SHOWCASE’s first step is to create a European network of local Experimental Biodiversity Areas (EBAs), that will be used to co-develop (though to varying degrees) and test successful strategies for better integrating biodiversity into farming. EBAs are located across a wide range of agro-ecosystems and represent farming systems undergoing both intensification as well as agricultural abandonment. Rather than creating new sites for the network, the approach in SHOWCASE was that EBAs would be developed mostly from existing collaborations between scientists and practitioners. The first work Package of SHOWCASE, WP1, has built in the 10 countries an experimental and knowledge exchange network in agricultural landscapes across Europe. Existing collaborations include LTSER platforms from eLTER RI, farmer cooperatives, farming research organisations and conservation organisations. These are well-established multi-actor networks already undertaking knowledge exchange, participatory research and innovation activities. Then, participatory approaches with farmers, administrators and other stakeholders are defining operational biodiversity targets at field/farm/regional level by discussing the types and extents of biodiversity indicators that should be used. WP1 thus is building our EBA network, with each EBA serving both as a local testbed for developing and implementing novel interventions and as a knowledge exchange hub. This is a pan-European network of Experimental Biodiversity Areas. In these EBAs multi-actor communities (growers, extension workers, researchers, NGOs, citizens etc.) work together to co-develop, co-manage, co-monitor and co-evaluate biodiversity innovations to enhance farm production, wildlife protection, livelihood quality and resilience of social-ecological production systems. These multi-actor communities will i) identify and prioritise local or regional challenges of biodiversity-agricultural production trade-offs, and ii) co-formulate and test potential solutions. However, to add value at the European level and allow up- scaling and out-scaling of solutions, it is essential to have a common framework and set of core standardised methodologies and measures used by all EBAs. EBAs are expected to be somewhat representative of Europe, in terms of biogeography, farming system or agricultural intensification/abandonment. However, all EBAs are starting from different points. One main target was to develop the network of EBAs based on a core approach, though place-based, in order to provide local solutions to local challenges. A conceptual representation of an EBA is given below illustrating how each EBA will be the fundamental base and operational platform integrating the various Tasks of WP1.