Communicating European research projects effectively requires more than publishing reports and organising events. It requires engaging people in ways that are interactive, memorable and enjoyable. As Communication and Dissemination leader of the CORALIS project, EEIP continues to explore innovative approaches that make complex industrial topics more accessible to wider audiences.
One example is the CORALIS Quiz Challenge, a special campaign hosted on EnerWhizz, EEIP’s educational quiz platform. Running from 19 February to 19 March 2025, the initiative combined gamification, learning and friendly competition to raise awareness of industrial symbiosis while building momentum towards the project’s Final Event.
Making Industrial Symbiosis Interactive
Industrial symbiosis is a key pillar of Europe’s circular economy, enabling companies to exchange resources, recover waste streams and use energy more efficiently through collaboration. While the concept offers significant environmental and economic benefits, communicating these complex industrial relationships to broad audiences can be challenging.
Rather than relying solely on traditional communication channels, EEIP introduced an interactive quiz experience that encouraged participants to learn by playing.
Using carefully developed questions based on the CORALIS project, participants explored topics such as industrial symbiosis, circular resource management and sustainable industry through short, engaging quiz rounds. Each correct answer helped players climb the leaderboard while increasing their understanding of the project’s objectives and achievements.
EnerWhizz: A New Way to Engage Audiences
The CORALIS campaign was delivered through EnerWhizz, EEIP’s gamified learning platform designed to make energy, sustainability and industrial innovation more accessible.
EnerWhizz transforms learning into an interactive experience through fast-paced quiz rounds, points, rankings, missions and rewards. Players can compete nationally and internationally while expanding their knowledge of energy efficiency, renewable energy and European innovation projects. Designed as a Progressive Web App, the platform is accessible across devices and available in multiple languages, making it easy for diverse audiences to participate.
For EEIP, EnerWhizz represents more than a quiz platform. It demonstrates how gamification can become an effective communication tool that encourages voluntary participation, improves knowledge retention and reaches audiences who might never engage with traditional project dissemination activities.
The CORALIS Quiz Challenge is one example of how this approach can be adapted to communicate the results of European research and innovation projects in a more engaging and accessible way.
Learning Through Competition
The campaign encouraged participants to test their knowledge while competing for a place at the top of the leaderboard.
To reward engagement, EEIP designed a series of exclusive CORALIS-branded prizes that were awarded to the highest-ranking participants. The combination of learning, competition and tangible rewards created an enjoyable experience while reinforcing awareness of industrial symbiosis and the project’s achievements.
Rather than simply promoting project results, the quiz invited participants to actively interact with the knowledge generated throughout CORALIS, making dissemination a two-way experience instead of one-way communication.
Supporting the CORALIS Final Event
The quiz campaign concluded alongside the CORALIS Final Event on 19 March 2025, where the project’s achievements and legacy were presented to stakeholders from across Europe.
By linking the quiz to the final event, EEIP created a continuous engagement journey that began weeks before the conference and culminated with the announcement of the top-performing participants. This helped maintain interest in the project while encouraging audiences to explore its results before attending the event.
The initiative demonstrated how communication activities can reinforce one another when integrated into a broader dissemination strategy.
Innovating Communication for European Projects
For EEIP, communication is not only about sharing information. It is about creating meaningful interactions that encourage people to participate, learn and remember.
The CORALIS Quiz Challenge illustrates how gamification can complement traditional dissemination tools by making complex technical topics more approachable and engaging. Platforms such as EnerWhizz provide new opportunities to connect European research projects with businesses, students, policymakers and citizens through formats that are educational, interactive and enjoyable.
As EEIP continues supporting Horizon Europe and other European innovation projects, innovative communication approaches such as gamified learning will remain an important part of ensuring that project results reach wider audiences and create lasting impact.
Funding Acknowledgement
The CORALIS project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 958337.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
