European rural areas embody outstanding examples of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CNH) that need not only to be safeguarded, but also promoted as a driver for competitiveness, sustainable and inclusive growth and development. RURITAGE establishes a new heritage-led rural regeneration paradigm able to turn rural areas in sustainable development demonstration laboratories, through the enhancement of their unique CNH potential. RURITAGE has identified 6 Systemic Innovation Areas (pilgrimages; sustainable local food production; migration; art and festivals; resilience; and integrated landscape management) which, integrated with cross-cutting themes, showcase heritage potential as a powerful engine for economic, social and environmental development of rural areas. The knowledge built in 14 Role Models (RMs) and digested within the project, will be transferred to 6 Replicators (Rs) across Europe. Local Rural Heritage Hubs, gathering stakeholders and civil society, will be settled in Rs to work as living labs where heritage-led rural regeneration strategies will be co-created and implemented, while in RMs they will reinforce the ownership of CNH. Both RMs and Rs will also benefit of the RURITAGE Resources Ecosystem, a set of tools including, among others, a rural landscape mapping tool (RURITAGE Atlas) and a Replication Toolbox within an online and interoperable platform. These tools will foster knowledge building, providing evidence and supporting replication and up-scaling activities of the implemented heritage-led regeneration strategies and plans, contributing to mainstream heritage in Regional, National, European and global policies.

The EU has used the Strategic Energy Technology Plan to transfer power to consumers, by decentralising the energy ecosystem by establishing “100 positive energy districts by 2025 and 80% of electricity consumption to be managed by consumers in 4 out of 5 households”. The SMART-BEEjS recognises that this requires the systemic synergy of the different stakeholders, balancing attention towards technological and policy oriented drivers, citizens and society needs, providers and technology capabilities and value generation system synergies in order to deliver the transition without leaving large parts of the population behind.

Smart-BEEjS covers all angles of this eco-system, to train a generation of transformative and influential champions in policy design, techno-economic planning and business model innovation in the energy and efficiency sectors, mindful of the personal and social dimensions, as well as the nexus of interrelation between stakeholders in energy generation, efficiency and management.

In the frame of the project “Sustain your life through social entrepreneurship” participants in the second training course dedicated to “Social and Cultural entrepreneurship” had the opportunity to experience a lively reality together with a nourished group of Lithuanian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian and Dutch energies. The training has been organized by Hogeschool Rotterdam and run from the 31st of October up to the 5th of November in Rotterdam.

“Social entrepreneurship” focuses on several aspects of daily life, Hogeschool Rotterdam gave us a good example of what Social Entrepreneurship can manage in the field of cultural development.
The working programme of this second training focused on The Canvas Business Model, a strategic management and lean start-up template for developing new or documenting existing business models; Noordman’s Social Cultural Entrepreneurship model; social entrepreneurship trends in the Netherlands; the path to develop a social business from a passion; the added value of networking in social entrepreneurship; the Delfshaven area, part of the old city managed to retain its authentic charm while growing social enterprises.
Throughout the training a constant has been the numerous study visits to the several local entrepreneurs. This was considered as a necessary experience to understand the point of view of a social entrepreneur and raise awareness on positive but also negative aspects, tricks and opportunities self created.
Last but not least, the training offered the opportunity to live an experience developed crossing several different European countries, entrepreneurial experiences, development policies. This allowed every participant to enrich its cultural baggage and gain wider awareness thus contributing to a better growth.

UPCOMING
From the 22nd of January 2017 up to the 26th of January 2017, in Cascais (Portugal), will be run the third and last training of the project. This will be dedicated to “Entrepreneurship and Initiative”.
After observing some others’ initiatives, getting the tools to develop the idea on paper, this last training will be much more practical and focus directly in the translation of ideas into action.

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Are you a practitioner in the field of circular economy? Do you want to inspire change? Do you want to inspire progress?

Across Europe, numerous activities exist relating to circular economy among SMEs, industries, universities, public authority and so on. For this reason, within the global initiative of the OSCE days, we would like to launch a call for successful initiatives, projects and examples to highlight the potential benefit deriving from circular economy practices to be presented during an event in November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This event will gather together several actors from Canary Islands, with the aim of creating a Living Lab for circular economy in the islands. The Archipelago can indeed represent a very stimulating and interesting situation in terms of closing the loop. Among 3 and 5 best practices will be selected and will have the occasion to present their initiatives and results in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Scope

Circular Economy is a new economic model that aspires to build long-term prosperity into society by decoupling economic growth from resource consumption, based on a systemic approach inspired by natural systems. It is an alternative to the current linear model, betting on a sustainable supply chain. Doing so waste will be reduced and collaboration among different partners could be enhance thanks to new business model of cooperation. In this perspective we would like to launch a call for projects related to circular economy initiatives and best practices. This calls aims at collecting both successful European/international/national projects, both private/public initiatives related to circular economy. Great attention will be given to the implementation of new business models and innovative collaboration strategies.

In particular we would like to receive best practices related to the following topics:

• Practices related with tourism sector
• Best practices related with and/or implemented in islands
• Actions and projects related with water reuse
• Circular economy practice that included a participatory approach: experience in co-creation of new business models including multi-stakeholder approach and gender dimension.

By filling this form, applicants should send an abstract of their project – between 3000 and 5000 characters- explaining the challenges, the solutions and the final outcomes of implementing circular economy in their project.

Successful applicants will be invited to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, to present their project during the OSCE days event that will take place in November 2016 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Accommodation and travel expenses will be covered by the organizers.

The deadline for the application is the 15th of October 2016, please send the pdf of your application to info@consulta-europa.com.