Comillas hosts its first Societal Dialogue Group session to advance social impact initiatives

The Societal Dialogue Group (SoDiG) is the advisory body and driving force behind the LivingLab EUPeace initiatives. This group’s mission is to promote dialogue between universities, civil society, the private sector and public administrations, providing strategic guidance and evaluating projects to ensure that initiatives are inclusive and have a real impact.

The SoDiGs of each university in the alliance, such as Comillas, will be integrated into a European network that will connect all partner universities, creating a common space for cooperation and social innovation.

The event, which brought together around 20 participants from Comillas, public administration, NGOs and private companies, began with a welcome and presentation of the EUPeace Alliance and the SoDiG by Birgit Strotmann, academic coordinator of EUPeace at Comillas. She highlighted the importance of creating innovative spaces for dialogue, such as Bridge Dialogue Formats and Living Labs, designed to build a sustainable ecosystem where diverse actors co-create transformative solutions.

Presentation of the Living Labs at Comillas

One of the key moments was the presentation of the Living Labs that Comillas has in place.

• Living Lab EnerPeace, presented by José Carlos Romero, coordinator of EnerPeace and the Chair of Energy and Poverty. This Living Lab focuses on two fundamental objectives: rigorous research to propose solutions and direct action. It has already contributed proposals to MITECO’s National Energy Poverty Strategy (ENPE) and has established itself as a permanent space for co-creation.
• Living Lab Impulsa, presented by Jesús Migallón, brings together promoters such as the Chair of Refugees and Forced Migrants, Madrid Culinary Campus and Red Acoge, with the aim of developing inclusive and sustainable projects. The IMPULSA project combines training innovation, social inclusion and multisectoral co-creation to strengthen the employability and autonomy of participants. Among its initiatives are micro-credentials: short, modular and transferable training programmes designed for different itineraries, which are scheduled to be launched in 2026.

Co-creation dynamics and innovative proposals

After a coffee break, attendees participated in collaborative work dynamics to diagnose challenges, propose topics and design innovative events and activities. The proposals included approaches that combine face-to-face interaction with technology, such as gamification, virtual reality and experiences co-created with citizens, promoting intergenerational diversity and social dialogue. The session concluded with a lunch where attendees were able to continue sharing ideas and strengthening ties in a relaxed atmosphere.

With this first session, EUPeace and SoDiG are inaugurating a new collaborative framework that aims to transform the way society, academia and the public sector work together to address current social challenges. The group will meet again in 2026 to continue this work and advance the implementation of the proposals.