The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Thessaly, and specifically the Creative Technologies Learning Lab (CTLL) research team, is developing a digital game for the green and digital transition that encourages students to design solutions based on natural models and processes (Nature-Based Solutions) to address complex sustainability challenges. The game simulates real-life scenarios that help users understand what Nature-Based Solutions are, where and how they are helpful, and how they compare to traditional engineering interventions. Users, assuming the role of mayor, design policies and make decisions with short- and long-term impact to address modern and urgent environmental problems, such as pollution, floods, and drought. The digital game is aimed at higher education students, but it can be adapted to the needs of other groups of learners.
The action is implemented in the framework of the research project BuildAsNature: Serious Games for Building Resilience Through Nature-Based Solutions, funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Commission. In addition to the University of Thessaly, the universities Fachhochschule Dortmund (Germany), Tallinn University (Estonia), and University of Reykjavik (Iceland), as well as the company VirtualCampus (Portugal), participate in the implementation.
The University of Thessaly organised on 11 and 12 September 2025 the 2nd scheduled meeting of the project consortium in Volos with the participation of all partners. The participants had the opportunity to collaborate on the methodological framework of the project, supported by interviews of experienced researchers in 5 countries (Greece, Germany, Estonia, Iceland, and Portugal), the design and technical implementation of the digital game, and its pilot implementation with groups of students in the context of broad learning initiatives.
The project is implemented from 2024 to 2026.
