As FORTH2O transitions into the next phase, the team is preparing for an ambitious rollout, with key activities set to begin in January 2025. This phase will focus on delivering impactful outputs through the establishment of policy labs, innovation teams, and an open commissioning fund designed to stimulate new ideas and projects.
The team has grown significantly, with additional staff in place to support the next stage. The Partnership Manager and Officer maintain regular communication with partners to ensure continued collaboration, while new Research Fellows and PhD students will contribute expertise in areas such as place-based health and wellbeing, data visualisation, and social network analysis.
The first set of core projects will cover topics including ecosystem health, value and productivity, business sector analysis, and the story map and Museum of Tomorrow initiative. These projects will be supported by the new Data Lab, which will visualise complex data, build scenarios, and provide valuable decision support for local stakeholders.
With this phase set to begin, the team is confident that FORTH2O will become a model for collaborative, place-based innovation, fostering lasting partnerships that deliver real benefits to communities and the environment.
