In 2026, the ExPEDite project places a strong emphasis on co-creation and stakeholder engagement, marking an important step toward refining and validating its solutions with future users and experts. To support this goal, two key events are scheduled for the first half of the year, each designed to gather insights, feedback, and perspectives from different stakeholder groups.

The first activity consists of a two-part presentation and test session with students from Riga Technical University (RTU). Around 400 university students will be introduced to the core ideas and principles promoted by ExPEDite, with a particular focus on Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) and carbon neutrality. During the sessions, students will also be presented with selected ExPEDite tools and given the opportunity to test them firsthand.

This activity has two main objectives. First, it aims to better understand how younger generations of university students perceive and engage with practices related to PEDs and carbon-neutral living. Second, it seeks to collect feedback and user input to support the co-creation of a mobile application currently under development within the ExPEDite project. The students’ perspectives will play a key role in shaping a tool that is intuitive, relevant, and aligned with real user needs.

The second major event will take place as part of the CONECT 2026 conference, held from 12–15 May and organized by RTU. During this event, ExPEDite will present its holistic solution of tools—including visualization tools, a decision support system (DSS), a mobile application, a simulation suite, and more—to experts and sister projects. The session is expected to attract approximately 50 participants and will also be accessible online to ensure broader engagement (information regarding this event and registration will follow in upcoming months).

The primary aim of the parallel session during the CONECT 2026 event is to gather expert feedback and final recommendations that can be addressed before the project’s solutions are finalized and prepared for handover to future users. This collaborative exchange will help ensure that ExPEDite delivers robust, practical, and well-validated tools that meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders.

Together, these events represent a crucial milestone for ExPEDite, reinforcing its commitment to co-creation, openness, and meaningful engagement on the path toward sustainable and carbon-neutral urban development.