OneSTOP has established five Living Labs across Europe to support co-creation of innovative invasive alien species (IAS) detection and monitoring technologies with practitioners. These labs, located in diverse climatic and socio-economic settings, engage local stakeholders and the public to ensure practical usability. They provide real-world environments for piloting new methods, refining tools, and informing policy discussions on IAS management.
Each Living Lab has a core stakeholder group involved in invasive species management in the Living Lab area and directing the activities of the Living Lab. These groups consist of representatives, for example, from local authorities, nature conservation groups, businesses, biological recording communities, and the local OneSTOP research team. The group decides which species and locations to focus on, tests the novel technologies or identifies potential users, and promotes and supports the citizen science activities of the Living Lab.
In addition to the core group, further stakeholders and the public will be involved depending on the activities. Feedback from all people involved will be analysed and used to improve technologies and procedures (e.g., responses to the OneSTOP alert system), and all data generated will be integrated into the automated workflows of the OneSTOP data-driven prioritisation system.
We aim for the collaborations established through the project to continue as local partnerships beyond the duration of the OneSTOP project.