This path includes public benefit-oriented projects in which citizens are involved in the development of research questions, in the research process itself, and in the development of solutions. The institute established its own population laboratory (Reallabor) – the Leibniz Living Lab – Gesundheitswerkstatt Osterholz (infrastructure used by BIPS and the University of Bremen), in which health-related questions in everyday life are identified, and solution strategies are developed together with citizens and health promotion actors from the city district. Here, we create the opportunity to establish a bi-directional knowledge transfer between science and practice as well as civil society. Our goals include:

• To test new methods for participatory public health interventions.
• To develop framework models for adapting evidence-based prevention programs to local needs.
• To test new ways of recruiting study participants.
• To test interactive communication formats in the research process for more comprehensive outreach to diverse populations.
• To stimulate local change processes, supporting local health promotion.

The "Guardians of the Hedgehogs" project also focuses on active citizen engagement. Through targeted science communication, the public is introduced to the concept of One Health – the inseparable interconnections between the health of humans, animals, and the environment. In regular reporting campaigns, in close cooperation with the Netzwerk Igelfreunde e. V., citizens are invited to count and protect hedgehogs in the Bremen region. This not only promotes hedgehog conservation but also strengthens understanding of scientific methods and fosters a connection to science.