Community, Culture & Engagement
FIVE-C recognises that systemic change depends on social acceptance, cultural norms and participatory engagement. Across all sectors, this theme focuses on co-creating solutions with users, communities and stakeholders, embedding societal values into technology, materials, infrastructure and services.
Examples: citizen science in digital platforms, participatory building retrofit, consumer-driven sustainable fashion, community energy schemes, and patient-centered circular healthcare initiatives.
Why this matters:
Systemic transformation depends on social acceptance, shared values, and behavioural shifts, not just technologies. This theme embeds participatory methods, local knowledge and cultural practices into innovation.
KE focus:
- Co-creation workshops, citizen assemblies, design charrettes
- Public–academic–industry dialogue on circularity norms
- Cultural narratives shaping consumption, ownership, and reuse
- Inclusion, social equity, and place-based transitions
