Between 27–30 October 2025, the partners of the SELINA project convened in Trento, Italy, for the project’s 6th thematic workshop, hosted by the University of Trento. The event brought together around 70 participants in person and 10 online, marking another milestone in SELINA’s ongoing mission to bridge science, policy, and practice in biodiversity and ecosystem service assessments.
The central theme of the workshop, “Evidence-based decision-making in the public sector,” guided four days of engaging sessions, interactive discussions, and collaborative exchanges. Building on the momentum of previous workshops, participants shared recent progress from SELINA’s public Demonstration Projects, refined project outputs, and explored practical approaches to enhance the usability and policy relevance of SELINA’s findings.
The workshop opened with an overview of the project’s latest achievements and upcoming milestones, followed by sessions dedicated to urban greening strategies and decision-makers’ needs at different governance levels. Discussions highlighted how SELINA’s results can inform public policy, improve implementation practices, and strengthen the integration of ecosystem information into evidence-based decision-making. Afternoon sessions introduced the latest updates to the Compendium of Guidance (CoG) - a key SELINA decision-support tool - and explored its growing applications across the public sector.
Day two combined field exploration and focused working sessions, providing participants with first-hand insights into biodiversity and nature-based solutions in the Trento region through visits to Mount Bondone and the Viote Botanical Garden. Afternoon discussions revisited progress in communication, dissemination, and stakeholder engagement, while also identifying opportunities to expand collaboration between public and private sectors.
The third day focused on the integration of ecosystem condition, services, and accounting approaches within SELINA’s demonstration projects and test sites. Participants worked together to refine results, align outputs, and identify opportunities for joint publications. Sessions also reflected on ethical and justice dimensions of ecosystem assessments and their implications for policy and governance.
The workshop concluded with a closing ceremony celebrating four days of collaboration, dialogue, and shared learning. In a symbolic gesture, the University of Trento passed the baton to the Cohab Initiative and the Capitals Coalition, who will host the 7th SELINA Workshop in Galway, Ireland, in the summer of 2026. The upcoming event will shift focus towards private sector engagement, continuing SELINA’s efforts to strengthen the science–policy–business interface across Europe.
For more updates, visit the SELINA website and follow the project’s social media channels on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and YouTube.