New webinar series "Innovation for SDGs: inspirational tools towards sustainability challenges"

The webinar series “Innovation for SDGs: inspirational tools towards sustainability challenges” focuses on opportunities and new trends in the fields of research and innovation. The goal is to debate and advance towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The diverse and inspiring presentations will highlight emerging opportunities as well as unveil challenges to reflect upon and pave the way for innovative projects. Each session aims to provide ideas to promote knowledge transfer that may lead to developing and testing new solutions and, above all, to overcoming obstacles regarding the attainment of the SDGs and overall sustainability linked to Agenda 2030.

All webinars will be conducted in English. Registrations are now open! Register here.

Day1: March 15th, 11.00h – 13.00h (CET) - “Transforming Towards Sustainable Development" (video)

• Opening words. Quim Salvi, Rector of the Universitat de Girona
• “The  Global University Network for Innovation” (pdf). Josep M. Vilalta, GUNi Director and Executive-Secretary at ACUP (Catalan Association of Public Universities)
• "Transforming Towards Sustainable Development" (pdf). Eeva Furman, Director of the Environment Policy Centre at the Finnish environment institute
• “Education for Sustainable Development" (pdf) Mario Diethart, representing the Leadership Team of the Copernicus Alliance
• Closing remarks. Josep Calbó, Vice-Rector for Strategic Projects 
• Q&A moderated by Josep M. Vilalta, GUNi Director and Executive-Secretary at ACUP (Catalan Association of Public Universities)

 

Day2: March 17th, 11.00h – 13.00h (CET) -  “Aligning science with society” (video)

• Opening words. Sílvia Llach, Vice-Rector for Territory and Social Commitment of the Universitat de Girona
• “Co-creation: science and society” (pdf). Norbert Steinhaus, Director of the WilaBonn Science Shop (Germany) and coordinator of the H2020 TeRRIFICA project.
• “RRI and science with and for society” (pdf). Dobrivoje Lale Eric, Head of Department of International Cooperation at Center for the Promotion of Science (Serbia)
• Chair and Moderator: Pere Condom-Vilà, Director of the Research and Technology Transfer Office of the Universitat de Girona (TBC)

 

​Day3: March 19th, 11.00h – 13.00h (CET) - “Communication and Advocacy for the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs” (video)

• Opening words. Sílvia Simon, Director of the Chair Scientific Culture and Digital Communication of the Universitat de Girona
• "Communication and advocacy for the Agenda 2030: learnings from ESDN and SOS UK". Eric Mulholland, European Sustainable Development Network Office and Researcher at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria) (Presentation pdf) and Rachel Soper, Project Manager at Students Organizing for Sustainability - SOS UK (Presentation pdf)

• Closing remarks. Daniella Tilbury, Commissioner for Sustainable Development and Future Generations, Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar (Presentation pdf)

• Chair and Moderator: Marta Cayetano, Communications Manager at the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi)

 

Day 4: March 22nd, 11.00h – 13.00h (CET) - “Inequality and health: innovation facing challenges in the context of Covid19” (video)

• “Follow the data to leave no one behind: leveraging data and partnerships to reach the health-related SDGs and tackle global inequalities" (pdf). Samira Asma, Assistant Director General, Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact. World Health Organization.
• "The geopolitics of vaccine inequality” (pdf). Ilona Kickbusch, Founder and Chair at Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute in Geneva, Switzerland
• "Data Science to fight against COVID-19". Núria Oliver, Chief Data Scientist at Data Pop Alliance; Chief Scientific Advisor at Vodafone Institute. Fellow at the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering. Member of the Board of ELLIS
• “Community Health during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences from a Local Public Health Agency” (pdf). Ana Fernández, PhD; Health Technical Advisor at Barcelona Public Health Agency
• Chair and Moderator: Anna Bonmatí, Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing of the Universitat de Girona. Member of the Health and Health Care Research Group, Universitat de Girona

 

Day 5: March 23rd, 11.00h – 13.00h (CET) - “Wise water management in cities” (video)

• "Water-Wise Cities driving progress towards and beyond the SDG: from Vision to Assessments supporting local actions" (pdf). Corinne Tromsdorff, CEO & Founder a Water Cities.org

• "Managing a sustainable Water Cycle. How Berlin is striving to rely on its own water sources" (pdf). Regina Gnirss, Head of Research & Development, Berliner Wasserbetriebe

• "(Circular) Nature-based solutions in cities" (pdf). Joana Castellar, Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA)

• Chair and Moderator: Joaquim Comas, Research Professor at ICRA & University of Girona (LEQUIA)

 

Day 6:  March 24th, 14.00h – 16.00h (CET) - “Moving sustainability forward: regenerative tourism as one of the next steps” (video)

• “Rebirthing Culture(s): Regenerative Development and Design” (pdf). Bill Reed, Principal of Regenesis Group, Inc.
• Experience: “Transformative Travel in Kamikatsu, Japan’s first Zero Waste Village” (pdf). Kana Lauren Chan, Co-founder and Director of INOW
• Experience: “Participatory process to develop the Strategic Action Plan in the Cerdanya region” (presentation). Maria Faura i Pedrals, Turisme Cerdanya
• Chair and Moderator: Jaume Guia. Scientific Director Tourism Sectoral Hub, University of Girona
   

Day 6: March 24th, 18.00h – 20.00h (CET) - "Robotics for Nature: disruptive technological approaches to tackle conservation challenges” (video)

• “The State of Nature in Europe 2020: A call for action” (pdf). Rebecca Noebel, Researcher at Ecologic Institute Berlin and co-author of the State of Nature in the EU Report 2020 (European Environment Agency)
• “From dirty, dull and dangerous robots to collaborative robots for conservation efforts" (pdf). Andra Keay, Managing Director at Silicon Valley Robotics, Visiting Scholar at CITRIS People and Robots Lab and Founder of Women in Robotics
• Chair and Moderator: Rafael Garcia, Scientific Director of the Robotics Sectoral Hub & Professor at VICOROB, Universitat de Girona
   

Day 7: March 25th, 11.00h – 13.00h (CET) - “Improving the sustainability of the food production system along the entire value chain”

• “Innovation and partnerships are key for a sustainable transformation of global food systems”. Veerle Mommaerts, Global Key Relation Manager at Bayer AG
• “Packaging Trends, Sustainability and Innovations” (pdf). Svetlana Eskebaek, Business Development at Packbridge AB
• Experience: “Feeding on future. Towards a productive, sustainable, resilient, healthy and responsible food system universally accessible in Catalonia” (pdf). Arnau Queralt, Director of the Advisory Council for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia.
• Chair and Moderator: Anna Nadal, In charge of the Research Data Management Unit at the Research and Technology Transfer Office (OITT) & Associate Lecturer in Biotechnology and Food Safety of the Universitat de Girona