Promoting sustainable practices through education: Insights from the SAFE living lab initiative

This paper explores the development of a Living Lab, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry Explained (SAFE), initiative led by the Resources Innovation Center at the Montanuniversität Leoben, designed to strengthen the university's role in the EU Missions of adaptation to climate change and healthy soil. The SAFE initiative employs the Living Lab concept to create a dynamic, real-life setting where stakeholders from academia, industry, and the community collaborate to explore develop and implement sustainable agricultural and forestry practices. The paper details the strategic implementation, educational outreach, and collaborative efforts aimed at fostering these practices. It emphasises the importance of education in building a competitive Europe, linking the initiative to broader EU policies such as Horizon Europe and the European Green Deal. By engaging various target groups through participation and research and educational activities, the SAFE initiative aims to increase societal awareness and acceptance of sustainable technologies, ultimately contributing to the EU’s goals of climate resilience and environmental sustainability.