The kick-off meeting of Rethinking Co-creation of Digital and Environmental Policy in Systems of Multilevel Governance (RECODE MLG), was held on January 8-9, 2025, in Amsterdam. Spanning three years, this ambitious research project brings together leading universities and organizations from seven European countries to explore multilevel governance (MLG) in the context of digital and climate transitions.
Deliberative democracy, from theory to practice
The project aims to promote a fair, inclusive and democratic transition towards a digital and sustainable future by exploring how this “twin transition” can be effectively governed within the European Union’s multi-level governance (MLG) system. To this end, the project explores co-creation as a process that proactively involves multiple actors, as: policymakers, stakeholders, citizens and volunteers, in a collaborative effort to identify both the problems and solutions related to the twin transition.
At the project launch event was 25 attendees in-person from 9 partner institutions:
• Norway (University of Agder and Agder County Municipality)
• Romania (“Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu – LBUS)
• Germany (University of Heidelberg and Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar)
• Belgium (Catholic University of Louvain)
• Netherlands (University of Groningen)
• Italy (University of Trento)
• Switzerland (University of Lausanne)
The event also welcomed online participants via Zoom, including advisory board members, Wolfgang Bode, EC Project Officer, and two communication team members. Prof. Amanda Machin from University of Agder, Norway, coordinator of the RECODE MLG, stated that:
“This project brings together an impressive consortium from different disciplinary backgrounds and from different parts of Europe. At our launch event last week in Amsterdam, we discussed together our collective vision for the project and our plans and expectations for the next three years, sharing our distinct perspectives and resources. I’m excited and privileged to be co-ordinating this project.”
Communication, in charge of the LBUS team
“Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu is responsible for Work Package 8 (WP8) – Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation—ensuring public visibility of the project throughout its lifespan. The communication team is coordinated by Prof. Adrian Florea and has other six members, three of them part of the academic staff: Prof. Minodora Sălcudean, Prof. Remus Brad, Lecturer Adina Pintea, and the other three are technical experts: Dan Drăghici, Emil Nistor, Daniela Dărămuș.
Key communication activities include developing a strategic communication and dissemination plan, creating the project website, managing social media channels, and producing a documentary film about the project, promoting scientific research outcomes.
The RECODE MLG project proposes concrete directions for research, development and implementation for the next three years, such as:
Real-Life Case Studies: Six case studies examining co-creation in MLGs within critical contexts—city networks, rural and peri-urban areas, and cross-border regions.
Empirical Co-Creation Laboratories: Based on case study findings, four co-creation laboratories will develop collaborative governance models for effective digital, green, and inclusive transitions.
Scientific Outputs: Researchers will publish articles, create a co-creation guidebook, and develop policy recommendations to strengthen collaborative MLG practices.
For more information, visit https://recode-mlg.eu/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/recode-mlg-project/ or contact minodora.salcudean@ulbsibiu.ro.
The RECODE project, funded by the Horizon Europe mechanism (HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-02), officially commenced on January 1, 2025.
