The region is a major producer of fruits, vegetables, and flowers for the rest of Spain and Europe. Wineries and olive cultivation are developed as well. Even though the temperature make Murcia very suitable for agriculture, the low precipitation make the water supply a sensible and problematic topic. Vega del Segura is a territory belonging to the Murcia region, with a very high population density. Most exploitations are related to the fruit with bone. LIVERUR will help complementing the EDLP Estrategia de Desarrollo Local Participativo (Participative Strategy for Local Development) adopted by the region in 2016.

The territory of the Vega del Segura has a LAG (Local Action Group) that concentrates the agents related to the economic and social development of the territory. They have developed their Participative Strategy for Local Development, which considers the introduction of new economic models in rural areas, including those related to the circular economy in agriculture, food industry and commerce, to be important.

Piloting action description:

To establish a Living Lab of Circular Economy in rural territory that helps to create new business models, it is proposed to carry out the following activities within the ideas may have for applying circular economy models.

• Selection process of projects, open and transparent for all agents in the territory.
• Support in the design of the projects that will participate in the living lab, including the feasibility study, legal advice, economic analysis, etc.
• Implementation of selected projects through: o Interviews with the entrepreneurs who lead each project to support the process o Field visits for project monitoring
• Evaluation of results
• Drafting of reports with the conclusions of the process, so that they are included in the online tool of the project (Circular Living Lab Toolbox).

Examples of innovative projects that the EDLP has identified in the territory:

• Projects to include new technologies as a support measure for local trade, for example app development or sector collaboration tools.
• Cooperation projects between companies of the same or different sectors for the development of a common objective (i.e. improvement of a production process, product development, cluster establishment, etc.).
• Introduction of innovation (in the design, manufacturing, marketing …) in traditional or local products (for example by encouraging collaboration with researchers, innovation agents, companies with innovative products …)
• Generation of quality marks or badges for the promotion and joint marketing of local products.
• Projects for the articulation of short channels of commercialization for local products.
• Promotion of new models of economic exchange and cooperation among the inhabitants of the territory.
• Elaboration and promotion of a digital cultural agenda of the territory.
• Actions to create and reinforce territorial identity as a strengthening element of the territory, through awareness of its resources.
• Actions to promote self-employment and women’s entrepreneurship that specifically show the opportunities and possibilities for job creation in the territory.
• Actions to revalue waste or by-products from agricultural or agri-food activities, including the introduction of circular economy elements, the energy recovery of waste or by-products and the promotion of companies generating products based on by-products or waste and their transformation.