Sept. 2020

Open Innovation Platform of
Lada and Velilla del Río Carrión

  • Sector: Just Transitions, Cooperativism, Climate change
  • Country: Spain

The Open Innovation Platform is an initiative promoted by Iberdrola in collaboration with the itdUPM and Agirre Lehendakaria Center (ALC), which works as an accelerator of processes between citizens, companies and public institutions in the territories that must deal with the closure processes of coal power plants.

What the Platform seeks is to promote the socioeconomic and environmental development of the territories of Lada (Langreo, Asturias) and Velilla del Río Carrión (Palencia), connecting the needs and demands of the community with the opportunities offered by the territory, accompanying development processes already active in the territory and offering alternatives adapted to the peculiarities of the community and its environment.

 

Within this work we can highlight the following: We listen to as many people as possible in the area to find out their opinions and perceptions, as well as the challenges and opportunities of the territory; We identify initiatives and projects, new or existing, large or small, of interest to the community; We create the space for collaboration between various actors and for the connection of initiatives and projects.

Lada, Asturias

The Open Innovation Platform initiative was launched in July 2020 within the framework of the closure of the thermal power plant in Lada (Langreo, Asturias). This multi-stakeholder initiative aims to bring strategies and tools to the territory for its development, adopting another type of approach based on the interconnection of opportunities in the territory and starting from the real needs of the inhabitants of this community.

 

The territory of Langreo symbolizes the change of industrial paradigm from the XIX and XX centuries to the present day, the predominant activity has gone from a purely industrial and mining one, to a tertiarized one with less weight of industry, generating a progressive loss of economic activity due to the environmental unsustainability of these traditional practices.

 

That is why, given the lack of traction of the reactivation proposals offered to this territory, which essentially addressed the problem in an isolated or uniform way, in this work we intend to approach it differently, based on the approach of the Social Innovation Platforms. In this way, through a work methodology based on community listening and co-creation, the Platform has co-designed a portfolio of interconnected projects and initiatives with local actors, which represents an articulated image of the future possibilities for sustainable development for the territory, based on the initiatives, capacities and resources of each region in which it operates. 

Profiles and Narratives
Lucía
Jorge
Victoria
Ramón
Iván
Luis
Josefa
Ángel
Impact Levels
  • Community actions66
  • string(7) "0.00000" string(15) "#5CA897 0.00000"
  • Small and mid scale initiatives174
  • string(8) "16.17647" string(51) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 16.17547%,#59747F 16.17647"
  • Large scale initiatives120
  • string(8) "58.82353" string(87) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 16.17547%,#59747F 16.17647%,#59747F 58.82253%,#C38482 58.82353"
  • New public services17
  • string(8) "88.23529" string(123) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 16.17547%,#59747F 16.17647%,#59747F 58.82253%,#C38482 58.82353%,#C38482 88.23429%,#EC5D65 88.23529"
  • New regulation mechanisms31
  • string(8) "92.40196" string(159) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 16.17547%,#59747F 16.17647%,#59747F 58.82253%,#C38482 58.82353%,#C38482 88.23429%,#EC5D65 88.23529%,#EC5D65 92.40096%,#A73E7D 92.40196"
NameLucía
Age34
JobJournalist
Key narrative

Those who stay are mostly helpless

NameJorge
Age27
JobProject manager
Key narrative

We are at a crucial moment for change. We have to take advantage of it.

NameVictoria
Age43
JobPublic sector
Key narrative

The basin is still patriarchal due to the legacy of the mining culture

NameRamón
Age43
JobCentral worker
Key narrative

The commitment to the environment has not financially compensated Langreo and nothing can be done

NameIván
Age43
JobSyndicalist
Key narrative

Langreo is not capable of creating wealth outside of external investments

NameLuis
Age61
JobBusinessman
Key narrative

Local mentality is a barrier to development

NameJosefa
Age76
JobPensioner
Key narrative

Langreo is not resilient and that is why the culture of external subsidies exists

NameÁngel
Age48
JobIndustrial SME Manager
Key narrative

Experts in economics are needed in industrial projects, not politicians. We have to position Las Cuencas as a benchmark in innovation and technology, and invest in training

Velilla del Río Carrión, Palencia

The Open Innovation Platform initiative was launched in February 2021 within the framework of the closure of the thermal power plant in Velilla del Río Carrión (Palencia). This multi-stakeholder initiative aims to bring strategies and tools to the territory for its development, adopting another type of approach based on the interconnection of opportunities in the territory and starting from the real needs of the inhabitants of this community.

 

The context of Velilla del Río Carrión is directly linked to the economic activity developed in the territory: from a period of economic boom in the second half of the 20th century led by mining and industry, the city went to a situation of generalized decline due to the continuous closure of companies and businesses at present.

 

One of the most relevant challenges is to respond to the incessant depopulation, directly related to dynamics such as the lack of employment and entrepreneurship, seasonal tourism or the absence of location of companies with potential tractor in the territory. To face this challenge, this territory has multiple opportunities, both from the territory's own potential (rural environment as a tourist attraction, natural resources, agri-food industry, specialized training adapted to the opportunities of the territory, recycling and circular economy, etc.), as well as from the general population trends (rural repopulation, new forms of consumption, decentralized work, etc.) and other potentialities related to social and cultural factors of the community of Velilla and its districts, such as the strength of the roots and the associationism coming from the mining and industrial identity of the region.

 

Visit the Platform's website to know more

Profiles and Narratives
Jorge
Carlos
Ana
Begoña
Celia
Luis
Belén
José Manuel
Impact Levels
  • Community actions79
  • string(7) "0.00000" string(15) "#5CA897 0.00000"
  • Small and mid scale initiatives49
  • string(8) "58.95522" string(51) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 58.95422%,#59747F 58.95522"
  • Large scale initiatives6
  • string(8) "95.52238" string(87) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 58.95422%,#59747F 58.95522%,#59747F 95.52139%,#C38482 95.52238"
  • New public services0
  • string(8) "99.99999" string(123) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 58.95422%,#59747F 58.95522%,#59747F 95.52139%,#C38482 95.52238%,#C38482 99.99900%,#EC5D65 99.99999"
  • New regulation mechanisms0
  • string(8) "99.99999" string(159) "#5CA897 0.00000%,#5CA897 58.95422%,#59747F 58.95522%,#59747F 95.52139%,#C38482 95.52238%,#C38482 99.99900%,#EC5D65 99.99999%,#EC5D65 99.99899%,#A73E7D 99.99999"
NameJorge
Age19
JobHostel sector
Key narrative

Success is associated with leaving

NameCarlos
Age26
JobUnemployed
Key narrative

We have to promote the culture of cooperation

NameAna
Age31
JobLocal trade partner
Key narrative

The solution lies in having resources for entrepreneurship

NameBegoña
Age38
JobMountain Sports business
Key narrative

We have to reinvent ourselves, but we don't take the risk to innovate

NameCelia
Age45
JobMountain sports guide
Key narrative

Tourism is not a panacea either

NameLuis
Age61
Key narrative

Local mentality is a barrier to development

NameBelén
Age49
JobPrimary school teacher
Key narrative

We idealize what is outside without fighting for our own

NameJosé Manuel
Age55
JobMedium business manager
Key narrative

There is no alternative: only a large company will save us here