Jyväskylä, Finland – April 2025

The Horizon Europe-funded project DeCrises officially launched in April 2025 at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, bringing together a powerhouse consortium of researchers and institutions committed to navigating Europe’s twin transitions in the context of complex socio-economic crises.

The project aims to generate actionable insights into how governance systems can adapt to overlapping disruptions - from digitalisation to climate change - while ensuring no one is left behind. Over the next three years, DeCrises will explore how citizen engagement, regional social innovation, and governance can shape more equitable and efficient responses to societal challenges.

DeCrises is structured in seven work packages, which will ensure the efficient facilitation of research efforts throughout the duration of the project:

• WP1: Mapping multilevel governance across national, transnational, and cross-border dimensions.

• WP2: Investigating just twin transitions and regional innovation.

• WP3: Analysing digitalised energy systems through the lens of the EU Green Deal and Digital Strategy.

• WP4: Exploring grassroots-driven social innovations.

• WP5: Delivering policy pathways and recommendations for inclusive decision-making.

• WP6: Ensuring the long-lasting impact of the project’s results, through communication, dissemination and exploitation strategies.

• WP7: Management and coordination to ensure smooth collaboration between WPs.

“We want the benefits of digitalisation and climate action to better reach all levels of society. The objectives of DeCrises are in line with the EU's ambition to build resilient, inclusive futures”, says project coordinator Dr. Farid Karimi, Senior Lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

The DeCrises project comprises nine partners from over eight countries, namely:

University of Jyväskylä, Finland, is the project coordinator and leader of WP5. Their expertise lies in Inclusive governance, democratic innovations, and policy design. JYU hosts overall project coordination and leads the development of decision-making pathways and policy recommendations.

Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvia, is the leader of WP1. They bring knowledge to the table on what concerns public policy and governance research, with a focus on multi-level and cross-border governance frameworks.

Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, leads WP2. This partner institution excels in social sciences and regional development, focusing on twin transitions and inter/intra-regional initiatives.

LUT University (Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology), Finland is the lead of WP3. They are focused on energy systems, digital governance, and sustainability transitions, particularly in the context of the EU Green Deal and Digital Strategy.

Vestlandsforsking (Western Norway Research Institute), Norway, leads WP4. Their expertise lies in community-based innovation, participatory approaches, and local sustainability solutions.

Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences (IMP PAN), Poland. The institute's expertise lies in energy technologies and sustainability, providing a technical-scientific lens to the study of energy transitions.

Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, is the partner focused on citizen engagement and the socio-technical aspects of the twin digital and climate transitions, with a focus on barriers and social innovation opportunities.

Universität Greifswald, Germany, will bring to the table their knowledge on political science, governance, and law in response to crises and societal change.

Pensoft Publishers, based in Bulgaria, is the communication and dissemination partner, with expertise in open science communication, stakeholder engagement, and science-policy interface through innovative dissemination strategies.

As the DeCrises project embarks on three years of insightful research, regular updates on key developments can be found through the following communication channels: the DeCrises Project LinkedIn page, Instagram page and the upcoming DeCrises website.