On 3 December 2025, on the eve of World Soil Day, SOILL-Startup, an initiative in which AIR Institute participates, is organising a policy-oriented conference to connect expectations at EU level with on-the-ground evidence from the first and second waves of Mission Soil living labs. The event will examine data needs, enabling policy frameworks, practical challenges, early impacts and pathways towards long-term sustainability, turning lessons learned into workable recommendations for national and EU strategies under the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”.
'Shaping the Future of Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses in Europe' brings together key Mission Soil stakeholders to discuss how soil health living labs and lighthouses can accelerate ecosystem and soil restoration across Europe.
Policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers and representatives of Mission Soil living labs will gather at the European Committee of the Regions, Room VMA 21 (2nd floor), Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1040 Brussels, on 3 December 2025, to report on concrete recommendations for integrating soil health living labs into national and EU strategies supporting the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”.
SOILL-Startup invites you to join a networking lunch at 13:00 CET to contribute to the discussion. The event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
Deadline for in-person participation: Wednesday, 26 November, close of business. Register here
Agenda
3 December 2025. Wednesday
13:00 – 14:00
Welcome lunch and registration
14:00 – 14:20
Opening remarks
Giulia Campodonico
Markku Markkula
14:20 – 14:35
Keynote: The Soil Mission – current status, justification for LLs, progress to date and translating objectives into action
Henri Delanghe
Head of Research and Innovation Unit, European Commission, DG AGRI
14:30 – 15:30
Round table: Anchoring Living Labs in policy – expectations, evidence and frameworks
Bavo Peeters
Vasileios Takavakoglou
Angelique Vermeer
Giulia Campodonico
15:30 – 15:50
Coffee break
15:50 – 16:00
Keynote: European soil data – strengthening monitoring and data contributions from living labs
Panos Panagos
Project Lead, EU Soil Observatory (EUSO)
16:00 – 16:50
Round table: Voices from the field – one year of the Soil Mission Living Labs
Ioannis Varvaris
Lena Madden
Mladen Almaliev
Józef Chojnicki
16:50 – 17:00
Closing remarks
Giulia Campodonico
Project Manager, ENoLL
Lead, SOILL-Startup