Reflections from the NEXRUR Community-led Business Model Innovation Workshop
From 15–17 April, the NEXRUR “Community-led Business Model Innovation Workshop” took place in Burgos, bringing together partners from across Europe and China. The workshop marked the kick-off of the NEXRUR Community-Led Business Models Innovation Network and created a space for collaboration, exchange, and shared learning.
Meeting in person made a clear difference – it helped to better understand the diversity of ideas and what drives community-led initiatives in rural areas.
Exploring use cases and innovation frameworks
The workshop focused on the NEXRUR use cases and the canvas model, which helps to structure and present their challenges, successes, value propositions, and levels of community-led engagement.
Through interactive sessions, participants shared experiences, explored the development of the use cases, and reflected on how these approaches can support practical innovation in rural areas.
Purpose-driven entrepreneurship in rural areas
One key reflection is that many community-led businesses are rooted in social entrepreneurship, often driven more by purpose and idealism than profit maximisation. At the same time, this is exactly the type of enterprise that needs to grow – supporting ecological and social transitions, while maintaining small-scale rural structures that have proven to be more resilient than large-scale systems.
However, there is still a lack of clear and long-term support structures for these initiatives, particularly when it comes to core funding. This is an area where municipalities and regions could play a stronger role. So far, EU funding – especially through LEADER – has been essential for investments and development efforts. The ongoing negotiations around the next EU multiannual budget also raise some uncertainty about future support.
About the project
NEXRUR is a four-year EU (Horizon) funded project aiming to accelerate the development and uptake of sustainable business models that support local economies and rural communities, while protecting and maintaining natural resources. NEXRUR aims to empower farmers and local actors to develop innovative, community-led solutions that strengthen rural resilience. The project brings together 20 European partners from 9 countries and 11 Chinese partners. ELARD is one of them, with a role focused on supporting the scaling and transfer of these models to other actors.
Marion Eckardt
ELARD Knowledge Hub