ESIRA in Trento: cooperatves as a driver of social innovation in rural areas
From the 5th to the 7th of October 2026, Trento hosted the sixth General Assembly of ESIRA – Enhancing Social Innovation in Rural Areas, a European project funded by Horizon Europe that promotes social innovation in rural and peripheral areas. The meeting was hosted by the Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione and organised with the support of EURICSE, giving European partners the opportunity to discover local initiatives first-hand and exchange views on the role of cooperation and the social economy in local community development.
ESIRA brings together organisations from different European countries to study and promote social innovation initiatives that can address the challenges facing rural areas. In this context, the three-day meeting in Trento combined working sessions with field visits, connecting the partners’ joint discussions with practices developed locally.
The programme began at the headquarters of the Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione, where participants explored initiatives demonstrating how collaboration between different stakeholders can generate shared responses to community needs. These included Etika, an initiative combining energy and solidarity, and the Solidarity Economy Districts (DES) and DES.CO, which foster relationships and cooperation among local economic and social organisations.
The study visits then continued in Rovereto, at Impronte, a social cooperative, where participants learned more about initiatives related to Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), including CER Solidale Trentina. These experiences provided insights into the role of participation and local collaboration in developing shared energy models that combine environmental sustainability with social considerations.
The programme also addressed social inclusion, with a discussion with the Tavolo Graziella Anesi on pathways to inclusion for people with disabilities. A session on the history of cooperation in Trentino and of the Federation, delivered by the Federation itself, also offered an opportunity to explore the roots of a model that has helped shape the region’s economic and social fabric. The visit to Cantina Mezzacorona, a wine-producing cooperative with over a century of history, completed the programme, highlighting the links between cooperative organisation, local producers and the promotion of local products.
Through these experiences, the meeting in Trento gave European partners the opportunity to explore different forms of cooperation and social innovation first-hand and compare them with practices in their own contexts. This exchange between local experiences and European perspectives contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of the social economy in building rural communities that are more inclusive, collaborative and better equipped to address future challenges.
More information about the project is available on the official ESIRA website.
