Current challenges at international level, such as climate change, environmental degradation, rising unemployment rates, have shown the urgent need to adopt more sustainable approaches in our lifestyles and productive systems. Yet, a real transition to a culture of sustainability can only take place if people are equipped with proper skills and encouraged to come up with innovative entrepreneurial initiatives. Within this context, Ecoprise intends to promote a new entrepreneurial model and skillset for a new professional figure, the Ecoprise Designer, able to contribute to local regenerative development, promoting a harmonious coexistence between human life and nature within enterprises. To this aim, the project will create a multi-sectoral alliance bringing together Higher Education Institutions, VET providers, enterprises and non-profit associations to develop a multi-disciplinary course on Ecopreneurship, i.e. future-oriented social entrepreneurship through ecovillage design, inspired by the 4 dimensions of sustainability, and recognised through micro-credentials and through a European certification. The international pilot-testing of the newly-created course and its impact analysis will ensure its efficacy and transferability, while fostering new professional interactions. Additional opportunities for peer-learning and exchange of knowledge will be offered throughout the project, in order to stimulate people’s willingnessto take action for a real change in lifestyles and production systems. The participatory and collaborative approach at the basis of the project will contribute to its long-term sustainability, supported by the use of different communication channels, reaching out to a multi-sectoral community at local and international level. Tailored actions are envisaged forstakeholders’ engagement and exploitation of results, including the creation of local incubators, formed by learners completing Ecoprise course, acting as project ambassadors.

The project seeks to connect the world of academia (knowledge, research and education) with practitioners/educators in community-led initiatives, in that adult education could benefit greatly from the knowledge gathered and disseminated in academia - and the other way around. It is an example of a cross-sectoral project that explores the potentials of collaboration, adding strength to both sectors.  The priorities selected are ‘improving the availability of high quality learning opportunities for adults’ in that a stronger linkage to the research sector would qualify the adult education sector - if the collaboration would be better organised. Too often, research about ecovillages and community-led initiatives does not reach the people and the projects/ecovillages studied or the people who wish to undertake such projects, through education. Thus creating a crucial information gap. In bridging this gap, adult education will potentially become research based/oriented, which could add positively to the quality and scope of the adult education sector, in a blend of lived experience, research and education. That is the ultimate aim of the project and in this project we explore different pathways to get there. 

EuroREGEN will undertake a comparative analysis of how transnational networks of autonomous initiatives working at the scale of the local community (Community-Led Initiatives or CLIs) in Europe mobilize within and across national borders and engage public institutions in order to promote favourable institutional environments for regenerative development.