The seventh Living Lab of the three-year Grass Ceiling project, funded by the European Horizon Europe program and dedicated to women’s innovation in their business rural settings, took place a few days ago in Ruvo di Puglia (BA), Italy. The project is in its final year and will end in December.
The Living Lab has always been an opportunity for collective discussion and learning about rural topics. So far, the eight women innovators involved have been working on new and engaging business ideas; in the last meeting, however, the time has come to a field test.
The Living Lab showed them the right path to innovation, by means of the use of solid methodologies. Through a workshop on the Business Model Canvas, lead by Francesco Notarangelo of Ciheam BARI, the participants made their projects more concrete, transforming what was so far just an idea into a structured plan.
Each project is thought out in detail: a museum on the history of an ancient oil mill, the rebranding of an essential oils brand, a Festival of the Seasons, these are just some of the options made up during the discussion. Each one of them aims to enhance the territory, thanks to the collaboration of the Bio-Distretto delle lame, which is following the evolution of this journey of female innovation in agriculture step by step, together with the two co-leads, Ciheam BARI and Legacoop Puglia.
There is great excitement for the upcoming, decisive milestones. After all, as the famous writer as Saint-Exupéry once said “Make your life a dream and a dream a reality,” and we are nearly close!
