IRIS-Circular Project: Green Transition & Circular Social Innovation in Rural Areas

The University of Burgos will launch the implementation of the IRIS-Circular project in September 2025. This ambitious initiative, running until December 2026, aims to promote the ecological transition, social innovation, and green jobs in rural areas of Castilla y León and La Rioja. Funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) through the Biodiversity Foundation’s Empleaverde+ Program, the project aims to reach 800 workers, primarily from rural areas and with a focus on vulnerable groups, through 60 free training, advisory, and participation activities. All activities will be carried out with the support of a multidisciplinary team of professionals who will contribute technical knowledge and a strategic vision focused on social innovation, fostering collaborative and co-creation processes.

The set of activities is organized into four main blocks, addressing key sectors for rural development from an economic, environmental, and social perspective. These include training sessions on the circular economy in industry, tourism, and commerce; collective reflection meetings and the implementation of a collective creation space on waste management in rural areas.

NBSCLIMATE will provide training and one-on-one advice and support to 20 rural entrepreneurs from Castilla y León, particularly in the Ribera del Duero region, based on its trademark regenerative entrepreneurship approach.