Hannes Gotsch

Hannes is reimagining life in rural areas marked by cultural stagnation, social fragmentation, and the steady departure of young people. In response, he founded BASIS—hybrid spaces for collaboration, cultural exchange, and experimentation that bring new energy to traditional communities. These spaces also attract urban dwellers seeking connection and meaning, often missing in city life. By bridging rural and urban experiences, Hannes fosters inclusive ecosystems where people co-create vibrant futures and restore trust in an economy rooted in the common good and a culture of “we.”

In many rural areas, a mix of cultural stagnation, fragmented social life, and the ongoing loss of young people has weakened the fabric of the community. Hannes is rethinking the future of these places—where rigid norms and limited opportunities have long discouraged both staying and returning. In response, he founded BASIS, a model that brings new energy and imagination to these territories by creating hybrid spaces where people of all ages, backgrounds, and life paths come together to collaborate, experiment, and build a renewed sense of possibility.

BASIS is more than a venue—it’s a living, evolving infrastructure for community life. Blending cultural production with entrepreneurship, education, craftsmanship, and civic engagement, each BASIS space forms part of a broader ecosystem that breaks with traditional categories. These are not simply places to work or gather—they are designed to support whole ways of living, where creativity, autonomy, and social connection can flourish side by side. The model thrives on hybridity: merging local knowledge with outside perspectives, short-term needs with long-term visions. BASIS is governed through shared leadership—50% curated by the core team and 50% shaped by community-driven initiatives—fostering not only participation, but also collective responsibility and innovation. The possibilities for engagement within BASIS are multiple and flexible, reflecting the diversity of the people it serves. Individuals can take part as collaborators, residents, entrepreneurs, artists, learners, or civic actors. Some contribute by launching initiatives or hosting public programs, others by co-working, creating art, or experimenting with new forms of production and cooperation. This layered structure of involvement encourages both short-term participation and long-term commitment, fostering a sense of shared ownership and belonging. Rather than offering predefined roles, BASIS creates open frameworks where people can shape their own paths and contribute according to their skills, passions, and needs.

At the heart of Hannes’s work lies a conviction: people—especially young people—should be free to choose where and how to live, not driven away by lack of opportunity or stifled by narrow expectations. BASIS doesn’t just create reasons to stay; it invites people to actively shape the communities they want to live in. It welcomes both those rooted in place and those arriving with new perspectives—urban dwellers seeking deeper connection, or professionals looking for more than the fragmented, work-centric rhythms of city life. This inclusive approach became policy in 2021, when Hannes and local allies helped pass a legal reform allowing unused public spaces to become self-managed commons. Since then, five initiatives have emerged across South Tyrol, forming a decentralized network that generates cultural, social, and economic value in areas often seen as marginal.

Rather than drawing lines between locals and outsiders, BASIS fosters collaboration between tradition and new energy, continuity and experimentation. It rebuilds trust and belonging—reimagining rural areas not as places left behind, but as spaces of possibility, care, and shared creation.

Today, BASIS is expanding to Sardinia, Greece, Ukraine —regions often seen as marginal, but now linked through a shared commitment to regeneration, cooperation, and peacebuilding. Through this work, Hannes is helping to weave a new map of connected communities—places that act together, welcome diversity, and demonstrate that a different kind of future is not only possible, but already taking shape.

In many rural areas, including South Tyrol, cultural stagnation, fragmented social life, and the ongoing loss of young people have weakened the fabric of community. South Tyrol, an autonomous province in northern Italy, is often praised for its high quality of life and economic performance, particularly in agriculture and tourism. Yet beneath this success lies a complex web of social and systemic challenges, especially for younger generations. Despite its trilingual identity (German, Italian, Ladin) and the consociational power-sharing model introduced by the 1972 Autonomy Statute, the region faces growing youth outmigration, socio-political stagnation, and a limited culture of innovation. Approximately 6% of young, skilled individuals leave the region permanently each year, a trend fueled by low wages, high living costs, and the lack of professional diversity. This “brain drain” weakens community vitality, disrupts intergenerational ties, and accelerates demographic aging.

At the root of the problem is a deeply conservative, patriarchal societal structure that emphasizes continuity over change. In rural areas, particularly those dependent on monocultures like apple production or mass tourism, family legacies dominate life choices. Career paths are often predetermined by tradition, especially in agriculture, leaving little room for experimentation, personal agency, or alternative identities. This rigidity is compounded by a political environment historically inclined toward right-wing patriotism, limiting inclusive debate and innovation. A mentality of scarcity—rooted in envy and competition—discourages risk-taking and fosters a culture of conformity. While material wealth has increased over recent decades, it has not translated into broader human development or emotional wellbeing, a phenomenon some describe as "luxury lethargy": economic security without personal or social fulfillment.

South Tyrol’s creative industries have the potential to drive much-needed diversification but remain fragmented, underfunded, and undervalued. The region lacks inclusive, non-commercial public spaces where people can connect across sectors, generations, and identities. As a result, opportunities for cultural production, social entrepreneurship, and collective imagination are limited. Political priorities remain focused on technical and process innovation, sidelining social and circular models that emphasize human wellbeing and community resilience. Even cooperative systems rooted in mutual benefit are at risk, as financial interests increasingly outweigh impact investment toward common goods. Without supportive infrastructure or long-term vision, social innovators and cultural pioneers struggle to sustain their work. The consequence is not only economic stagnation, but a missed opportunity for South Tyrol to evolve into a region that values creativity, empathy, and the public good. Spaces like BASIS also help bridge the divide between urban and rural experience—offering not only community for those already rooted in the region, but also a sense of belonging for newcomers who seek connection, collaboration, and care in places that are often perceived as closed or exclusive.

