From 28 to 30 October 2026, partners of the GREENCOOP project gathered at the CIHEAM-IAMM facilities in Montpellier, France, for the project’s second Consortium Meeting. Over three days, the event combined practical field experience, technical collaboration and stakeholder-oriented planning, reinforcing the project’s shared commitment to accelerating the green transition of rural areas through cooperation, agroecology and digital innovation.
Day 1: Connecting Innovation with Practice
The meeting opened with a field visit to the Domaine du Petit Saint Jean, offering partners the opportunity to observe agricultural production systems in a real-world setting and discuss practical challenges and opportunities facing rural businesses.
More than a technical visit, the field experience highlighted the importance of connecting research and innovation with the realities of agricultural producers and local communities.
The visit also provided a valuable setting for informal exchanges among consortium members, strengthening collaboration across disciplines and countries while reinforcing the project’s practice-oriented approach.
Day 2: Reviewing Progress
The second day focused on the consortium’s internal work and strategic coordination. Partners reviewed the progress achieved during the first year of implementation and discussed priorities for the next phase of the project.
Throughout the day, work package leaders presented advances across GREENCOOP’s core activities, including the development of the Rural Innovation Business Community Network, the implementation of demonstrators in participating territories, sustainability assessment methodologies, business model optimisation activities, digital support tools and stakeholder uptake strategies.
The discussions highlighted the strong level of cooperation achieved across the consortium and the complementary expertise contributed by partners. Particular attention was given to ensuring coherence between technical developments, Living Lab activities and future pilot actions.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to align efforts around communication, dissemination and exploitation activities, ensuring that project outcomes will reach rural communities, policymakers and other key stakeholders across Europe and beyond.
Day 3: Preparing the Next Phase of Stakeholder Engagement
The final day brought together Innovation Brokers and project partners to prepare the next round of Living Lab activities and stakeholder engagement actions.
Discussions focused on ensuring a coordinated approach across all participating territories, with partners working to harmonise methods, validate common tools and prepare upcoming workshops involving farmers, rural entrepreneurs, advisors and other local actors.
This collaborative planning process is central to GREENCOOP’s ambition to co-create solutions with stakeholders rather than for them. By actively involving rural communities in the development and assessment of business models, the project seeks to ensure that its outcomes respond to real needs and can generate tangible benefits on the ground.
As the project moves forward, the knowledge generated through field demonstrations, Living Labs and stakeholder engagement activities will continue to support the development of practical solutions capable of driving the green transition and strengthening the long-term sustainability of rural communities.
