Description of the Project

The TRANS-lighthouses project aims to understand the strengths and limitations in the design and implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS).

It proposes to contribute to rethinking and reframing the main elements that compose the complexity of creating socially and ecologically just solutions.

TRANS-lighthouses integrates a network of “lighthouses” in urban, rural, coastal and forest areas.

The “lighthouses” are a metaphor for a set of local governance arrangements and instruments, within multi-stakeholder networks and concerted groups.

Each lighthouse is composed of living knowledge labs, assessment cases, pilot cases and international associated partners which aim  at improving the contributions of NBS and achieving ecological, social and economic objectives. To this end, new governance models, approaches and tools for co-creation will be tested in small scale but big picture projects which can be upscaled over time.

As a project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, lasting from May 2023 to October 2026, TRANS-lighthouses strengthens socio-politics as part of the public agenda for NBS towards systemic change.

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Why TRANS-lighthouses?

objectives

Transformative contributing to the full potential of NBS with communities

Reflexive grounded in assessment and critical analysis

Activist aiming at socioeconomic and political changes

Networked acting together across borders, disciplines and sectors

Solutions multidimensional and nature-based governance

lighthouses leading research in action

Objectives

1
Gathering
transdisciplinary perspectives through 
North-South community of practice
2
Expanding
NBS definition through 
a reflexive framework 
to recognize diverse 
forms of knowledge
3
Understanding
the range of potential and limitations in NBS design and implementation
4
Politicising
governance for just transition
5
Embedding
co-creation processes into governance arrangements
6
Guiding
an engaged 
and transformative communication

Work Packages

WP1
Project and consortium management
GATHERING
+
WP1
Project and consortium management
GATHERING

Overall coordination of the work plan and consortium / Gender+ dimension

CES-UC – Portugal

WP2
Living knowledge 
co-production and 
Place-based research
EXPANDING
+
WP2
Living knowledge 
co-production and 
Place-based research
EXPANDING

Expanding the conventional approaches to NBS by developing reflexive and critical frameworks

RUC – Denmark

WP3
Research in action 
and assaddment
UNDERSTANDING
+
WP3
Research in action 
and assaddment
UNDERSTANDING

Research, assessment and deepen the analysis of social, political and cultural contexts

TUM – Germany

WP4
Innovative governance 
for NBS co-creation
POLITICIZING
+
WP4
Innovative governance 
for NBS co-creation
POLITICIZING

Gathering partners with experience in research and intervention regarding participatory models of governance

CES-UC – Portugal

WP5
Pilot cases implementation through co-creation
EMBEDDING
+
WP5
Pilot cases implementation through co-creation
EMBEDDING

Interconnects the research activities with real-world co-creation cases

CyI – Cyprus

WP6
Community-based communication 
and citizen science
GUIDING
+
WP6
Community-based communication 
and citizen science
GUIDING

Communication and interaction with citizens in the deployment of NBS

UGE-CNRS – France

WP7
Ethics requirements
+
WP7
Ethics requirements

Ethics requirements

CES-UC – Portugal

Inspiration