Celebrating FORGING Project Conclusion: From Major Outcomes to JRC Collaboration

The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) is proud to announce the successful completion of the FORGING Project— Forum for Emerging Enabling Technologies in Support to the Digital and Green Transitions through Value Sensitive Innovations.

Project Overview and Milestones

Supported by Horizon Europe and led by INL, the initiative was launched in 2022 with the ambition to accelerate the responsible adoption of emerging enabling technologies across Europe. To achieve this, FORGING introduced a new methodology based on a value-sensitive innovation journey— one fully aligned with the Industry 5.0 paradigm, ensuring that technological development respects societal values, environmental sustainability, and human-centric design.

Over its three-year duration, the project achieved several milestones: 

:: Established a sustainable multi-stakeholder FORGING Forum with 600 active members representing the quadruple helix: academia, industry, civil society, and public sector institutions. 

:: Engaged the Forum in 6 foresight and scenario planning exercises, 12 co-creation workshops, and a series of podcasts and webinars to explore future societal and environmental challenges of emerging technologies, and design responsible adoption pathways.

:: Developed a suite of tools, including the FORGING Toolbox, Playbook, Key Value Indicators (KVIs), Actor Cards, and the Theseus Foresight Simulator. 

:: Facilitated the creation of 22 use cases across six strategic technology frameworks, including AI, digital twins, bio-inspired technologies, human–machine interaction, and technologies for energy efficiency.

:: Published a White Paper featuring 22 strategic policy recommendations to foster societal acceptance and guide responsible innovation.

The accelerator: A Collaboration with JRC

With the end of FORGING, next steps include maximising the impact of the project’s outcomes and ensure that results are effectively translated into science and innovation policies through active dialogue at regional, national, and EU levels. In that capacity, INL was invited to collaborate with the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) on The Accelerator, a practitioner-oriented toolkit designed to foster conversations on Transformative Innovation, Climate Adaptation, and Industrial Transformation.

This collaboration directly supports the following EU priorities:

:: DG RTD – Mainstreaming Industry 5.0 as a source of innovation and competitiveness.

:: DG REGIO – Supporting industrial transition in less developed regions for inclusive growth.

:: DG CLIMA – Accelerating transformative innovation for climate adaptation and resilience.

Set to launch in 2026, The Accelerator will transform insights from the FORGING project into practical tools for professionals seeking alignment with the Industry 5.0 paradigm. As collaborative partner, INL is deeply involved in the development of the toolkit’s conceptual framework, ensuring it addresses the real needs of research and technology organisations (RTOs), academia, and industry professionals— all while delivering high practical value.

Looking Ahead

Working alongside the Team of Transformative Territories, Unit B7 Innovation Policy and Economic Impact at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, INL will continue to build on the achievements of the FORGING project through initiatives focused on transformative innovation, resilience, and Industry 5.0.

At a broader level, this partnership positions INL as a key driver of responsible innovation and a contributor to Europe’s industrial and climate transformation goals. Beyond strengthening INL’s visibility and influence within EU innovation ecosystems, these efforts will deliver methodologies and tools designed to benefit research institutions well beyond the project’s lifespan.

Text by Brigita Jurisic & Clara Miranda

Photography by Eva Fadil at GAC