Shift at NEB Gathering 2026 in Barcellona

Retrospective reflection, learning and new trajectories for the future of the NEB Facilities programme: for Shift Studio, the NEB Gathering 2026 in Barcelona represented a convergence of reflection and forward-looking vision. It was an opportunity to critically reassess the work carried out in 2025, while also directing attention towards the programme’s subsequent phases.

Held at  Bloc4BCN, the Gathering took on immediate symbolic and operational significance. Bloc4BCN is much more than a venue; it is a cooperative huband social project located within the regenerated former industrial complex of Can Batlló, which is now a centre for Barcelona’s social and solidarity economy. Created through a public–cooperative partnership, Bloc4BCN unites dozens of organisations spanning sectors such as energy, housing, culture, technology, and social services. It represents a tangible ecosystem of practices that embody the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, inclusion, and beauty in terms of both space and relationships.

This year, within the New European Bauhaus framework, the international EIT Community was effectively formed by 57 participants from 38 organisations who came together in this context. This is a vibrant, diverse and interconnected community that is committed to supporting citizens, grassroots initiatives and start-ups which embody the core values of the NEB. Since the programme’s launch, over 700 projects across Europe have received support, showcasing an ever-growing ecosystem that connects policy visions, design experimentation, and tangible impact on local areas.

International exchange has reinforced the belief that has guided our work for years: the New European Bauhaus is not merely a framework, but a cultural and operational process grounded in three interconnected pillars:

• Sustainable, as a systemic response to environmental and social crises;
• Beautiful, understood as the quality of spaces, relationships and experiences;
• Together, as a concrete practice of inclusion, participation and co-creation.

Since 2022, Shift has been part of this transformative movement, applying the NEB philosophy through grassroots projects developed in real-life contexts and in collaboration with the communities that inhabit them. A notable example is the San Salvario DIT project, which was developed in collaboration with Cooperativa Esserci in Turin and was selected for the NEB Prizes in 2022.

The San Salvario DIT project was a true field test of NEB values for us, demonstrating how social inclusion, urban regeneration and new local economies can be fostered through proximity, relationships and care for places. It is a project that clearly demonstrates that sustainability is not only environmental, but also social and relational.

From recognition to responsibility

The journey that began with the Prize evolved into an increasingly active role within the NEB community in the following years. In 2024, Shift became the promoter of the Italian Ignite initiative, helping to create a space for national dialogue and action.

The Participative Futures 4Planet project, in dialogue with the research and practices shared on designforplanet.it, placed the future at the centre as a collective endeavour at a public event: a Design Sprint Festival aimed at generating sustainable solutions through participation. The design event brought communities and policymakers together to generate tangible impact. Ignite represented a moment of acceleration, connecting European visions with local practices.

In 2025, Shift supported and hosted two winning ideas from the ten developed through a dedicated pathway focused on developing community and business ideas (the Grow initiative), which aimed to reconnect people with nature. Thanks to NEB, we experimented with new formats and proximity-based tools, including the community podcast Valtellina114. This was designed to provide a shared narrative space that gives a voice to local areas. We also tested the temporary residency service BeLong in Chiuro. This was intended to strengthen a sense of belonging, relationships, and civic participation.

These experiences demonstrated how the NEB can enable new relational economies that generate value through culture, active listening and fostering connections between people and places. The Gathering 2026 in Barcelona offered a valuable space forcollective learning, providing an opportunity to reflect on achievements and challenges, engage with other European initiatives and recognise the non-linear yet evolutionary nature of the NEB journey. Choosing Bloc4BCN as the venue reinforced this idea, demonstrating how places themselves can facilitate learning and transformation. For Shift, it was also an opportunity for internal alignment, reaffirming our role as facilitators of transformational processes rather than mere designers.

Looking ahead to 2026: Common Sounds

We are delighted to announce that, as beneficiaries of the Common Sounds project network funded by the Co-Create initiative, we will continue our NEB path in 2026 as well. This new chapter will allow us to explore the relationship between culture, territory and community in more depth, and contribute to the development of shared practices and ideas on a European scale. Common Sounds is a new project where the communities of Ponte in Valtellina and Talamona are working together to create spaces and services for local music groups. The project aims to broaden access to music and encourage participation for all. Thanks to spatial improvements and innovative tools, new services can be trialled, including the Instrument Library in Talamona and the Music Courtyard in Ponte.

The NEB Gathering 2026 was therefore not an endpoint, but a threshold guiding us towards new possibilities for experimentation and collaboration under the banner of a project that places people, places and their capacity to imagine desirable futures at its core.

February 15, 2026