This paper presents the concept of communities of innovation for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. The paper discusses the added value of these types of communities to help address uncertain futures from the impact of climate change, which are highly context dependent. The paper frames these communities of innovation as part of innovation ecosystems in order to reflect on their key elements and added value. We argue that climate change and disaster risk management responses need to meet the needs of those experiencing problems with those that can offer solutions in distinct localities, including those that could fund or finance potential innovative solutions. Developing communities of innovation with the specific task of anticipating and creating niche solutions has been gaining traction in the EU. Some developed under the H2020 BRIGAID project are analysed here for other emergent COIs, as future-oriented communities tasked with the challenge to reduce disaster risks and enhance the climate resilience in their own spaces. This paper reflects on the experience of participants in these communities and their reflections and experience on whether these offer a useful form of organisation to anticipate future challenges, create niche solutions, and bring innovations to the market. The paper concludes with how communities of innovation can contribute to niche design and narratives of change to help achieve social and environmental resilience to reframe and help transition and transform current systems into more resilient, future-oriented communities.

This article presents the results of the Innovation Support Program (ISP), designed to enhance the market readiness of 12 bio-based innovators from six European rural regions: Northern Sweden, Mazovia (Poland), Upper Austria, Pays de la Loire (France), Strumica (Macedonia), and Andalusia (Spain). Over three years, the ISP applied a modular and flexible methodology, beginning with a cross-regional needs analysis to identify knowledge gaps, followed by a call for Expressions of Interest to select promising bio-based solutions, and concluding with tailored support delivered through regional Task Forces. These provided mentoring and capacity-building activities focusing on business modeling, market analysis, and funding opportunities. The program identified market access as a major barrier to scaling up and noted that many solutions followed Social and Solidarity Economy principles, prioritizing social and environmental impact over profit. Through targeted assistance and knowledge exchange, the ISP strengthened local innovation capacity and contributed measurable progress in companies’ Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Positioned within the framework of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the ISP demonstrates how combining regional insights with a structured support framework can effectively accelerate the scaling of bio-based solutions, highlighting the need for iterative, long-term support to sustain regional bioeconomy growth.

This article presents a practical case of a co-creation process within the framework of the European project Digital Water City (DWC). DWC sought to address the context and challenges of water in Europe with a participatory approach of co-creation as an integral part of Communities of Practice. To situate the concepts within their theoretical framework, the different approximations of co-creation and Communities of Practice (CoPs) are examined. The article analyzes the ways in which they have been used and applied in DWC as well as the ways in which the project has managed to articulate them at different levels. It discusses what has been done so far, whether the objectives related to co-creation have been achieved, what its added value to the project was, and the possible obstacles and successes. In order to gather this information, five case studies are presented and illustrated with a questionnaire that was carried out with the cities, researchers and key innovators. Results show that DWC´s co-creation process succeeded in incorporating end-users’ needs into the development of the digital solutions created, giving them a constructive role in the value-creation process, and bringing together different stakeholders from public and private sectors as well as researchers. It was also highlighted that the process and its format need to be adapted to each specific context and a culture of co-creation needs first to be established. The co-creation process and the DWC CoPs also raise governance questions and create new partnerships.

This article presents a practical case of a co-creation process within the framework of the European project Digital Water City (DWC). DWC sought to address the context and challenges of water in Europe with a participatory approach of co-creation as an integral part of Communities of Practice. To situate the concepts within their theoretical framework, the different approximations of co-creation and Communities of Practice are examined. The article analyzes the ways in which they have been used and applied in DWC as well as the ways in which the project has managed to articulate them at different levels. It discusses what has been done so far, whether the objectives related to co-creation have been achieved, what its added value to the project was, and the possible obstacles and successes. In order to gather this information, five case studies are presented and illustrated with a questionnaire that was carried out with the cities, researchers and key innovators. Results show that DWC´s co-creation process succeeded in incorporating end-users’ needs into the development of the digital solutions created, giving them a constructive role in the value-creation process, and bringing together different stakeholders from public and private sectors as well as researchers. It was also highlighted that the process and its format need to be adapted to each specific context and a culture of co-creation needs first to be established. The co-creation process and the DWC CoPs also raise governance questions and create new partnerships.