A consortium of 27 European partners has launched BLOSSOM, an ambitious 48-month project funded by the European Union. BLOSSOM introduces a groundbreaking systemic approach designed to bridge the gaps between public authorities and private partners, fostering the adoption of bankable transformative adaptation and mitigation measures to fight climate change.
Traditional efforts to implement sustainable climate solutions often face significant hurdles, including disconnections between public planning and private investment. BLOSSOM aims to overcome these challenges by creating a robust framework that links cities and regions with key financial players like banks, insurance companies, and venture capitalists.
"The urgency of climate action demands innovative solutions that are not only effective but also financially viable," says Francesco Mureddu, BLOSSOM coordinator and Vice President for development and Senior Researcher at the Lisbon Council. "BLOSSOM is set to revolutionize how we approach climate adaptation and mitigation by creating a seamless ecosystem where public and private sectors collaborate to test, refine, and scale bankable solutions. We believe this project will be a catalyst for meaningful, sustainable change across Europe."
At its core, BLOSSOM will establish Living Labs – collaborative environments built upon existing Communities of Practice. Within these labs, citizens, experts, and diverse stakeholders will co-create and test methodologies and technologies. A critical element of the project involves the rigorous testing and assessment of innovative financing and investing schemes to identify and promote the most promising bankable solutions.
Leveraging proven co-creation and co-design processes, including active engagement with local communities, BLOSSOM will also adopt and adapt cutting-edge technologies. These include data-driven tools and collective intelligence platforms like digital twins and dashboards, enabling ex-ante simulations, ongoing assessments, and ex-post evaluations in collaborative settings. Furthermore, AI-based tools will generate draft business models, complete with visual charts outlining value propositions, infrastructure, customer segments, and financial elements for each investing scheme. This will help identify optimal exploitation forms, from spin-offs and product sales to licensing and patenting. Once the best business model is selected, a preliminary business plan will be developed with industrial partners as key contributors.
The project's methodology and solutions will be demonstrated in three Front Runner Cities: Birmingham (UK), Lisbon (Portugal), and Kielce (Poland). These cities will serve as pioneering testbeds, making the validated approach available for replication up to the planning stage in Replicating Case Studies, including Alentejo (Portugal), and an additional city to be confirmed. The BLOSSOM project begins in June 2025 and has a duration of four years.
About BLOSSOM
BLOSSOM is a European Union-funded project (Grant Agreement 101214563) that runs for 48 months, carried out by a consortium of 27 partners. It introduces a systemic approach to connect public authorities with private financial partners, addressing gaps in the adoption of bankable transformative climate adaptation and mitigation measures. By setting up Living Labs, testing innovative financing schemes, and utilizing advanced data and AI tools, BLOSSOM aims to accelerate the implementation of sustainable climate solutions across Europe. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This work has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Project website available at https://blossom-project.eu/