based around climate adaptation throughout the years. With partners in Skåne, Sweden, Europe and beyond, we have worked for 20+ years to develop knowledge and support to benefit sustainable development and green businesses.

Role in the project

The role of Sustainable Business Hub is to be the regional coordinator for the model region of Skåne in Arcadia. As a cluster organisation for sustainable business and innovation, we also have a key role to build alliances with actors and businesses for climate adaptation in Skåne and share their knowledge and practices in nature-based climate adaptation.

We are working with the City of Malmö, Helsingborg Municipality, Lund Municipality, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Region Skåne to grow and share know-how about nature-based climate adaptation wider in the region and out in Europe.

Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) conducts education, research and environmental monitoring and assessment in collaboration with society.

About

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) conducts education, research and environmental monitoring and assessment in collaboration with society. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet.
At the Department of People and Society, we research and teach in environmental psychology, business management and advisory services. The purpose of our work is to create the conditions for sustainable living and working environments in rural and urban areas. We develop and communicate high quality knowledge about people, the environment and business.

Role in the project

In the ARCADIA project we are directly active in WP4 with partners in Region Skåne, in WP6 working across the model and fellow regions, in WP7 investigating values, attitudes and incentives for transformative change and nature-based solutions, and in WP9 on governance, policy and planning, and finance for nature-based solutions. Finally, we are responsible for coordinating WP9.

Malmo Stad

Malmo Stad

Malmö is one of Sweden’s fastest growing cities.

About

Malmö is one of Sweden’s fastest growing cities. Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden and it is the fastest-growing of the three major cities in Sweden. In recent years Malmö has grown progressively and has currently over 370,000 inhabitants. The city’s inhabitants come from around 180 countries and speak some 150 different languages. Malmö has a young population, nearly half of which is under the age of 35. Malmö aspires to be a sustainable city – socially, economically and environmentally. Climate Transition Malmö is the City of Malmö’s gathering of forces to mobilize public activities, business, academia, civil society and Malmö residents to increase the pace of climate change. Within the framework of Climate Transition Malmö, actors collaborate on prioritized transition areas where there is potential to reduce Malmö’s climate impact. The work is based on leading research and analyzes of how we can most effectively achieve our climate goals while creating more societal benefits such as a better living environment and more jobs.

Role in the project

The City of Malmö participates in WP4 and WP11. Malmö is a part of the regional workflow in our model region that will stimulate smarter, faster, systemic, and nature-based solutions. Malmö will build an open co-innovation lab that will test and foster adoption of the most promising solutions in an urban context. The lab consists of deliberative and analytical activities in collaboration with other parts of the project and, for example, engage with citizens in open science exercises. In WP11 the city will contribute to maximizing the project’s impact through communication, dissemination, exploration, transfer knowledge and experience.

Helsingborg Kommun

Helsingborg is one of the leading municipalities in environmental work and climate transition in Sweden.

About

Helsingborg’s ambition is to offer its residents a high quality of life within the limits of the planet. The city of Helsingborg has an ambitious climate and energy plan with the goal of achieving net zero emissions in the municipal area by 2035. The transition is strategically led by the Environmental Administration.

The Environmental Administration works for good health and sustainable development of climate and environment in Helsingborg. We engage residents, businesses, and associations in the climate transition while contributing to food security and safety through supervision and control. Together with other actors, we educate the city’s children and young people in environment and climate change, and communicate environmental sustainability to the broad public.

The Environmental Administration has around 80 employees and the staff range from environmental inspectors, strategists and educators to environmental lawyers and communicators.

Helsingborg has a solid background in working with water management and nature-based solutions. Since the 1990s, the municipality has been actively involved in establishing wetlands, two-stage ditches, and other flow-regulating measures working together with other municipalities in the catchment areas through water boards.

Role in the project

The role of Helsingborg in Arcadia is to act as one of the cities in the model region of Skåne, alongside Lund, Malmö, Sustainable Business Hub, and SLU. Helsingborg aims to develop a strategy for climate adaptation measures using nature-based solutions.
The objective is to investigate a network of blue-green infrastructure in the rural and suburban parts of the catchment areas of the two rivers in the municipality, through collaboration with local landowners and other stakeholders. The blue-green infrastructure will help in climate adaptation while simultaneously creating ecosystem networks for biodiversity in farmlands and peri-urban environments.
The Helsingborg Co-living lab will look at financial tools to provide incentives to access necessary land for BGI together with landowners, stakeholders, and regional and national agencies. We will also look at administrative and legal obstacles to the implementation of catchment area wide BGI.

Lunds Kommun

The City of Lund is one of the oldest cities in Scandinavia.

About

The City of Lund is one of the oldest cities in Scandinavia. The city is growing rapidly as many people want to work and live in Lund. The city currently has around 130,000 inhabitants. Lund University, founded in the 17th century, is regularly ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the world, with around 45,000 students and 8,000 employees.
40.6% of the city’s citizens aged 20-64 have at least three years of post-secondary education, and 5.9% have a postgraduate degree.

The City of Lund has been designated to become one of the EU’s first 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030. In 2023 the City of Lund were also named Sweden’s best municipality for the environment and in 2022 WWF named Lund Global Climate City of the Year.

