On 17–20 November 2025, the University of Salamanca hosted the Erasmus+ project REVIVE („REVIVE: Restoring Ecosystems in the Face of Depopulation via Innovation & Entrepreneurship“) meeting, where partners discussed the planned activities for 2026–2027. The discussions focused on developing a MOOC course, preparing good-practice examples addressing rural depopulation, and creating maps illustrating depopulation and ecosystem challenges.
The programme included field visits to the towns of Argujillo and Fermoselle, where participants met with local communities, SMEs, and policy-makers. Meetings were also held with the Castilla y León Consejo Consultivo and the NGO TORGUVI. These visits provided valuable insights into the case of “Empty Spain” (España Vacía) and demonstrated how rural depopulation affects ecosystem services and regional vitality.
During the event, dr Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė delivered a presentation on demographic challenges in rural Lithuania, the contribution of Local Action Groups (LAGs) to regional development, and community-led initiatives addressing economic, social, and environmental issues. She also introduced the Institute of Economics and Rural Development's research themes.
Cross-border cooperation and knowledge exchange are vital, enabling countries to share insights, strengthen research capacity, and develop effective solutions for the future of rural areas across the EU.
The project partners are: University of Greenland (Ilisimatusarfik), University of Salamanca (Spain), University of Catania (Italy), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development at the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (EKVI), and University of Oulu (Finland).
More information:
dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė (project manager), tel. (+370 5) 261 7071, zivile.gedminaite@ekvi.lt
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