On 19 May 2026, Informest, as Lead Partner of the Interreg Central Europe project ResilienCE, organised the Preliminary Workshop for Resilience Labs, held online via Teams and involving a broad group of local stakeholders from Friuli Venezia Giulia, with a focus on Carnia.

The event marked the starting point of a participatory process aimed at actively engaging regional actors in shaping innovative solutions to support social economy enterprises (SEEs) in peripheral areas.

A strong multi-actor participation

The workshop gathered representatives from:

• regional institutions
• local development organisations
• research bodies and universities
• clusters and foundations
• training organisations and social economy actors

This diversity ensured a multi-actor perspective on the challenges and opportunities affecting the Carnia territory.

Launching the Resilience Labs process

The workshop introduced the Resilience Labs, a series of participatory workshops that will:

• analyse territorial needs and challenges
• explore development trajectories in the short, medium and long term
• co-design sustainable business models and support schemes
• identify replicable and scalable solutions

Participants were actively involved in a first co-creation exercise, working in groups to:

• review and prioritise economic, social and environmental needs of the territory
• discuss possible development pathways
• contribute to a preliminary SWOT analysis of the local context

Key insights from the discussion

Although preliminary, the workshop highlighted several shared priorities, including:

• addressing demographic decline and depopulation trends
• improving accessibility and service provision
• supporting sustainable territorial development, particularly in tourism, energy and bioeconomy
• strengthening cooperation among local actors
• enhancing adaptation to climate change and environmental challenges

Participants also stressed the importance of stronger links between enterprises, communities and education systems, as well as the need for innovative services and digital solutions tailored to mountain areas.

Looking ahead

This preliminary workshop represents the first step in a broader co-design journey.

The next stages will include a series of in-person Resilience Labs, starting in summer 2026, where stakeholders will further develop the ideas and priorities identified, contributing to the definition of innovative support schemes for social economy enterprises.