On 12 February 2026, a co-creation workshop was held in Vatra Dornei City Hall (Suceava county in Romania) as part of the INSPIRE project, to establish the local Smart Village Lab (SVL). Our partner ROMONTANA, designed the project so as to operationalise the concept “The Network of Goodness – Smart Solutions Lab for Mountain Communities in Suceava and Maramureș Counties”.

The event, moderated by Ioan Gâf-Deac and Radu-Adrian Rey, brought together a broad range of decision-makers, specialists, and representatives of local communities involved in developing innovative solutions for social inclusion and the modernisation of services for vulnerable people. Among the appearances of municipality representatives, the event was attended by the Mayor of Vatra Dornei and the Deputy Mayor, the Mayor of Panaci, the Mayor of Șaru Dornei, as well as representatives of the General Directorates for Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) of Suceava and Maramureș counties, representatives of local public administrations from the Dornelor Basin, the Suceava Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Mountain Development Center Poiana Stampei, accredited social service providers, and active non-governmental organizations (La Dorna Nouă Ne Pasă, Christian Philanthropic Association Saints Michael and Gabriel, GAL Bazinul Dornelor, Dorna Mountain Farmers Federation, the Romanian Mountain Forum, and the Association of Young People from Dornelor).

The workshop also gathered public policy and digitalisation experts, representatives of the business sector and local councils, as well as members of the target groups addressed by the INSPIRE pilot project in Romania. In addition, representatives of strategic partners and decision-makers participated online via Zoom, including representatives from the National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ANPDPD), Cârlibaba Local Authority, the Mountain Economy Center – CE-MONT of the Romanian Academy, the National Agency for Mountain Areas through the Training and Innovation Center for Development in the Carpathians (CEFIDEC), researchers, and partner NGOs such as ASSOC Maramureș.

The co-creation workshop included an in-depth discussion on the future operation of “The Network of Goodness” Smart Solutions Lab for rural mountain areas. Participants examined its institutional architecture, coordination and support structures, and the principles of participatory governance that will underpin the initiative. Discussions highlighted that the Lab will function as an operational multi-stakeholder collaboration mechanism focused on identifying, testing, and validating practical solutions for improving social services and increasing social inclusion in mountain communities.

Participants stressed the importance of developing the Lab through a genuine co-creation process in which all relevant stakeholders (local and county public administrations, social assistance institutions, accredited social service providers, NGOs, academia and research organisations, the private sector, and representatives of target groups) actively contribute both to defining strategic priorities and to designing and testing pilot solutions. It was agreed that the Lab should function as an open platform for dialogue, consultation, and innovation, where the practical experience of service providers and the real needs of beneficiaries are directly integrated into the design of interventions.

The discussions further emphasised the importance of institutional and operational commitment from partners, including participation in coordination structures and thematic working groups, as well as concrete contributions to the development, testing, and evaluation of pilot solutions. Participants explored mechanisms for interinstitutional cooperation to facilitate the exchange of data, expertise, and good practices, together with the need to establish clear communication and decision-making processes among stakeholders.

Another key topic was the role of the Lab in strengthening local administrative capacity through the development of digital and managerial skills among staff from public administrations and social assistance institutions. It was underlined that the Lab would also have an educational and capacity-building dimension, supporting local communities in adopting and using digital technologies, developing more accessible public services, and adapting social policies to the specific realities of mountain areas.

Participants also discussed the creation of a flexible framework for testing and validating innovative solutions, enabling rapid adaptation of interventions based on results and feedback from beneficiaries and professionals. In this context, the Lab is conceived as a local social innovation ecosystem capable of generating models that can be replicated at regional and national levels, thereby contributing to the development of evidence-based public policies grounded in practical experience.

Furthermore, participants highlighted the need to maintain continuous dialogue with the direct beneficiaries of social services, particularly disabled people and their family members, in order to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the solutions developed. Their active involvement in the co-creation process was considered essential for designing social services that truly respond to community needs and for increasing the acceptance and use of new digital tools.

Overall, the discussions confirmed the willingness and commitment of institutional and community stakeholders to contribute to the development of The Network of Goodness Smart Solutions Lab as a platform for collaboration and social innovation, with a strategic role in modernising social services, reducing territorial disparities, and improving quality of life in mountain areas.