FORTHCOMING General Assembly II | Istanbul 3–4 July 2025

The second General Assembly of the FORTHCOMING project was held on 3–4 July 2025 at the Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Technical University.

During the event:

🟢 Meetings were held with local stakeholders,

🟢 Ideas were exchanged with experts,

🟢 A site visit was conducted in Küçükçekmece in collaboration with the Küçükçekmece Municipality.

General Assembly – 3 July: Progress, Knowledge Exchange, and Strategic Planning

The consortium gathered on 3 July for the General Assembly, a full-day event focused on reviewing progress, sharing insights from the Living Labs, and aligning the next steps across technical work packages. The meeting brought together universities, local authorities, Living Lab leaders, and external experts, ensuring a rich exchange of perspectives.

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Project Progress and Living Lab Insights

The meeting began with an update on the overall project progress, presented by UPM, highlighting achievements to date and key milestones ahead. This was followed by an in-depth session on the Living Labs (LLs), delivered jointly by UPM and EUR.

Discussions covered:

• The setup and current status of each LL

• Key findings from focus groups using SWOT analysis to map strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

• Insights from KPI-based data collection, providing evidence of performance and impact

• A cross-sectional analysis that compared results across LLs, identifying patterns and transferable lessons

The session concluded with an interactive exchange with external experts, where LL leaders presented their challenges and results, receiving valuable feedback for further refinement.

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Methodology for Transfer and Scaling

The afternoon began with a focus on Work Package 5, led by IST. This session introduced the methodology for transferring results from LLs to Urban Living Labs (ULLs). Partners presented:

• A structured transfer methodology (IST)

• Applications of the methodology to specific LLs (HCU)

• Approaches for scaling up successful solutions across cities and regions (EUR)

This work lays the foundation for ensuring that the project’s innovations are not limited to pilot sites but can be replicated and adapted more broadly.

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Multi-stakeholder Impact Assessment

POLITO presented progress on Work Package 6, which focuses on impact assessment from multiple perspectives. The team introduced the methodological framework and tools for data collection and shared the first results of both individual LL assessments and cross-sectional evaluations. This approach ensures that the project captures socio-economic, environmental, and technological impacts in a systematic and comparable way.

Dissemination and Transferability

The consortium then turned to Work Package 7, coordinated by ITU and Parabol. Updates included:

1. Ongoing work on the project website, social media channels, newsletters, and outreach activities

2. Partner contributions to scientific publications and conference participation

3. Progress on the forthcoming Guidebook, with the Table of Contents drafted and writing assignments distributed by UPM

This session emphasized the role of communication in ensuring visibility and long-term transferability of results.

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Management and Next Steps

Finally, partners reviewed Work Package 1 (Management). The discussion covered project monitoring, coordination of activities, the state of deliverables, and updates on the chronogram. This ensured alignment across teams and prepared the consortium for the next reporting phase.

The day concluded with a networking dinner, providing space for informal exchanges and strengthening collaboration among partners.

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Key Takeaways

• Living Labs are producing concrete evidence through KPIs, focus groups, and comparative analysis.

• A solid methodology for transferability and scalability is being developed under WP5.

• Impact assessment tools under WP6 will ensure that results are measurable and comparable across contexts.

• Dissemination activities are expanding, with a strong focus on visibility and the forthcoming Guidebook.

• Effective project management continues to support timely delivery of results and smooth coordination.

The General Assembly demonstrated the consortium’s shared commitment to innovation, knowledge exchange, and creating real-world impact across cities.