On 3 December 2025, the SOILL-Startup project will host its final conference in Brussels, marking a milestone in Europe’s journey toward healthier soils.
SOILL-Startup, coordinated by the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), plays a crucial role in building up and supporting Soil Health Living Labs (SHLLs) and Lighthouses across Europe. The project has helped set up a “one-stop-shop” infrastructure — notably through the SOILL Hub, a digital platform designed to facilitate collaboration, knowledge exchange and monitoring within the network. At the upcoming conference, the SOILL team plans to highlight insights drawn not only from the initial wave of Living Labs but also from the second. These insights will inform discussions around how to embed soil health innovation more firmly into European and national strategies. In particular, the event aims to speak to how Living Labs can contribute data, how their results should influence policy, and how they might be better integrated into long-term mission frameworks.
Taking place at the European Committee of the Regions building, the final event gathers a broad mix of policymakers, researchers, living-lab practitioners and representatives of the EU’s Soil Mission. The afternoon agenda (14:00–17:00 CET Brussels Time) will present the project’s key findings, reflect on lessons learned in its two-year run, and offer concrete policy recommendations. Ahead of the formal agenda, a networking lunch from 13:00 allows participants to meet informally and strengthen ties across the soil-health community.
One particularly significant thread that will likely feature at the final conference is the policy relevance of SOILL’s work. The project’s momentum aligns closely with broader EU developments: notably, the push to establish more Living Labs under the Soil Mission, and the recent advances around the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive. By bringing together practitioners, innovators and decision-makers, the event promises to further bridge the gap between on-the-ground experimentation and the high-level policy agenda.
Registration is possible via ENOLL website.