ItalianoTake part in the Social Economy Mission in Málaga and discover innovative models for reusing spaces, European best practices in territorial regeneration, and opportunities for international networking with local and European actors.
The mission, organised as part of the European SPACE-NEST project, will take place from 20 to 23 April 2026 in the Province of Málaga and the Serranía de Ronda (Spain). It is aimed at businesses, public bodies, third sector organisations, cooperatives, training institutions and entities active in territorial regeneration and local development.
This experience offers participants the opportunity to learn about good practices in rural regeneration and social innovation, meet cooperatives, rural innovation hubs and local administrations, and engage with other European actors active in local development.
The programme includes a Design Thinking Workshop designed to collaboratively develop sustainable models for the reuse of spaces and social innovation, with a particular focus on the replicability of solutions in the participants' home territories.
Opportunities and objectives for participants
- Learn about concrete examples of rural regeneration and social innovation
- Participate in collaborative workshops and develop replicable project ideas
- Strengthen European networks for collaboration and exchange of expertise
- Access qualified networking opportunities with public bodies, social enterprises and local stakeholders
Participation is supported by the SPACE-NEST project, which covers programme costs, study visits, local transfers and meals included in the agenda. There is also a reimbursement of up to 750 euro per participant for travel and accommodation expenses.
Would you like to participate in the mission? Apply by 20 February 2026, fill in the form by clicking here. Places are limited.
The results of the selection process will be communicated by the end of February 2026. For information and registration, please write to d.scalia@energycluster.it or segreteria.europa@provincia.bergamo.it.
From processes to results: the SPACE-NEST experience halfway through
SPACE-NEST is a European Union-funded project involving Spain, Italy and Slovenia with the aim of transforming abandoned rural spaces into community centres for innovation, inclusion and sustainable development. Inspired by the values of the New European Bauhaus – Beautiful, Sustainable, Together – the project promotes social economy models that bring life, creativity and opportunities back to rural areas.
During the first year, the partners conducted a mapping of abandoned and underused spaces and identified the main local stakeholders in the three pilot regions.
Focus groups with local communities were organised to validate the preliminary results and gather information on the needs and aspirations of the territories. The research and focus groups revealed a shared picture: many disused buildings – former factories, schools, hospitals, historic sites – retain strong symbolic and social significance and are perceived as opportunities to create vibrant spaces for culture, training and green entrepreneurship.
The need to strengthen collaboration between municipalities, associations, cooperatives, SMEs and civic groups also emerged, in order to translate ideas into lasting impact.
The full analysis is presented in the document “Preliminary overview of existing projects”.
The communities expressed a common vision for the future: multifunctional spaces, participatory and intergenerational approaches, integration of nature and accessibility, and connection between regeneration, skills development and social economy initiatives.
One of the first concrete results of the project is the publication of the guide 'RURAL RENEWAL – A guide to sustainable transformation through the New European Bauhaus and best practices in the social economy", coordinated by the Municipality of Izola. The guide brings together 41 European best practices and shows how disused buildings, industrial sites, farms and public spaces can become centres of creativity, inclusion and sustainable entrepreneurship, with aesthetic quality, environmental responsibility and social innovation.
This mission to Málaga represents the natural evolution of the process that began in 2025 with the first missions to Slovenia (Izola) and Bergamo, which involved around 77 participants from local authorities, social enterprises and European stakeholders, laying the foundations for the construction of a European network dedicated to sustainable regeneration and social innovation.
To learn more about previous missions:
SPACE-NEST: the Social Economy Mission in Izola | 10 - 13 June 2025
SPACE-NEST: the Social Economy Mission in Bergamo | 11 - 13 November 2025
