09 April 2024 | Münster

The CoCreAid project continues to make steady progress, as shown by the fourth transnational project meeting where the consortium partners gathered once again. Representing the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre (S2BMRC), Katrin Uude and Carina Hafertepe led the meeting in cooperation with representatives from EGE University. The meeting was held from April 4th to April 5th in Izmir, Turkey. Embracing the innovative ethos that underpins the project, this meeting seamlessly blended physical presence with digital connectivity, reflecting the project's goal to create a digital platform (Co-Creation Aid Kit - CoCreAid Kit) with multiple methods to improve digital collaboration.

This important meeting marked the end of the third project phase, which focused on trying out the CoCreAid Kit in 20 different projects. The information gathered from both qualitative and quantitative research is now being used to improve the toolkit to better suit the needs of the project's target groups. These are namely project leaders of collaboration projects from NGOs or Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and citizens involved in digital collaboration projects. Based on these findings, the consortium plans to add more methods and tools to the toolkit, making it even better. These improvements will be available on the project's website (cocreaid.eu), making it a comprehensive resource hub for digital co-creation.

As the third phase draws to a close, the consortium eagerly embarks on the fourth and final stage of the journey, now under the leadership of EGE University. The project consortium is now working on creating user guidelines designed for the specific target groups. These guidelines will help members of NGOs, HEIs, and citizens who want to get involved in digital co-creation activities by giving them the skills and knowledge they need. Multiplier events are planned for the beginning of June. These events will help spread the word about the project to a wider audience. The project is set to conclude in August 2024.

We want to sincerely thank the wonderful team at EGE University for their kind hospitality during our visit to Izmir. Their warmth and generosity have truly added to the teamwork and spirit of collaboration that is driving the CoCreAid project forward.