UGR County Councils: A regional Science-Policy Dialogue Model for Sustainable Development

Authors

Esteban Romero-Frías
currently works as Vice-Rector for Social Innovation, Employability and Entrepreneurship at the University of Granada and is Full Professor in the Department of Accountancy and Finance. His academic and research work focuses on public and social innovation, digital learning, and digital humanities. Through UGR MediaLab, which he has directed since its foundation, he has led various collaborative projects such as Impronta Granada and UnInPública that are aimed at building bridges between universities, public institutions, and society to tackle regional challenges.
David Corado
is a conference interpreter, translator, and predoctoral researcher in the Languages, Texts and Contexts programme at the University of Granada. Trained at institutions such as the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universitat Jaume I, he holds an FPU UGR–Santander research contract and is a member of Medialab UGR, where he takes part in projects such as ENGAGEgreen and #YoSigoUGR. He currently combines his teaching and research work with professional conference interpreting, collaborating on a voluntary basis with organisations, associations and non-profit entities. He has participated in academic projects, conferences and publications related to interpreting and communicative competences.

Summary: Key features in a nutshell

Ten regional UGR County Councils, one per county of the Granada province
Living Lab and Quadruple Helix approach linking universities, governments, businesses, and citizens
Participatory identification of local challenges in water management, soil restoration, sustainable mobility, and cultural heritage
Science-policy pairing between researchers and public officials for locally relevant solutions
Institutional framework ensuring long-term coordination and knowledge transfer between academia and territorial authorities

Description

The UGR County Councils are a regional model for science-policy dialogue developed by the University of Granada (Spain) within the Erasmus+ ENGAGEgreen project. The initiative is a response to the province’s urgent environmental and social challenges—such as drought, soil degradation, and rural depopulation—by creating ten County Councils, one per county, that connect academia, policymakers, the private sector, and civil society.

Using the Living Lab methodology and the Quadruple Helix model, the Councils foster collaborative experimentation and evidence-based policymaking. They serve as locally rooted platforms for co-creation, capacity building, and participatory governance, advancing sustainable development at the regional level.

How does the format work?

1. Introduction

Granada’s pressing environmental issues revealed a lack of structured mechanisms to integrate scientific evidence into policymaking. To overcome this, the UGR established ten County Councils to institutionalize dialogue between science and policy at the territorial level.

2. Objectives

Foster inclusive and structured dialogue between academia, public administration, civil society, and the private sector.
Identify and prioritize local challenges through participatory platforms.
Pilot a scalable model of science-policy pairing capable of replication in other European regions.
Strengthen institutional capacities for knowledge transfer and consolidate the university’s civic engagement mission.

3. Methodology

The Councils employ a Living Lab approach that promotes real-world experimentation and stakeholder cocreation of locally relevant solutions.

They integrate the Quadruple and Quintuple Helix logic, ensuring the participation of:

Academic institutions
Public administrations
Private sector actors
Civil-society organizations

Recruitment and participation combined institutional communication (emails, websites) with informal word-of-mouth channels to reach local policymakers and citizens.

Activities used hybrid formats (online and in-person) such as webinars, cocreation workshops, and capacity-building sessions designed to foster dialogue, mutual learning, and joint decision making.

4. Pilot implementation highlights

The UGR County Councils were formally launched in January 2025 during the First Impronta Granada Meeting, which gathered 143 participants for the first province-wide encounter. Since then, the initiative has evolved into a structured network of approximately 230 active participants across ten counties in Granada.

The councils have facilitated science policy dialogue on key environmental issues, including webinars and seminars on soil restoration, drought management, and biotechnological alternatives for pest control, co-organized with local authorities and scientific experts.

Stakeholder engagement reflects the project’s Quadruple Helix foundation, combining public administrations, academic institutions, civil society, and private sector actors.

A total of over 15 multiformat activities have been organized, including:

Webinars on soil restoration and drought with regional agencies
A seminar on sustainable pest control co-led by UGR biotechnology experts and local mayors
Capacity-building workshops and collaborative working sessions, generating more than eight localized action proposals, several of which are being integrated into municipal and regional policy agendas
Codesigned, place-based solutions addressing water governance, ecological transition, and rural innovation rooted in territorial realities.
Science-policy pairing mechanisms, enabling researchers to act as regional mediators and catalyze evidence-based decision making at the municipal level.

5. Results and impact

National and international visibility through participation in conferences, dissemination via institutional networks, and continuous media outreach
Development of a flexible governance model, balancing central coordination with local autonomy and self-organization
Institutional recognition and symbolic incentives, such as participation certificates and the forthcoming Best UGR County Council Award, reinforcing long-term stakeholder engagement
Hybrid participation formats (online and in-person) expanded accessibility, especially in rural areas, strengthening inclusivity and plural representation

Overall, the UGR County Councils have demonstrated the potential of universities as regional mediators, fostering collaborative solutions that address environmental and social challenges through sustained science-policy dialogue.

Challenges

Historically weak links between academia and local governments required trust-building
Balancing academic coordination with local autonomy
Ensuring equitable representation of all quadruple-helix sectors
Managing logistics and accessibility for rural territories
Translating dialogue outcomes into concrete, actionable policies
Difficulties maintaining consistent participation across all counties

Tasks and resources

Scientists

Contribute research insights on sustainability, soil, water, and cultural heritage
Act as regional mediators, facilitating evidence-based discussions
Support monitoring and evaluation through data analysis and policy translation

Knowledge exchange managers and research managers

Coordinate the creation of ten county-based councils and manage logistics
Design and facilitate cocreation workshops and training sessions
Ensure alignment between local priorities and ENGAGEgreen objectives
Compile reports and communication materials for dissemination (websites, media)

Policymakers

Participate in workshops and webinars to share challenges and priorities
Provide local data, administrative context, and feedback on proposed solutions
Integrate cocreated proposals into municipal or county policy agendas

Examples

Launch event (January 2025): First Impronta Granada Meeting was attended by 143 participants, marking the establishment of all ten UGR County Councils
Ongoing network: Approximately 230 active participants across the province
Thematic webinars: On soil restoration, drought management, and biotechnological pest control, co-organized with local authorities and researchers
Workshops: Generated over 10 localized action proposals, several now under implementation in municipal policies
Hybrid formats: Online and in-person participation strengthened inclusivity and accessibility for rural communities

Do you want to know more about the policy engagement toolkit?

Do you want to share your experience in policy engagement? Do you think about contributing to the policy engagement toolkit? Feel free to contact Tome Sandevski via science-policy@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de