SOILL-Startup: redefining the future of soil health

On 3 December 2025, on the eve of World Soil Day, SOILL-Startup, an initiative in which AIR Institute participates, is organising a policy-oriented conference to connect expectations at EU level with on-the-ground evidence from the first and second waves of Mission Soil living labs. The event will examine data needs, enabling policy frameworks, practical challenges, early impacts and pathways towards long-term sustainability, turning lessons learned into workable recommendations for national and EU strategies under the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”.

'Shaping the Future of Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses in Europe' brings together key Mission Soil stakeholders to discuss how soil health living labs and lighthouses can accelerate ecosystem and soil restoration across Europe.

Policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers and representatives of Mission Soil living labs will gather at the European Committee of the Regions, Room VMA 21 (2nd floor), Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1040 Brussels, on 3 December 2025, to report on concrete recommendations for integrating soil health living labs into national and EU strategies supporting the Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”.

SOILL-Startup invites you to join a networking lunch at 13:00 CET to contribute to the discussion. The event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

Deadline for in-person participation: Wednesday, 26 November, close of business. Register here

Agenda

December 3, 2025. Wednesday

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Welcome lunch and registration

2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

Opening speech

Giulia Campodonico

Markku Markkula

2:20 p.m. - 2:35 p.m.

Keynote speech: The Soil Mission: current status, rationale for LLs, progress to date, and translating objectives into actions

Henri Delanghe

Head of Research and Innovation Unit, European Commission, DG AGRI

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Panel discussion: Anchoring Living Labs in policy: expectations, evidence, and frameworks

• Bavo Peeters

• Vasileios Takavakoglou

• Angelique Vermeer

• Giulia Campodonico

3:30 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.

Coffee break

3:50 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Keynote speech: European soil data: strengthening monitoring and data contributions from living labs

Panos Panagos

Project Manager, EU Soil Observatory (EUSO)

4:00 p.m. - 4:50 p.m.

Round table: Voices from the field: one year of the Soil Living Labs mission

• Ioannis Varvaris

• Lena Madden

• Mladen Almaliev

• Józef Chojnicki

4:50 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closing remarks

Giulia Campodonico. Project Manager, ENoLL. Manager, SOILL-Startup