Objectives

WISE Horizons aims to accelerate the transition to a new economic paradigm in which Wellbeing, Inclusion and Sustainability (WISE) are prioritized. This new project will create a state-of-the-art framework with WISE indicators and models to help shape a post-growth society. The project will link to European policy strategies such as the net-zero targets, the circular economy, Sustainable Developments Goals and productivity and sustainable competitiveness.

Method

The project will build on the WISE Database developed at Centre of Environmental Sciences (CML) of Leiden University. The database is a repository of indexes and indicators for wellbeing, inclusion and sustainability. The WISE database will provide up-to date information for policy makers and journalists but also provide historical time series starting in 1820.

To replace standard economic modelling, a variety of WISE policy models will be created by leading experts and institutes to explore potential growth policies. These will include topics such as productivity, planetary boundaries, sustainable lifestyles, economic and non-economic inequalities, the circular economy and the future of the welfare state.

Co-creation

All the policy models on the WISE Horizons project are co-created with stakeholders. Various stakeholders will be invited to take part in a number of co-creation labs/workshops. To facilitate these processes, the WISE Stakeholder Platform, a network of network, will be created. An ambitious communication strategy will facilitate a public debate away from the current economic paradigm and towards a new paradigm fit for the future.

Coordinator: University of Leiden (Netherland)

Participants:

  • Institute for Future – Fit Economies Gemeinnutzige UG (Germany)
  • Paris School of Economics/World Inequality Lab (France)
  • SINTEF AF (Norway)
  • Centre for applied research proprietary limited (Botswana)

Partners:

  • University of Surrey (Great Britain)
  • University of York (Great Britain)
  • Tsinghua University (China)

Aknowledgement: the Horizon Europe “WISE Horizons” Research & Innovation Action (GA 101095219) started on January 1st 2023 and has a budget of nearly 3 million euro.