On May 21 and 22, 2025, the town of Miglionico, Italy, hosted the first Capacity Building Lab of the European project RURAL RiSE, funded by the EU’s SMP-COSME programme. The initiative aims to foster social entrepreneurship, green job creation, and sustainable development in rural areas across Europe.
This first training lab brought together participants from Spain, Italy, and Serbia, creating a dynamic space for learning, exchange, and connection among young people, local authorities, and social economy organizations.
A programme that connects knowledge, territory, and innovation
Over the course of two days, participants engaged in training sessions, practical workshops, and field visits in Miglionico. The event opened with welcoming remarks from Annalucia Manzara and Giulio Traietta from the Municipality of Miglionico, followed by an introduction to the RURAL RiSE project by Sara Simeone from Materahub.
Key moments of the first day included a talk by Francisco Martínez (Diesis Network) on social economy and social entrepreneurship, and a “speed dating” session in which participants presented their personal projects and shared experiences. In the afternoon, a field visit to the Centro Polivalente of Miglionico offered a chance to explore how rural spaces can serve as hubs for social innovation.
The second day focused on inspirational practices. Branko Krsmanović introduced the “City and Me” app for municipalities, and Penny presented the work of Miglionico’s woodland community. In addition, the New European Bauhaus initiative was introduced as a visionary framework to rethink the future of rural territories through sustainability, inclusion, and beauty. This served as the foundation for the participatory workshop “Our Rural Future”, where participants collectively envisioned the future of Miglionico, Palilula, Valdefuentes, and Matera.
The event concluded with another field visit focused on stakeholder mapping, followed by a closing session and certificate ceremony.
Next stop: Palilula (Serbia)
The next Capacity Building Lab will take place in Palilula (Serbia) in October 2025, and a new call for participants will be launched very soon for those interested in continuing this European learning journey.
All updates will be published on the official project website:
https://ruralrise.wazo.coop
The RURAL RiSE team extends heartfelt thanks to the Comune di Miglionico for their warm hospitality, to Materahub for coordinating the event, and to all participants for their enthusiasm and commitment to shaping the future of rural Europe.
We keep moving forward, together.
