On September 11, 2024, the CARDIMED project held its DEMO1 workshop and focus group, exploring functionalities of the CARDIMED digital tools. This interactive event was conducted in a super-hybrid format, simultaneously taking place at four different locations while connected through video streaming.
The workshop spanned across Greek islands and Athens. On Lesvos, where DEMO1.1 is located, Costas Noutsopoulos and Taxiarchis Seintos from NTUA facilitated the session. Ioannis Vasilakos of HYDRASPIS hosted the workshop on Mykonos, the site of DEMO1.2. Kostas Petrakos from MedINA moderated the session on Sifnos, home to DEMO1.3. Throughout the event, Katerina Karagiannopoulou of ICCS provided remote support and clarifications from Athens, ensuring smooth communication across all locations.
Zooming-in to the Lesvos session, held at the University of the Aegean campus, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders. Participants included representatives from the Region of North Aegean, field experts, university students, and interested members of the public. Professor Athanasios Stasinakis, director of the Water and Air Quality Laboratory in the Department of Environmental Engineering, opened the event by highlighting the University of the Aegean’s mission.
Following the welcome address, Costas Noutsopoulos took the stage to present CARDIMED. His presentation focused on the project’s goals, vision, and methodology. His talk introduced the role of digital technologies as enablers for the adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which well aligned participants’ expectations for the workshop.
Katerina Karagiannopoulou introduced four CARDIMED digital tools designed to cater to a wide spectrum of audiences. These tools include the NbS impact assessment digital tool and the transferability platform, both aimed at experts and operators. For the general public with little to no previous knowledge, the climate resilience dashboard and the citizen engagement app will be developed. With assistance from Costas and Taxiarchis, participants provided valuable input on making these digital tools both scientifically rigorous and user-friendly.
This super-hybrid workshop successfully brought together diverse stakeholders across multiple locations, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange in the development of digital tools for Nature-based Solutions.
