ReNature has been officially approved to receive funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 809988. The project will officially kick off with the first ReNature assembly, planned to take place on 25-26 October 2018, in Malta.

ReNature will establish twinning between the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), and internationally leading research institutions from other member states to stimulate knowledge exchange between them.

Through the next three years ReNature will work towards the establishment and implementation of a nature-based solutions research strategy for Malta with a vision to promote research and innovation and develop solutions in a pursuit of economic growth, whilst at the same time improving human well-being and tackling environmental challenges. 

In particular, challenges that can be addressed through nature-based solutions are those associated with the attainment of sustainable urbanisation through the design of cities that support communities, promote public health, cultural identity and social cohesion. 

More information about the project and our objectives and expected outcomes is available on our About page. For live news and development follow us on Twitter and Faceboook.

Kick-off meeting programme    

Thursday 25th October 2018

11.00-13.00

Welcoming addresses and networking reception hosted by ReNature. This is a joint activity with JUMP2EXCEL Horizon 2020 Twinning Project. 

13.00  – 14.30

Introductory Thematic Talks

●  Stimulating research excellence in nature-based solutions through capacity-building, clustering and knowledge synthesis – the ReNature project (Dr Mario V Balzan, Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST)

●   Ecosystem services and nature-based solutions for urban planning (Prof Davide Geneletti, PLANES, Planning and Design for Sustainable Places Lab, University of Trento, Italy)

●  Knowledge synthesis for environmental decisions (Dr Lynn Dicks, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK)

14.30 – 14.45

Coffee Break

14.45-16:00

●  Transforming research into practice through nature-based solutions innovation (Dr Marcus Collier, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland)

●  The ReNature Dissemination and Knowledge Exchange Processes Pensoft (Ms Iliyana Kuzmova, Pensoft Publishers, Bulgaria)

●  Panel Discussion

●  Closing Remarks and prospects for the ReNature project