The Invest4Nature project recently spoke to Małgorzata Bronikowsk and Agnieszka Dziubała, specialists in interdisciplinary projects from Poznań City Hall to find out more about the Poznań Living Lab.
What did you enjoy most about your stakeholder engagement event(s)?
Małgorzata:
What I enjoyed most about the stakeholder engagement events in the Invest4Nature project was the way new ideas and solutions emerged directly from the workshop dynamics. The most rewarding moments were those when, based on the knowledge shared and the tasks discussed, the group was able to create additional value through the synergy of their diverse expertise, experiences, and engagement.
During the in-person meetings, the open discussion space allowed participants to jointly explore challenges and bring in perspectives that would not have surfaced without being together in the same room. It was not only about overcoming obstacles — it was also about discovering the collective strength and wisdom of the group.
I especially appreciated the NbS knowledge exchange between the City Hall team and business representatives, as it helped build bridges of understanding and strengthened overall awareness. It was also fulfilling to see everyone working toward a shared goal — to develop new, effective models of cooperation between the public and private sectors for green projects in the city.
This collaborative energy helps the project move forward and gives it the best possible shape and direction.
Agnieszka:
What always strikes me is how challenging it can be to get people to attend meetings in the first place – everyone has tight schedules, competing responsibilities, and limited staff capacity. That’s why I’m genuinely grateful when around 15 participants take the time to join.
The atmosphere, the chance to meet face-to-face, and the open exchange of ideas are incredibly energising. I’m consistently impressed by how willing people are to share, collaborate, and dive into different topics. These meetings also naturally create space for peer-to-peer learning, which I find especially valuable. That sense of openness and shared purpose was very present throughout all the stakeholder engagement events we organised.
What did your stakeholder event(s) achieve? For example: what did stakeholders learn; what were the outcomes; what difference did it make for your local area?
Małgorzata:
The stakeholder events delivered tangible results. They produced a clear set of actionable recommendations for the public sector to implement in the coming years. They strengthened collaboration between public and private sectors, enabling the creation of new cooperation models. A key objective established during the events was to increase investment in green projects across the city. The events also raised awareness among stakeholders, fostered active engagement and created opportunities to address challenges collectively. These efforts are expected to improve citizens’ quality of life and generate measurable benefits for urban ecosystems, contributing to the city’s long-term sustainability.
Agnieszka:
Across the three workshops held so far – mainly with the public sector, plus one focused on businesses – the biggest value has clearly been the exchange of knowledge and experiences. During each workshop, we introduce the context behind our work and aim to educate and inspire participants, especially on topics such as nature-based solutions (NbS), ecosystem services, valuation, and the economic, social, and environmental benefits of small-scale green interventions.
This is the knowledge participants consistently take away. At the same time, the events help us communicate the aims and progress of the Invest4Nature project and highlight the opportunities it brings for partners.
One workshop held in June resulted in a jointly developed set of ideas and recommendations to support the further development of cooperation models between the public and private sectors in our city. Stakeholders contributed directly to these recommendations, giving them real influence over how future collaboration may be shaped.
The DSS Toolbox workshops, in turn, gave participants a practical look at existing methods for economic evaluation of NbS and profitable projects. They learned how to assess NbS using both quantitative and qualitative approaches and explored how decision-support tools can be applied across different municipal departments. We hope this contributes to a growing recognition that valuing NbS should become a standard part of future project planning.
What are the next priorities for your Living Lab, during and beyond the Invest4Nature project?
Małgorzata:
The next priorities for the Poznań Living Lab are to carry out a pilot project testing a cooperation model between the public sector, private sector and local NGOs - with a focus on CSR-related issues. In parallel and based partly on the outcomes of this pilot, the Invest4Nature team at the Poznań Living Lab aims to develop a guidebook on public-private cooperation models. This guidebook will be directed to the public sector to raise awareness, facilitate collaboration, and encourage increased investment in green projects within the city.
Agnieszka:
The Poznań Living Lab intends to continue working on several key areas – both within the Invest4Nature project and in the years that follow:
- Promoting and supporting NbS in the city: inspiring stakeholders, providing education, running workshop cycles for partners and industry colleagues, and preparing materials and publications on NbS, green innovation, and green financing.
- Implementing a pilot project to test a selected model of cooperation with businesses (including within CSR frameworks).
- Developing an “Invest Notebook” that raises awareness and helps stakeholders better understand public–private cooperation – its barriers, gaps, opportunities, and potential.
- Further exploring green finance, including testing and implementing new solutions such as sponsorship packages, green bonds, and other financing models for future projects.