Addressing this multifaceted issue requires systemic change. Key levers include rethinking local education and labor policies, investing in cultural and creative ecosystems, reforming land-use and housing frameworks, and cultivating spaces for inclusive dialogue and experimentation. Without these shifts, the region risks deepening its internal divides, continuing the exodus of its youth, and entrenching a socio-economic model that rewards conformity over creativity, hierarchy over cooperation, and legacy over innovation.

BASIS's strategy revolves around three main pillars: services, spaces, and events, each designed to address the challenges faced by rural communities, such as youth migration and economic stagnation, while promoting long-term change through innovation and collaboration. Spaces play a crucial role in this model, starting with the transformation of former military buildings into creative hubs symbolizing renewal and cooperation. BASIS has repurposed three sites in the valley, including Silandro, into multifunctional spaces that foster intergenerational and intercultural interaction. These spaces are designed to be places where people can work, create, and share resources, stimulating innovation in key areas such as agriculture, the circular economy, and energy community projects. These spaces not only provide a practical solution to the lack of places for work and creativity but also serve as symbols of change, breathing new life into historically divided political and cultural sites.

Within these spaces, educational and cultural programs are offered to young people, who not only actively participate but also have the opportunity to manage and profit from these experiences. These initiatives aim to recover and value cooperative knowledge, particularly focusing on local agricultural traditions, while promoting a culture of solidarity and skill-sharing. In this sense, the services provided by BASIS include training in sustainable economic models and social innovation practices, such as energy communities—local groups that produce, share, and manage renewable energy collectively— and circular economy initiatives. These are developed with the support of international networks and collaborations with local and global stakeholders from Sardinia, Amsterdam, Brussels, and philanthropic networks.

BASIS’s model is based on an inclusive approach that encourages the creation of networks, where participants learn from each other, fostering solidarity between rural and urban communities and developing a mindset that transcends the pursuit of individual success to embrace a city-rural movement that challenges patriarchal and conservative mentalities. This is achieved through various collaborative activities such as regular workshops, cross-sectoral projects, cultural events, and shared spaces that bring together diverse groups to exchange knowledge, skills, and experiences. In this context, BASIS’s strategy is rooted in the concept of the fourth sector, which integrates the private and public sectors, people, the planet, and purpose, driving social innovation and collective well-being.

Moving forward, BASIS plans to expand its model to regions like Sardinia, Greece, and Ukraine, aiming to promote sustainable development and systemic change by addressing the root causes of the lack of sense of belonging and cooperativism, and fostering social cohesion. Systemic change here means shifting local economies and social dynamics from isolated, rigid structures to interconnected, inclusive communities where diverse voices shape decision-making and resources. Evidence of impact includes a 20% reduction in youth migration rates in pilot areas and over 50% community participation in events and governance activities, signaling growing local engagement. The transformation of five unused public sites—including former military facilities and an old train station—into self-managed public commons has impacted 28,000 community members. This impact is reflected in the strong sense of ownership and shared responsibility fostered by BASIS’s governance model, which balances core team oversight with 50% community-driven decision-making. Surveys and interviews with participants reveal increased feelings of belonging and empowerment, while partnerships with local governments and institutions indicate a shift towards policies supporting social innovation and cooperative governance.
BASIS is already generating positive effects in the valley, both in terms of people and purpose, fostering social regeneration that involves the community and deepens connection to nature. The initiative is capturing the imagination of people globally, demonstrating how the model can be adapted to various contexts, contributing to a more inclusive and resilient society. By creating these spaces, BASIS not only regenerates the social fabric but also offers a new vision of sustainable development rooted in inclusion, cooperation, and community empowerment.

Born and raised in the culturally diverse Venosta Valley in South Tyrol, Hannes grew up in a community where South German, Austrian, Italian, and Ladino cultures intersected. The son of a national park hunting guard and a schoolteacher, he was immersed in a traditional environment that placed heavy emphasis on family legacy and societal expectations. As a teenager, Hannes felt the weight of these constraints, especially as the conservative values of his town seemed to limit creativity and personal freedom. To escape, he turned to music and subculture, organizing local festivals and gatherings to create spaces for young people to connect outside traditional structures like the church. His early entrepreneurial spirit quickly gained recognition, and by his twenties, Hannes had made a name for himself in the European alternative music scene.

In his mid-twenties, Hannes channeled his creative energy into the manufacturing industry, where he quickly rose to become a product and supply chain manager. Working with major European and Chinese brands, he brought a fresh perspective to established systems—identifying inefficiencies, proposing bold solutions, and leading large-scale projects with a focus on innovation. Though he achieved professional success, Hannes grew increasingly disillusioned with the industry's ethics, particularly its exploitation of natural resources. This prompted him to step away in search of a path that aligned more closely with his values. His commitment to creating positive change in South Tyrol deepened after becoming a father in 2015, inspiring his return to the region with a renewed focus on creativity, community, and systems change.

While exploring an abandoned military facility in his hometown of Silandro, South Tyrol, Hannes saw the potential to transform it into a hub for innovation and culture in a region often disconnected from creative and entrepreneurial movements. He worked with local authorities to preserve the site, founding BASIS—a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering creativity, entrepreneurship, and community. Through BASIS, Hannes is revitalizing rural South Tyrol by offering young people opportunities to stay, grow, and contribute locally, while also attracting new talent from beyond the region. His work challenges the notion that innovation is confined to urban centers, aiming to replicate this model in other areas facing youth migration and economic stagnation.