CO-VALUE launches focus groups in Alicante to explore citizen values around circular economy and emerging technologies

The European project CO-VALUE will hold a series of focus group sessions in Alicante this July, aimed at gathering first-hand insights from diverse participants on innovative topics in key areas, such as circular economy and emerging technologies. These sessions will delve into how such developments are currently being used, collect participants’ insights and point of views, uncover unmet needs, identify barriers to adoption, and—most importantly—understand the values and priorities of citizens in relation to these topics.

As part of its mission toengageteenage citizens for Knowledge Valorisation, , CO-VALUE is organising its first sessions on July 15 and 16 at the EGM Atalayas business park, focusing on circular economy in the plastics sector. Additional sessions will take place on July 23rd, at ImpulsAlicante, exploring the impact of emerging technologies on citizens’ daily lives.

Led by the Alicante Science Park (PCA) as the partner responsible for local experimentation in Alicante, and with the technical support of Stickydot, all sessions are part of tailored participatory metholodogues and guided by expert facilitators. The focus groups will invite participants to express their views, needs, expectations and ideas in an open and inclusive setting. Similar workshops will be organised later this year in Emilia-Romagna at ART-ER, as part of the local experimentation led by CO-VALUE partner Fondazione Giannino Bassetti.

To ensure a broad and representative perspective, the sessions of the focus groups are held separately for participants under 25 and over 25 years of age, covering a variety of socio-economic profiles.

These activities are the first steps of the Alicante’s experimentation where citizens will concretely contribute to align technological innovation with social impact and tosupport the development of more inclusive and sustainable solutions that truly reflect what matters to citizens. The focus groups mark the beginning of a broader series of participatory workshops to be held after the summer, with opportunities for continued engagement.