The Living Lab aims to mitigate policy and narrative fragmentation concerning human–large carnivore coexistence within the Adriatic-Ionian region, with a specific focus on the Veneto territory. This initiative transcends mere ecological management, addressing the disconnect between scientific evidence, public perception, media representation, and socio-economic imperatives.
Through a participatory co-design framework, the Living Lab will target two primary dimensions:
– misalignment between public perceptions and real ecological or management issues.
– lacunar policies on large carnivore especially for less-represented species (e.g. jackal and lynx)
The objective is to delineate shared priorities for robust policy recommendations.
The Living Lab is based on the Quadruple Helix EU innovation model, facilitating collaboration among public institutions, researchers, private enterprises, and citizens to co-create actionable solutions.
Stakeholder involvement will encompass regional policy makers, local administrations, protected area managers, and economic actors such as livestock owners, farmers, apiarists, and hunters. Additionally, the initiative will engage media professionals, environmental journalists, local influencers, and civil society organisations. Scientific validation will be provided by biologists, researchers, and relevant NGOs.
The Veneto Region will be consulted to identify further essential stakeholders. Engagement with regional policymakers aims to explore the potential of Living Lab methodologies to enhance governance practices, ensuring alignment with existing policy frameworks.
All stakeholders will benefit from participating in the Living Lab by having the opportunity to share their needs, better understand other perspectives, access reliable information, and jointly contribute to practical solutions for coexistence with large carnivores.
The activity anticipates developing a streamlined, replicable governance and communication model to enhance dialogue on human–large carnivore coexistence.
This initiative will integrate a structured stakeholder dialogue framework, specialised facilitation tools, and a dedicated regional communication and participation channel.
These resources aim to disseminate evidence-based information, share best practices, mitigate conflict, and improve decision-making.
Ultimately, the objective is to develop a permanent communication and consultation framework with policymakers to foster dialogue on human–large carnivore coexistence.
The Living Lab adopts established EU methodologies, including stakeholder mapping, sequential dialogue, and evidence-perception reconciliation, culminating in the co-design of policy recommendations.
During the workshops, participants will use practical facilitation tools, such as post-its, cards, maps, templates, and guided discussion sheets, to express concerns, structure ideas, compare perceptions with scientific evidence, identify shared priorities, and co-create recommendations to improve coexistence with large carnivores.
Participants will engage in a series of workshops designed to facilitate the exchange of perspectives, critical analysis of evidence, and validation of policy priorities. The methodology incorporates ethnographic interviews, questionnaires, and workshops to gather insights into perceptions, concerns, and potential solutions.
Technical-scientific validation will be conducted with relevant experts, while policy-oriented sessions will engage administrative decision-makers. Each session will yield structured outputs.
Furthermore, the initiative will deploy participatory tools, including conflict-solution matrices and policy recommendation templates. Finally, the project will curate a repository of educational resources and disseminate findings via the 4PETHABECO digital platform, incorporating lessons learned from partner experiences in awareness-raising and habitat connectivity.
