The local shadowing initiative brought together key national stakeholders to explore co-valorization as a way to align innovation more closely with societal needs. All project partners shared insights from the CO-VALUE project with R&I intermediaries from Italy and Spain, discussing lessons learned, challenges and opportunities.

On April 14, 2026, the Emilia-Romagna local shadowing activity facilitated cross-regional knowledge exchange on citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation, and involved key national stakeholders, including:

• National Technological CLUSTER – ALISEI Advanced Life Sciences in Italy promoting research and innovation by networking the main Italian stakeholders in the sector, including companies, universities, research institutes, innovation hubs, regional clusters and districts, science parks, and both public and private healthcare systems. It also fosters international collaboration within the Italian Life Sciences ecosystem.
• National Technological CLUSTER Agrifood  CL.A.N. is a recognized multi-stakeholder association including companies, trade associations, universities, research organizations, training bodies and territorial representatives operating in the agrifood sector at national level. It is aimed at promoting and fostering the development of the agri-food supply chain.
• Fondazione Piemonte Innova: enabling technology transfer and innovation among businesses, public administrations, third sector organizations, and cities with a particular focus on small municipalities in Veneto Region.
• Distretto Campania Bioscience: operating in Campania Region, recognized to accelerate and structure the process of starting new businesses, and providing support services for business development, research development,
• Veneto Innovazione coordinating the regional innovation system and  promoting the results of scientific research and technology transfer activities in Veneto Region
• LAZIO INNOVA promoting regional excellence in Lazio Region, mainly fostering business networks, providing services for business start-ups, implementing services and activities that benefit the Lazio innovation system.

The discussions identified several critical challenges, such as the need of demonstrating the long-term value of co-valorization, bridging the gap between research and industry, and fostering collaboration through the quadruple helix model. Key priorities included building a culture of participation in R&I, investing in citizen engagement skills and establishing incentive systems for both researchers and citizens that want to embark in co-valorisation processes. The local shadowing sessions also emphasized the necessity of adequate funding and career recognition while positioning citizens as essential actors in R&I processes.