On 27 January 2026, the INSPIRING ERA project hosted an online event bringing together participants from more than 30 countries to explore how public engagement and citizen science can strengthen trust in science, foster inclusion, and support democratic participation in research and innovation across Europe.
Part of the INSPIRING ERA online series, the event focused on sharing learning and good practice from across Europe. Drawing on insights from European initiatives, Mutual Learning Exercises and concrete project experience, the emphasis was on moving beyond showcasing examples to explore what works in practice and what can be transferred to different research, policy and engagement contexts.
Inspiring practices from across Europe
The first half of the programme featured four project showcases highlighting diverse approaches to citizen engagement.
- The Amai! programme (Belgium) demonstrated how citizens can be involved throughout the full lifecycle of developing artificial intelligence applications, from generating ideas to co-creating solutions and supporting funded projects, with a strong focus on inclusion and lowering barriers to participation.
- Wijkwijs (Netherlands) showcased a community-driven, neighbourhood-based research collective in Rotterdam, illustrating how shifting leadership to local communities can help address research fatigue, rebalance power relationships, and strengthen trust between universities and communities.
- The HEROINES project (Serbia) highlighted how citizen science can empower marginalised communities, centring Roma women as knowledge-holders through participatory community mapping and storytelling, and using research as a platform for self-advocacy and social justice.
- Ireland’s Creating Our Future initiative illustrated how large-scale, inclusive public dialogue can inform national research priorities, engaging more than 18,000 people through low-barrier, country-wide participation formats and feeding directly into research and innovation policy.
Panel discussion: from inspiration to sustainable practice
The project showcases were followed by a panel discussion involving four panellists with extensive experience of citizen engagement in both national and European contexts: Professor Alan Irwin, Copenhagen Business School and Chair of the European Commission Mutual Learning Exercise on Citizen Science; Maria Hagardt, Senior Research Officer at the International Secretariat of the Swedish Research Council and national representative to the European Commission Mutual Learning Exercise on Public Engagement; Dr Ken Skeldon, President of EUSEA and Head of Public Engagement at the University of Glasgow; and Frederike Schmitz, Programme Leader for Citizen Science and Societal Engagement at Open Science NL (part of the Dutch Research Council).
The discussion focused on how citizen engagement can move from inspiring examples to wider and more sustainable practice, drawing on shared learning from European initiatives, the Mutual Learning Exercises and practical experience..
Panellists reflected on what makes good engagement, emphasising clarity of purpose, mutual learning and meaningful impact. Inclusion and motivation were discussed as requiring trust-building, early preparation and long-term relationships, particularly when working with underrepresented groups. At system level, the discussion highlighted the need to prioritise quality over quantity, strengthen institutional support, reform research assessment practices, and invest in skills and soft infrastructure to embed citizen engagement sustainably.
What’s next in ERA?
The event concluded with a short overview from Georgios Papanagnou, Policy Officer at DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, on the new ERA Policy Agenda (2025–2027) structural policy “Enhancing Trust in Science through Citizen Participation and Communication”, which launched in December 2025. Planned activities during 2026 include the establishment of a European Community of Practice.
From inspiration to action
Feedback from participants showed that the event supported both reflection and concrete follow-up actions. Many reported gaining new perspectives on citizen engagement and planned to explore showcased initiatives further, share insights internally, and review engagement approaches in their own work. The diversity of approaches presented was particularly valued as a source of inspiration and practical reference.
The event was moderated by Helen Garrison, Project & Communications Manager at Public & Science Sweden, and organised as part of its involvement in the EU INSPIRING ERA project, which seeks to support the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda.
Resources now available
All event materials, including the full recording, presentation slides and additional links, are available on the INSPIRING ERA website.
