Our Innovations
Sustaining and scaling project innovations beyond the project lifetime was a key driver of Connecting Nature from the outset. 92 project innovations are featured in the project IPR Directory with most openly available through the Connecting Nature Resource Centre on Oppla. Some of our most high profile innovations are:
UrbanByNature (2019) is a facilitated capacity-building programme promoting exchange among cities, researchers, SMEs and NGOs to build bridges with the Nature-Based Solutions communities across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other interested regions.
Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform (October 2020) The Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform (CNEP) is the world’s largest community of nature-based enterprises (NBE). Led by industry practitioners it aims to raise awareness and best practice among NBEs. CNEP is managed by Connecting Nature spin-off Horizon Nua, a not-for-profit foundation specialising in social innovation, research, capacity-building and communications.
EM|Path (December 2021) is a not-for-profit social enterprise that uses a range of people-centred co-production and engagement techniques to support sustainable community development and environmental protection
Connecting Ecology (January 2022) research & consultancy specialised in biodiversity surveys, NBS impact evaluation and technical solutions innovation.
Co-Impact (March 2022): is an online open-source app which helps cities or other NBS project leaders create a Nature-Based Solutions project evaluation and monitoring plan. Already the tool is being embedded in funding applications as a methodology for impact measurement.
Connecting Nature guidebooks have been translated by partners into multiple languages and key innovations have secured funding from other sources for further development. Partner knowledge and project innovations are being leveraged in other EU Horizon 2020 projects (ReNature, NetworkNature, GoGreenRoutes) and Horizon Europe projects (Invest4Nature, NBS Eduworld, Naturance, MAIA…). Beyond Horizon Europe, Connecting Nature has contributed to the LIFE project ARTISAN and the Erasmus+ project UForest.
Role of Horizon Nua: Communications, Dissemination and Exploitation Work Package Lead, Lead Developers and Managers of the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform; Delivered Skills and Capacity Building workshops to cities in Financing and Business Models for nature-based Solutions and Nature - based Entrepreneurship