DUT Strategic Agora Dialogue – Shaping the 2027/28 Call Topics

The DUT Partnership invites you to take part in a half-day Strategic Agora Dialogue Online Workshop using Zoom on Tuesday 29th September from 13.00 (CET) to 16.15 (CET).

This dialogue-focused session is targeted at researchers from, e.g., universities, research institutes, municipalities, public authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation agencies, non-profit and non-governmental organisations, and other research-performing organisations, but is also welcoming practitioners and stakeholders who are engaged in or interested in research and innovation.  The aim is to help shape the future research and innovation agenda for sustainable urban transitions. 

We want to hear your perspectives from your daily work on urban transitions and invite you to use these experiences to bring forward topics that matter to you, to advocate for emerging priorities, to identify gaps and opportunities, and to influence the direction of future DUT calls.  

This is more than a consultation exercise, it is an opportunity to influence which topics should receive attention, funding and collaborative action in the next two DUT Partnership calls. These future calls will shape the final phase of the DUT Partnership up to 2033. This is your opportunity to bring forward ideas and help define priorities that create lasting impact across research, policy, and practice. 

Shaping the Agenda  

You are invited to contribute your ideas and perspectives to strengthen and expand the DUT agenda across the three Transition Pathways: 

• Positive Energy Districts (PED)
• 15-minute City (15mC), and
• Circular Urban Economies (CUE),  

The Strategic Agora also creates space to identify cross-cutting themes and new areas of collaboration across pathways to support integrated and transformative urban transitions. 

Benefits of Participating... 

By joining us at this online dialogue session you will be able to 

• Introduce and advocate for strategically important research and innovation topics
• Highlight emerging challenges and opportunities for urban transitions
• Discuss priorities and thematic directions for the 2027/28 calls and our future from 2029 to 2033 
• Identify gaps in current funding and research landscapes
• Bring practical, local business, and your research expertise into discussions
• Contribute recommendations that will inform future DUT call development 

Who should participate? 

We welcome stakeholders from all levels of experience and background who are committed to future research and innovation priorities. You might be from: 

• Researchers and academic institutions
• Cities, municipalities, and local authorities
• Practitioners, innovators and implementation actors
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Civil society organisations and intermediary actors 

Format – online workshop only 

Our online Strategic Agoras are highly participatory, combining small breakout discussions with plenary activities. There will be facilitated dialogue rounds designed to encourage exchange within and across the Transition Pathways. As a community, we will generate new ideas and identify strategic topics for future calls. 

Your expertise can help ensure that future DUT calls respond to real needs, emerging opportunities, and ambitious visions for urban transitions. 

Join the dialogue and help shape the research agenda for 2027/28 by filling in the Expression of Interest form (available 2nd July)