Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of September 18, 2026, from the General Directorate of Policies against Depopulation — Agreement with the Provincial Council of Badajoz for the development of the Territorial Innovation Center (CIT Badajoz) |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | October 5, 2026 |
| Entry into force | September 15, 2026 |
| Affected parties | Rural municipalities in Badajoz, local entrepreneurs, public entities and social agents in the province |
| Category | Public Sector |
| Regulatory framework | Art. 48.8 of Law 40/2015; Government Measures Plan for the Demographic Challenge (2021); EU Rural Vision 2040 |
| National network | Network of Territorial Innovation Centers (CIT) |
Rural municipalities in Badajoz have had since September 15, 2026 a new institutional instrument at their disposal: the Badajoz Territorial Innovation Center (CIT Badajoz), created through an agreement between the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and the Provincial Council of Badajoz, published in the BOE on October 5, 2026 in accordance with art. 48.8 of the Law 40/2015 on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector.
This agreement is not a statement of intent: it formalizes an operational structure integrated into the National Network of Territorial Innovation Centers and is framed within the Government Measures Plan for the Demographic Challenge (2021) and the EU Rural Vision 2040. For entrepreneurs, town councils and social agents in the province, it means access to an innovation ecosystem with regulatory backing and state coordination.
What does this regulation establish?
The agreement articulates collaboration between two administrations with differentiated and complementary roles:
| Party | Role in CIT Badajoz |
|---|---|
| Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge | Regulatory backing and coordination in the National Network of CIT |
| Provincial Council of Badajoz | Infrastructure provision and territorial management |
CIT Badajoz operates as a provincial rural innovation ecosystem and has three specific lines of work:
- Digital prototyping laboratory: space to develop and test technological solutions applied to the rural environment.
- Circular economy laboratory: focused on sustainable business models and use of local resources.
- Night sky protection: line of work linked to astronomical tourism and preservation of the province's natural heritage.
The center is integrated into the National Network of Territorial Innovation Centers, which allows agents in Badajoz to connect with other territories, share methodologies and access state coordination resources.
Economic and operational impact
The agreement does not establish specific economic amounts in the published data. Impact is articulated in three operational dimensions:
- Rural employment: the CIT acts as a pole of attraction for talent and creation of qualified employment in municipalities at risk of depopulation.
- Local entrepreneurship: the digital prototyping and circular economy laboratories offer infrastructure and support to business initiatives that would otherwise not have access to these resources in the rural environment.
- Services to municipalities: territorial management by the Provincial Council facilitates town councils in the province to channel innovation projects without needing their own infrastructure.
The European framework of the EU Rural Vision 2040 also opens the possibility that projects developed in CIT Badajoz may be eligible for European financing linked to territorial cohesion and ecological transition, although this will depend on specific calls that will be published in the future.
Who does it affect?
- Rural municipalities in Badajoz province: access to innovation infrastructure and the National Network of CIT.
- Local entrepreneurs: possibility of using digital prototyping and circular economy laboratories to develop projects.
- Provincial public entities: town councils and associations that can channel initiatives through the Provincial Council.
- Social agents in the province: associations, cooperatives and third sector organizations with rural development projects.
- Rural tourism sector: especially operators linked to astronomical tourism and natural heritage, due to the night sky protection line.
Practical example
An entrepreneur from a rural municipality in Badajoz who wants to develop a digital solution for managing agricultural waste can go to the digital prototyping laboratory of CIT Badajoz to test their model before launching it to market. At the same time, they can connect with the circular economy line of the center to explore how to turn that waste into a resource with economic value.
Without the CIT, this entrepreneur would need to access private accelerators or university facilities outside the province, with the travel costs and time that implies. The agreement eliminates this barrier by anchoring innovation infrastructure in the provincial territory, with institutional backing from the Provincial Council and state coordination from the Ministry.
What should companies do now?
- Identify if your activity fits the CIT lines: digital prototyping, circular economy or tourism/natural heritage (night sky). If so, CIT Badajoz is a direct resource to turn to.
- Contact the Provincial Council of Badajoz: it is the territorial interlocutor of the agreement and the access channel to the center's infrastructure for companies and self-employed in the province.
- Review European financing calls: the EU Rural Vision 2040 framework can generate funding calls for projects developed in the CIT. Keep watch over the BOE and the EU Official Journal.
- If you are a town council or public entity: evaluate what territorial innovation projects you can channel through the Provincial Council to take advantage of the infrastructure and national CIT network.
- Monitoring of the National CIT Network: being integrated into a state network, CIT Badajoz can open collaborations with other territories. Identify synergies with projects in other provinces.
Frequently asked questions
What is CIT Badajoz and what is it for?
CIT Badajoz (Badajoz Territorial Innovation Center) is a provincial rural innovation ecosystem created through an agreement between the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and the Provincial Council of Badajoz. It has digital prototyping laboratories, circular economy and a night sky protection line. Its objective is to combat rural depopulation by generating employment, entrepreneurship and improvement of services in rural municipalities in the province.
When does the CIT Badajoz agreement come into force?
The agreement came into force on September 15, 2026, although its publication in the BOE occurred on October 5, 2026, in accordance with art. 48.8 of Law 40/2015 on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector.
How can an entrepreneur or company access CIT Badajoz?
The access channel is the Provincial Council of Badajoz, which assumes territorial management of the center. It is the institution that provides the infrastructure and coordinates access for entrepreneurs, companies, town councils and social agents in the province to the CIT's laboratories and services.
What does CIT Badajoz have to do with the EU Rural Vision 2040?
The agreement is explicitly framed within the EU Rural Vision 2040, the European territorial cohesion framework for rural areas. This means that projects developed in the CIT can be aligned with future European financing calls linked to that framework, although eligibility will depend on each specific call.
Does it only affect Badajoz or are there similar centers elsewhere in Spain?
CIT Badajoz is integrated into the National Network of Territorial Innovation Centers, coordinated by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. There are other similar centers in different Spanish provinces, which allows sharing methodologies and establishing collaborations between territories.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is purely informational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20719
