EIC Summit 2026 Speaker
- EUnicorner session: "Living Labs as a competitive advantage for European companies"
Day 2 | EUnicorner, 10:45 - 11:00
Martina Desole is the Director of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), where she promotes globally the Living Lab concept and methodology as well as the network of certified members. She has over 20 years of experience in the international public sphere, working in R&D policy orientation, public engagement, advocacy and science diplomacy with the European Commission, Ministries and Funding Agencies in more than 15 extra-European countries. She served as Head of Unit for International Cooperation and Innovation at APRE – Agency for the Promotion of the European Research, managing and coordinating over 15 international cooperation projects, with a focus in recent years on Canada, India, South Africa and the United States. She was appointed National Contact Point for Industrial Technologies (Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Biotechnology) from the Sixth Framework Programme to Horizon 2020 (2002–2021). Her work strongly focuses on Public Engagement and Participatory Leadership, particularly in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), fostering co-creation processes that involve citizens, civil society and diverse stakeholders in shaping research priorities. She holds a degree in International Law, a postgraduate qualification in European Policies and a Second Level Master in Global Environmental Policies.