PRIMA NexusLabs Kicks Off with dynamic first plenary meeting in Albacete, Spain setting specific goals for the implementation of its ambitious vision.
The PRIMA NexusLabs project was officially launched with a dynamic First Plenary Meeting held from 12–14 May 2025 in Albacete, Spain, hosted by the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and AgriSat Iberia, S.L. Bringing together 14 partners from six Mediterranean countries, the meeting marked a key milestone in the project’s ambition to turn Nexus thinking into real-world practice.
The focus of the three-day meeting was the work plan for the first year of implementation with intense discussions on how to operationalize the Water Energy Food Ecosystems Nexus in Mediterranean irrigated agriculture.
NexusLabs in numbers: 14 partners, 9 Living Labs from 6 Mediterranean countries. Most of the partners have already worked together in previous projects.
NexusLabs aims to close the gap between knowledge and implementation by providing stakeholders with innovative, field-tested solutions, scenario assessment tools, and training strategies—all co-created and demonstrated in nine Living Labs across the region. The project will develop and test a set of specific innovative technologies such as smart farming, ICT, alternative water and energy sources and strategies, including agroecology and other Nature-based Solutions, on real farms and communities. The project will also assess the combined impacts of these strategies from a Nexus perspective, using scenario analysis tools and scale up the adoption of successful solutions by overcoming socio-economic, institutional, and technical barriers.
Living Lab Progress and First-Year Plans
Collaborations between the different living lags were swiftly established and specific actions were organised across all regions. Each of the nine Living Labs, namely Spain, Greece, Jordan, Morocco, Italy and Turkey presented their current status, data availability, and proposed first-year activities. Participants also visited Dehesa de Los Llanos, a large-scale farm featuring solar-powered, variable-rate center pivot irrigation systems and nature-based solutions (NbS).
The project’s launch captured the interest of local and national Spanish media with project coordinators Jose González Piqueras (UCLM) and Anna Osann (AgriSat Iberia) highlighting to national television NexusLabs’ mission of transforming science into real-world solutions. Meanwhile, GWP-Med’s Head of Communications Alexandros Kandarakis emphasized the project’s regional significance and cross-border impact across the Mediterranean.
From Knowledge to Action
With the successful kickoff in Albacete, NexusLabs is now well-positioned to lead a Mediterranean-wide transformation in sustainable water, energy, and food resource management. To amplify the project’s impact, a dynamic collaboration with the Mediterranean WEFE Nexus Community of Practice will be pursued.
The Living Labs will serve as engines of innovation, helping multi-actor communities co-create tailored solutions that are scalable, replicable, and rooted in real-world needs.
As the project progresses, it aims to catalyze policy change, market readiness, and community empowerment, paving the way for a more integrated and resilient Mediterranean future.