Abstract
<jats:p>This volume presents an action research method developed at the Imago Mundi Lab, within the “Lelio Pagani” Centre for Territorial Studies, and shared with local communities to provide scientific support to Local Action Groups under the European Union’s LEADER Strategy (Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale). Involved in a socio-territorial study and a co-design process, the communities are guided by the university in close collaboration with institutional, private and associative partners, becoming co-protagonists in the cultural reflection underpinning strategies for innovation and local development. The process of analysis and co-design was piloted within the Local Action Group of the Bergamo Hills, involving nineteen municipalities in the peri-urban pre-Alpine belt north of Bergamo in the drafting of the 2023–2027 Local Development Plan. The University of Bergamo’s commitment has enabled a shift in perspective regarding the LAG, transforming it into a connector and promoter of development capable of networking services and natural, social and cultural resources. At the same time, it has facilitated the transfer of scientific and educational expertise to local residents through the ongoing involvement of students and junior researchers in participatory processes.</jats:p>