Why do sustainability transitions so often stall, even when the technology already exists?
The answer lies not in innovation gaps, but in the difficulty of inducing and sustaining effective collaboration across sectors. This event tackles that challenge head-on, bringing together cutting-edge perspectives from ecosystem governance, EU data law, and intellectual property. It explores how rules on data, knowledge, and organisational design can either enable, or hinder, collaboration between public authorities, businesses, researchers, and citizens.
The programme is built on the premise that effective collaboration depends on the combined design of governance structures, data-sharing rules, and IP frameworks, rather than treating these domains separately. By linking these three critical pillars, the event offers a fresh, interdisciplinary lens on key issues that influence the creation of collaborative ecosystems that actually deliver sustainable change.
Designed as a dynamic two-day experience, the programme moves from insight to action:
Day 1 – Foundations will equip participants with key knowledge on key issues related to collaboration and sustainability transitions, such as ecosystem governance, EU data law, and IPR. Participants will engage with expert-led sessions that build a shared framework for understanding how complex collaborations can be structured, governed, and sustained.
Day 2 – Case Assignment moves from theory to practice. Participants will be working in teams to tackle real-world challenges through case scenarios. They will design innovative, cross-disciplinary governance solutions that address legal, organisational, and incentive structures needed for effective sustainability collaboration. The case will address both physical resources (such as infrastructure and material flows) and data and knowledge resources, highlighting how their different characteristics require distinct governance approaches.
By combining deep expertise with hands-on application, the event equips participants with the tools to move beyond theory, and start designing collaboration that works in practice.
Learning Goals
By the end of the event, participants will be able to:
- Explain why sustainability transitions require coordinated multi-stakeholder collaboration and identify key governance challenges;
- Recognise different collaboration models (e.g. ecosystems, platforms, data spaces) and select appropriate governance approaches;
- Understand how EU data law shapes data sharing, access, and accountability in collaborative settings;
- Assess the role of IP, confidentiality, and trade secrets in enabling or constraining collaboration;
- Apply governance principles to both physical resources and data-driven ecosystems;
- Integrate legal, governance, and IP considerations into practical collaboration designs for sustainability contexts.
Target Audience
This event is designed primarily for PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers working in fields such as intellectual property law, EU data law, environmental and sustainability law, innovation studies, business and management, and sustainability science. The programme is also well suited to advanced LL.M. students seeking to engage with complex, practice-oriented questions around data, innovation, and collaborative governance. In addition, it addresses the needs of policy officers and in-house legal, regulatory, and sustainability professionals working in sectors where multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential, such as energy, mobility, digital services, and circular economy industries, providing them with conceptual tools and practical frameworks directly applicable to real-world challenges.
ECTS: Member university students can receive one ECTS credit for participating in the seminar and completing the related assignment (see below). Before registering, please confirm with your own institution that the course can be credited towards your degree. IPR University Center will provide a certificate of participation, but credits are granted by each student’s home university. The seminar can also be attended without completing the credit requirements.
Event requirements
In order for you to complete the event (pass/fail), you are expected to:
- Read the assigned pre-readings linked to the key topics of the event will be delivered about one month before the course
- Participate in the sessions and discussions on Day 1
- Complete the group assignment presented to participants on Day 2
More information and registration link