Report on the fifth EMiN Meeting

The 5th meeting of the European Mission Network (EMiN) took place virtually on the 5th of July 2023. With the primary focus on citizen engagement, this two-hour session further explored the implementation of the mission approach. The format “Meet and Monitor the Missions” was also featured during the meeting. Over 60 stakeholders from various organizations took part in this enlightening discussion.

The meeting commenced with a welcome from Peter Spyns of EWI. Following this, Angela Schindler-Daniels from the DLR Project provided a brief introduction to TRAMi and EMiN. Matthias Weber from AIT followed with a stimulating presentation on TRAMI and citizen engagement, emphasizing that incorporating citizen perspectives in decision-making processes drives social innovation.

Peter Spyns, again representing EWI, presented on the Flemish stakeholder platform for European Programs, providing valuable insights into how missions could be executed more effectively at the regional level. Jan Seys from VLIZ provided case studies from Flanders focusing on bridging the gap between the public and the EU Mission ‘Restore Ocean & Waters’. These real-world examples showcased how community involvement can significantly enhance mission effectiveness.

The last presentation of the day was delivered by Annelies Duerinckx and Karen Verstraelen from Scivil. They discussed the participatory approach in the development of Societal AI Applications, highlighting the potential of participatory models for developing AI systems that are truly responsive to societal needs.

The meeting concluded with a 30-minute moderated discussion involving all participants. This lively conversation brought to light various perspectives and reiterated the need for citizen engagement in mission advancement.

We extend our gratitude to all speakers and participants who engaged in these critical conversations on citizen engagement. We look forward to seeing you at our next EMiN Meeting, which will be announced soon!