Around fifty people, including researchers from the University of Burgos (UBU), trainers, entrepreneurs and, especially, members from the Pinares Burgos-Soria region, participated last Friday, February 7, in an intense technical day at Kuartango Lab, an innovation and experimentation center located in the Kuartango Valley (Álava, Spain). The purpose of the visit was to learn about social, economic, and environmental experiences aimed at strengthening rural communities within the Innovative Ecosystem created around Kuartango Lab. Participants also analyzed potential synergies, ways to establish alliances and build collaborative networks, and the replicability of some of these initiatives in rural areas of the Pinares Burgos-Soria region.
This visit was organized by the European ESIRA Project, funded by the European Commission under the HORIZON 2023 call, which focuses on promoting Social Innovation in Rural Areas. In Spain, it is being developed by the University of Burgos (UBU), SODEBUR, and the Oxígeno Foundation, who are currently creating a Rural Laboratory in the Pinares Burgos-Soria region. They have launched, alongside various entities, institutions, and individuals from the region, five thematic Working Groups (Economy and Entrepreneurship; Environment, Sustainability, and Digitalization; Culture, Education, and Leisure; Health, Well-being, and Community; Tourism, Hospitality, and Services) that contribute to the Rural Laboratory of Pinares, which has already been formally established. ESIRA brings together 15 entities, including universities, research centers, innovation institutions, companies, associations, and foundations from eight European Union countries: Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Serbia.
This technical visit is the first step of an intense and innovative training process that will unfold over the coming months. The goal is to promote innovation initiatives in rural areas, regarding entrepreneurship, environmental, social, cultural, digital, economic, and ecological development aspects that will strengthen the social and community fabric of the Pinares Burgos-Soria region. This process aims to create novel rural development alternatives, halt rural depopulation, and generate new opportunities for the region and its inhabitants. It’s an opportunity to view rural areas and their villages in a positive light, as hubs of innovation and community strengthening, showcasing many successful experiences and actions already being implemented in various locations.
A bus departed from Salas de los Infantes at 8:00 AM and picked up the rest of the participants at 8:45 AM in Burgos, before heading to Kuartango Lab (Álava) for the Technical Day, which began at 10:00 AM with a packed agenda. The visit included a reception by the town’s mayor, Miren Meabe Carro, Esther Durana, manager of the Añana Rural Development Association, and Iván del Caz, director of Rural Citizen and co-founder of Bikonsulting, “the cooperative for the common good”. Kuartango Lab is a vibrant, innovative, rural ecosystem where initiatives combining creativity, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and culture thrive. It attracts talent, builds networks, strengthens community identity, energizes the region, and serves as inspiration for other areas.
The participants in the visit took a thorough tour of the facilities at Kuartango Lab, a massive building of over 5,000 m2, which originally was a 19th-century spa. Due to its dilapidated state, it was destined for demolition until local people and entities from this modest and remote municipality with a population of just over 400 inhabitants decided, through a participatory process, to transform it into a social, rural, and innovative transformation hub.
The ESIRA project participants visited all the initiatives currently running at Kuartango Lab, guided by their promoters. This is a story of a significant challenge turned into a remarkable opportunity. The Kuartango Town Hall, owner of the building and promoter of the project, managed to breathe life into more than 5,000 square meters of space through a participatory strategy that brings together efforts, ideas, and people. The result is a dynamic center that has rapidly become an international reference for rural innovation, committed to collaboration and the ability to transform the territory through entrepreneurship and culture.
The participants learned about creativity and innovation through meetings with the Añana Rural Development Association, BiKonsulting, “the cooperative for the common good”, CAOSTURA (artisan accessories), EKOTARRICO (organic preserves cooperative), KIMUA (creative floral design studio), the PACHAMAMA Association (dedicated to cultural and environmental heritage), RURAL CITIZEN (promoting innovation ecosystems), and UZANZA EDITORIAL. These are a collection of surprising and inspiring experiences, like the newest addition to the Kuartango Rural Lab: Sidrería Kuartango, which focuses on supporting local production.
After lunch, the program continued with an engaging and interesting Social and Rural Innovation Workshop led by Iván del Caz. This hands-on, participatory session addressed important issues, indicators, and tools for generating initiatives, strengthening projects, understanding the importance of social innovation, seizing opportunities, and improving rural development practices.
At 7:00 PM, the ESIRA visit to Kuartango Lab concluded, and the group of participants from Burgos and Soria returned to their respective regions, having learned a great deal about social innovation in rural areas, gotten to know each other better, and built networks and initiatives that will be invaluable in strengthening the rural social fabric.
