Academics from Lancaster University's Design discipline in the School of Arts are playing a leading role in the next phase of one of Europe's most ambitious environmental coordination and support actions. The wider SOILL-Stepup project is coordinated by the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), bringing together partners from across Europe to support the growing network of Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses, which are leading the transition to healthy soils.

As task leaders, Professor Leon Cruickshank and Dr Lee Brewster will work alongside international partners to understand what makes Soil Living Labs successful, capturing lessons, measuring impact and ensuring that innovation delivers real benefits for land managers, communities and the environment. Their work will help guide the continued development of the SOILL initiative through to 2030, supporting a European-wide movement to restore and protect soil health at a scale never seen before.

Healthy soils are at the heart of food production, biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable land management. Through SOILL-Stepup, researchers, land managers, policymakers and communities are coming together to test new ideas in real-world settings and accelerate the transition towards healthier landscapes. Lancaster University's Design School brings its internationally recognised expertise in co-design, innovation and impact evaluation to this challenge, helping ensure that successful approaches can be understood, shared and scaled.

Professor Leon Cruickshank said: "Living Labs create exciting opportunities for people to work together to tackle complex challenges. We're delighted to be helping shape how the impact of these initiatives is understood and demonstrated across Europe."

Dr Lee Brewster added: "This is about much more than collecting data. It's about understanding how innovation happens, how communities collaborate, and how we can turn local experiments into lasting change. We're excited to be part of a project that will help shape the future of soil health across Europe."

With activity continuing until 2030, SOILL represents a major long-term investment in Europe's environmental future and Lancaster researchers are helping ensure that its impact can be measured, celebrated and amplified for years to come.