On 11th July ART-ER, CO-VALUE partner, hosted an online Needs Assessment Workshop, to evaluate the existing knowledge and actions taken by selected projects in relation to citizen engagement in knowledge valorisation.

The workshop allowed participants to share their experiences and approaches, fostering a rich exchange of ideas, with particular emphasis given to the importance of involving citizens in research processes and projects in order to achieve a more inclusive and innovative model of innovation.

The workshop was carried on with working groups composed of representatives of PAs, universities, research centres and civil society with the aim to identify the specific needs of each stakeholder.

The main difficulties for a successful collaboration were identified as:

• caution on both sides and consequent need of transparent communication to go beyond skepticism,
• need to adopt transparent and understandable ways to communicate,
• need for training on citizen engagement methods,
• engagement of citizens throughout the process of creating and validating products,
• active involvement of citizens in the dissemination of results.

In conclusion, the workshop successfully mapped out the immediate and long-term needs of regional participants and reinforced the importance of promoting transparent collaboration among actors.