For three days, from October 18 to 20, the Crystal Palace of Arganzuela, located in Madrid Rio park, has become the epicenter of an important exchange between urban and rural worlds thanks to the eighth edition of the Presura fair. This event aims to raise awareness and explore opportunities in the less populated territories of Spain, offering free access to over a hundred speakers who share their perspectives in forums and roundtables.
Organized by El Hueco, an entity dedicated to social innovation for repopulation, Presura focuses on revitalizing Spain’s empty areas, supported by strong organizations such as the Oxygen Foundation and the Madrid City Council. The fair’s mission is to show that the rural environment is a viable option for starting life projects and generating new opportunities.
The Soria Chamber of Commerce actively participates in the event with a special stand offering hundreds of job vacancies to combat the lack of population in the province. This approach seeks to bridge the gap between the labor needs and opportunities in rural areas and the talent of cities.
The Presura program includes forty exhibitors opening up a range of possibilities, representing social action groups, small craft businesses, mobility companies, and food and beverage entities. Attendees can engage in roundtables and dialogues covering topics from technological innovation to the fourth industrial revolution, with a talk on the rural guarantee mechanism given by José Luis Martínez Guijarro, Vice President of Castilla-La Mancha.
Housing in rural areas is another crucial topic to be addressed at the event. Idealista will present a report on the real estate market in sparsely populated areas of Soria, Teruel, and Cuenca, followed by a debate on housing supply and demand in those territories.
Twenty successful rural projects will be presented in the Agora space, tangible examples of potential and viability. This place will also be the stage for the El Hueco Starter entrepreneurship competition, awarding the best rural business ideas with 1,500 euros.
In addition to these main meetings, the event incorporates cultural activities such as the screening of the film ‘Lowland’ by director Miguel Santesmases, and a show about the history of the Numantians, presented by the Celtic Cultural Association Tierraquemada.
This meeting seeks to attract residents from urban environments with the clear message that rural repopulation is not only possible but also desirable. Highlighting the interdependence between rural and urban areas, Roberto Ortega, Communication Director of Presura, defines the fair as a platform to “preach the secular gospel of repopulation,” attracting those willing to listen and adopt this message to achieve a fairer territorial balance in Spain.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