By setting an international example, we now have the chance to show the way forward and to be a sustainable city – socially, economically and environmentally.

Role in the project

The City of Lund participates in WP4 for creating a vision of and strategy for nature-based transformation to resilience with the main goals of stimulating smarter, faster, systemic and detecting the Natural Based Solutions. And in this way triggered transformation to resilience at local and regional level.
The City of Lund will conduct an innovation lab focusing on the intersection between city and country regarding Natural Based Solutions. The focus areas are primarily issues around water management, in addition, issues around heat will be investigated. Within these, we hope to be able to test and investigate different nature-based solutions that provide the best outcome in terms of climate adaptation.

Region Skane

Region Skåne exists to ensure that the residents of Skåne are healthy and believe in the future.

About

Region Skåne exists to ensure that the residents of Skåne are healthy and believe in the future. Through collaboration and care across the board, we create the best possible conditions for a healthy life in the region of Skåne – within regional development, business, public transport, culture, health and medical care. Region Skåne’s role together with other actors is to drive regional development in the right direction.

Role in the project

By leveraging its expertise in sustainable development, regional governance, and environmental policy, Skåne ensures that ARCADIA’s solutions are effectively integrated into regional planning. Its contributions provide a model for other regions aiming to enhance their climate resilience through NbS.

As ARCADIA progresses, Skåne Region will continue to drive climate innovation and policy integration, ensuring that nature-based solutions become a central component of European climate adaptation strategies.

Agraren Universitet Plovdiv

The Agricultural University of Plovdiv plays a leading role in the fight against climate change and the promotion of sustainable agriculture,

About

The Agricultural University of Plovdiv plays a leading role in the fight against climate change and the promotion of sustainable agriculture, actively participating in innovations and projects like Arcadia, which integrate environmentally friendly solutions and strategies to address climate challenges. Through active partnerships at both national and international levels, the Arcadia project enables the university to exchange scientific results and best practices that support the adaptation of agricultural practices to climate change and the sustainable use of natural resources. These collaborative efforts between universities, research institutes, and industrial partners create new opportunities for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector. With these efforts, the Agricultural University of Plovdiv has established itself as a key participant in the development of solutions for climate change in agriculture and the bioeconomy, offering innovations and strategies that can be implemented and adapted globally.

Role in the project

The Agricultural University of Plovdiv is the coordinator of Work Package 10 (WP10) within the Arcadia project. The primary objective of WP10 is to promote transformations inspired by eco-friendly solutions and to mobilize and prepare relevant regions and communities for participation in the European Mission for Adaptation. This work package focuses on mobilizing and supporting collaborating regions in their adaptation to climate change. The activities carried out in WP10 complement those implemented in the model regions (WP6 and sub-work packages 1-5), where these model regions serve as examples for scaling up eco-friendly solutions. The collaborating regions – Slovenia, Romania, and Bulgaria – will replicate and adapt the activities and strategies from the model regions, starting from ambitions to implementation and scaling of solutions. Additionally, they will work collaboratively with co-innovation labs to gather information on the acceptance and feasibility of eco-friendly interventions being researched and tested in the model regions. This type of collaboration aims to ensure that eco-friendly solutions are not only viable but also widely accepted and adaptable to different local conditions. Thus, WP10 plays a crucial role in enhancing the climate resilience of the regions and synchronizing local practices with the broader EU goals for climate adaptation

The Agentia Pentru Dezvoltare Regionala Centru (ADR Centru) is a key institution dedicated to fostering sustainable regional development in Romania.

Agentia Pentru Dezvoltare Regionala Centru

About

ADR Centru is instrumental in promoting economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion across central Romania. By leveraging its expertise in regional policy and EU-funded initiatives, it ensures that climate adaptation strategies align with local development goals.

Role in the project

As a regional development agency, ADR Centru ensures that ARCADIA’s climate resilience strategies are effectively tailored to the socio-economic realities of Romanian municipalities. Its role in bridging policy, funding, and local implementation is crucial for scaling NbS across Central Europe.

Zanstveno-raziskovalno Sredisce Bistra Ptuj

SRC Bistra Ptuj is a scientific research and development institution dedicated to promoting excellence and meeting international standards.

About

We are stationed in Ptuj, the oldest town in Slovenia. We have over twenty years of experience in collaborating on European projects. Our mission centers on creating a strong foundation in natural sciences, technology, social sciences, and skilled personnel essential for regional development. As a forward-thinking development agency, we play an active role in local and regional growth, with a strong emphasis on green urban initiatives and innovative urban development practices. Recently, we have explored nature-based solutions, eco-friendly urban regeneration, green mobility corridors, urban gardening, and green public spaces. Our primary goal is to boost regional development by enhancing the skills and expertise of our staff across four task groups. Our strategic activities are aligned with the long-term goals of our institution, the region, and the cities we serve.

Role in the project

SRC Bistra Ptuj is representing Podravje region, a fellow region within the project ARCADIA. Within the project we will leverage existing knowledge and experience to determine good practices for further development of the region in blue-green infrastructure with nature-based solutions. As a fellow region, we will serve as a test bed for transferability of identified solutions in the model regions.