ItalianoFrom June 10th to 13th, 2025, the town of Izola in Slovenia, hosted the first mission of the European project SPACE-NEST (Sustainable Path Advancing Community Empowerment - New European Bauhaus for Social Economy and Transformative Living).
The mission brought together 37 local authorities, civil society organizations, social enterprises, academics, and sustainability innovators from Slovenia, Spain, and Italy.
Organized by the Primorska tandem, the Municipality of Izola and Inovaktiv, the study visit offered a hands-on opportunity for interregional learning, exchange and co-design focused on inclusive and sustainable transformation.
Over three days, participants explored some of Primorska’s most inspiring initiatives aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus (NEB). Highlights included visits to InnoRenew CoE, a world-renowned research center for sustainable construction and renewable materials; HEKA art and science lab opened up by PiNA, a civic and cultural hub active in creative industries and social innovation and the Municipality of Koper, where NEB-inspired urban regeneration projects were presented.
At the heart of the mission was the visit to the former ARGO fish processing factory, a historic industrial site that once employed generations of women in Izola. Once a symbol of economic resilience, ARGO now stands as a space of memory and high potential for sustainable and inclusive regeneration. During the on-site meeting, participants were invited to reflect on its historical and social significance and to reimagine how this space can be revitalized through the lens of the social economy, community participation, and NEB principles.
The visit to ARGO culminated in a participatory design thinking workshop at Manzioli Palace. During the session, participants worked in transnational teams to co-develop creative reuse scenarios for the site. Using LEGO bricks and storytelling techniques, they explored community needs, identified challenges and opportunities, and built tangible prototypes. Concepts included circular economy hubs, intergenerational learning spaces, community art labs, and nature-based wellbeing centers, showcasing how design thinking can unlock collective intelligence and transform local heritage into engines of sustainable innovation.
The diverse expertise of participants, spanning social inclusion, urban planning, entrepreneurship, and climate action, enriched the dialogue and fostered mutual learning. The collaborative atmosphere laid the groundwork for future partnerships and strengthened the growing SPACE-NEST network, which currently count 160 organisations, aimed at applying the insights gained to future initiatives aligned with the NEB values of sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics. The Municipality of Izola is pleased that the meeting took place in Izola, where they strive for sustainable and inclusive development. The participants, with new ideas, their professional knowledge and a fresh perspective, co-created the conceptual design of the degraded space of the former factory, taking care of people, nature and the community. We believe that the proposals will significantly contribute to the transformation, which will be based on the values of sustainability, cooperation, and respect for heritage.
Through this mission in Slovenia, SPACE-NEST confirms its role as a catalyst for territorial innovation, empowering communities to lead the transition toward greener, more inclusive, and more beautiful places to live.
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