Between July 2022 and June 2025, PREPSOIL ("Preparing for the Soil Deal for Europe Mission") acted as a pioneering Coordination and Support Action under Horizon Europe, laying the groundwork for the implementation of the EU’s A Soil Deal for Europe mission. Its purpose was clear: to strengthen soil literacy, foster collaboration, and make science-based knowledge on soils more accessible to stakeholders across Europe.
At the heart of these efforts stood the PREPSOIL web platform, conceived not just as a project website but as a gateway for engagement, a single entry point for resources, tools, and opportunities to connect and make information not only accessible but actionable.
From Vision to Digital Tools
As PREPSOIL evolved, so did its platform. What began as a portal for sharing project outcomes became a dynamic ecosystem of interconnected digital assets, each serving a distinct purpose but working together toward a common goal: supporting the EU Mission Soil.
The platform now hosts the Knowledge Hub, a multilingual library of soil resources; the Living Labs & Lighthouses Atlas, an interactive map connecting innovation sites across Europe; a dedicated overview of Communities of Practice. Furthermore, the platform became closely interconnected with the PREPSOIL mobile app designed to engage citizens and organisations in collecting and sharing soil insights.
The development and integration of these tools were guided by Trust-IT Services, who led the platform’s design and continuous enhancement. Rather than simply delivering technical solutions, Trust-IT worked closely with PREPSOIL partners to ensure that every feature was intuitive, secure, and responsive to the needs of its users.
The PREPSOIL Knowledge Hub: A Collaborative Library for Soil Literacy
Among the platform’s flagship achievements is the Knowledge Hub, a curated, multilingual library designed for researchers, practitioners, educators, and citizens. But this is no static archive. Stakeholders were actively invited to contribute reports, deliverables, and best practices, making the Knowledge Hub a living, evolving repository of soil-related knowledge.
From architecture to discoverability, its design reflects a focus on user experience and accessibility, ensuring that valuable content is easy to find and meaningful to apply.
Mapping Europe’s Living Labs & Lighthouses
In collaboration with ENoLL, PREPSOIL developed an interactive atlas of Living Labs and Lighthouses (LLs/LHs), experimental and demonstrative sites at the forefront of soil innovation. This tool enables stakeholders to explore initiatives across Europe, discover their focus areas, and build connections for collaboration.
Extending Engagement Through the PREPSOIL Mobile App
To reach beyond traditional channels, PREPSOIL also piloted a mobile application. This app allows organisations to create "soil quests", encouraging citizens, researchers, and institutions to share soil insights and data from their regions. By doing so, the project bridged the gap between expert communities and the public, fostering bottom-up engagement in the Soil Mission.
Looking Ahead: Recommendations for an Engaged Soil Community
While PREPSOIL concluded in June 2025, its work sets the stage for the long-term implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe.
At the project’s final event in Brussels, Trust-IT – as PREPSOIL’s WP3 leader – emphasised the need to build on this legacy with clear recommendations:
- Embrace digital innovation: Use digital platforms to make soil knowledge engaging and accessible beyond academic circles;
- Put citizens at the centre: Foster personal connections to soil health by addressing local concerns and encouraging participation;
- Ensure long-term impact: Continuously refine and integrate digital tools, avoiding duplication across initiatives;
- Work together, strategically: Strengthen collaboration across organisations, amplifying shared efforts and breaking down silos.
The digital assets developed within PREPSOIL, from the Knowledge Hub to the mobile app, demonstrate the essential role of technology in making soil knowledge more accessible and engagement more inclusive.
Discover all the project’s results at the PREPSOIL website.
