Abstract ID: 3.10444 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

The Science for the Carpathians (S4C) network was established in 2008, shortly after the adoption of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians (Carpathian Convention), as an open platform for researchers working in the Carpathian region. Its primary objectives include enhancing regional research collaboration, formulating a research strategy, and identifying key research priorities for the Carpathian region. It actively advises policymakers in the framework of the Carpathian Convention on socio-ecological challenges in the region. S4C has revised its Research Agenda for 2020–2030 in close collaboration with the Carpathian Convention Secretariat with the aim to guide research addressing regional challenges more effectively. Since its inception, S4C has maintained close cooperation with the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, regularly contributing to the Convention meetings. The collaboration has strengthened since 2018, with increased involvement of the Secretariat in organizing the Forum Carpaticum, S4C’s international scientific conference, and the introduction of the Science-Policy-Practice Interface topic within official Convention decisions. These initiatives aim to bridge research, policy, and practice by identifying knowledge gaps and co-developing solutions for regional challenges and emerging thematic priorities within the Convention. Forum Carpaticum 2025 will mark another milestone in fostering interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations in the Carpathian Region while reinforcing the science-policy interface between S4C and the Carpathian Convention. The outcomes of this process will be presented.