The European New Bauhaus Community (NEB) of the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) has selected 6 innovative projects under the Scaling-up the Most promising Connect NEB and Co-create NEB competition, including the Neiva Community Laboratory project, proposed by the non-governmental organization Rio Neiva, in collaboration with the municipalities of Esposende and Viana do Castelo.

The Neiva Community Laboratory is an experimental initiative that aims to connect the local community with regional, national and international actors to transform the surrounding area of the mouth of the Neiva River. The initiative aims to be a place of experimentation to address challenges such as threats to biodiversity, climate change and socio-economic challenges such as ageing, economic perspectives and other challenges of semi-rural regions. Thus, it intends to create a development plan for the region, offering lasting benefits to the region and its actors.

The contest aimed to scale the best Connect NEB and Co-create NEB projects, which bet on an alternative future based on the principles of NEB – sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics. Each project will be allocated € 40,000 and mentoring and access to one of the largest innovation communities in Europe.