CASRI gathers experts in Helsinki: aligning R&I priorities

The CASRI workshop, held on 26–27 May 2025 in Helsinki, was not just another project meeting – it marked a turning point in aligning national sustainability research insights into a common European direction. Around 60 participants from 14 countries representing national EPAs, research institutions, ministries and the European Environment Agency gathered to co-develop the foundations of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).

This milestone helped define shared priorities, confirmed areas of joint interest and opened new thematic pathways – especially cross-cutting challenges – that will guide CASRI’s future work and funding recommendations. The workshop also deepened engagement with key European stakeholders, laying the groundwork for a more collaborative and responsive research agenda.

From National Reviews to Shared Priorities

Hosted by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the event built on national knowledge reviews conducted in the first phase of the CASRI project These reviews generated over 600 research needs across four CASRI core themes:

• Resilient, Net-Zero, Circular Production Systems - analyses led by Mariësse van Sluisveld (PBL Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency)
• Sustainable Urbanisation - analyses led by by Karl Eckert (German Environment Agency, UBA)
• Nature- and Environmentally Friendly Energy Transition - analyses led by by Helmut Gaugitsch (Umweltbundesamt, Environment Agency Austria)
• Biodiversity and Climate - analyses led by Jari Lyytimäki, (Syke, Finnish Environment Agency) 

Dive into the details of the CASRI report National Comprehensive Reviews here.

The 60 participants that engaged with CASRI, with affiliations in national EPAs, research organisations, ministries and funding agencies, divided themselves over four break-out groups to discuss the CASRI core themes in more depth.

Via interactive group sessions participants have been enabled to reflect on priority issues and evaluate their relevance, systemic impact, actionability and transnational potential. The group work closed with everyone emphasizing their top priorities that are relevant for a transnational research agenda. The day closed with a session on funding strategies, starting a vital dialogue on how future EU and national instruments could align more closely with EPA-driven sustainability needs.

Exploring Cross-Cutting Research and Innovation Themes

Day two focused on four political priorities, cross-cutting the day one sustainability themes. The selected priorities focused on:

• Security in the Context of Transformational Systemic Changes
• Democracy and Participation
• Regulatory Efficiency and Competitiveness
• Digitalisation, including Artificial Intelligence

These were explored in a World Café format, enabling each participant to rotate through every topic in guided sessions. The discussions reinforced that these themes are essential for addressing complex sustainability challenges and require further research, policy integration, and stakeholder co-creation.

According to the discussions, security was frequently reframed as societal and ecological resilience, while AI and digital tools were discussed as key enablers of smarter, more adaptive governance. Participants stressed that efficient regulation and meaningful public participation are central to unlocking innovation and public trust in environmental transitions. 

Toward a Shared European Research and Innovation Vision 

In his closing remarks, project coordinator Stephan Bartke (UBA) emphasised that the workshop helped clarify “the comparative advantage of EPAs as strategic actors in shaping and delivering sustainability research.” The workshop was not an endpoint. It laid the analytical and collaborative groundwork for the upcoming CASRI SRIA, which will further refine priority themes and connect them to funding and implementation pathways. High-level stakeholder discussions are planned for autumn 2025, with key events that address the EPA Network and potential partners for implementing the SRIA.

The results of the transnational analysis and workshop can be found online at CASRI Results.

Why This Matters

CASRI is more than a project: it’s a platform to elevate the role of EPAs as knowledge actors and partners for the EU in steering future environment and sustainability R&I. The Helsinki workshop reaffirmed the value of collective insight, the power of networked expertise and the need for stronger alignment between science, policy and practice for Europe’s sustainable resilience and green transition.