On Wednesday 23^rd of July, as part of the European project CO-VALUE, two focus groups were lead by our partner Alicante Science Park  within the framework of Citizen Engagement for Knowledge Valorisation on emerging technologies. The sessions took place in an accessible and welcoming space for citizens at the Entrepreneurs space from ImpulsAlicante, also helping to strengthen collaboration with public institutions in Alicante.

The activities focused on reflecting on emerging technologies with social impact, exploring perceptions, opportunities and challenges related to their development and application in everyday life. The insights gathered during these sessions will serve as a valuable basis for advancing the project’s goals in citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation. In the morning, the session was aimed at young people under the age of 25, while in the afternoon the group of participants over 25 years old met. Each focus group involved 12 participants, with equal representation of men and women and diverse socio-demographic profiles, which enriched both the debate and the generation of ideas, thanks to the expertise of Stickydot regarding the methodolodies and the facilitation’ skills of the local specialist.

These Citizen Engagement for Knowledge Valorisation activities in Alicante represent another step in CO-VALUE’s commitment to involving citizens in the joint development of knowledge-based solutions aimed at social transformation. The experiment will last next 3 months in Alicante with different groups of agents from the quadruple helix: researchers, enterprises, government and civil society.