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Poster Short Abstract

CO-VALUE tests how citizen-science principles can inform startup innovation. Through participatory co-creation processes connecting citizens and startups, the project explores new models for knowledge valorisation that enhance trust, transparency, and social relevance.

Poster Abstract

Citizen science is well established in public-sector and academic contexts, yet its uptake in private-sector innovation and knowledge valorisation remains limited. Policy now explicitly encourages citizen engagement for valorisation (EU Code of practice on citizen engagement), but evidence on how to operationalise this with startups is sparse. CO-VALUE addresses this gap by translating citizen-science logics, such as co-design, participatory evidence generation, and transparent feedback loops, into startup workflows.

CO-VALUE, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project (2024–2027), responds to this challenge by exploring how citizen-science logics can be integrated into startup development processes. The project connects technology-driven startups with citizens from diverse social and geographic contexts, fostering co-creation processes where societal needs and lived experiences inform sometimes challenging innovation pathways. For example, citizens across Europe collaborated in a participatory mapping exercise on online scams, transforming collective experience into design requirements for a startup developing counter-fraud solutions.

Using a strong methodological approach aimed at meaningful citizen engagement, participatory facilitation and reflexive evaluation, CO-VALUE investigates how public input can influence innovation outcomes beyond typical practices such as marketing and consumer studies. Early findings show that such processes help startups identify unmet needs, build transparency around design decisions, and create innovations that are both market-viable and socially grounded. By positioning citizen science as a bridge to the startup world, CO-VALUE expands the scope of the field beyond academia and NGOs.