Kick-off meeting of the SusTech project held in Manas Garden, Hungary!

At a meeting of all partners in Manas Garden, during the European Ecovillage Gathering, the implementation of the project “SusTech: Sustainable Technologies for Ecovillages and Communities” began!

From 12 to 16 August 2025, representatives from Los Portales (Spain), MEGY (Hungary), Sunny Hill (Slovenia) and GEN Europe came together to launch this exciting Erasmus+ project, which aims to document and disseminate practical low-tech solutions across European ecovillages and communities. The kick-off meeting was a dynamic and productive gathering where partners shared their expertise, built connections, and laid the groundwork for meaningful collaboration over the coming months.

The consortium gathered rather inspiring project partners from Ecovillages around Europe: Los Portales brings expertise in reforestation, holistic management, plant depuration, and terra preta, alongside their skills in communications, training, and event organization. MEGY originated from the Gyüttment festival and specializes in compost toilets, off-grid energy systems, underground greenhouses (VALPINI), and edible wild plants. They’re actively developing communities of practice around seed collecting, permaculture, and fruit preservation networks. Sunny Hill is a member of Ecovillage and GEN, emphasizing sustainability, collaboration, and innovation, while offering strong project management expertise and connections to the Slovenian ecovillage network.

Within the project, we will create a comprehensive catalogue of sustainable technologies – from compost toilets and off-grid energy systems to underground greenhouses (VALPINI), natural building techniques like drystone walls, permaculture practices, and plant depuration systems. The catalogue aims to be accessible for communities across Europe and beyond!

The project will also bring together Communities of Practice in each partner country, bringing together local experts, practitioners, and enthusiasts passionate about low-tech sustainability. These networks will focus on areas such as seed collecting, fruit preservation, holistic land management, and reforestation.

The project will feature nine educational activities in total and a coordinated webinar series – so stay tuned to learn more about SusTech – a project celebrating practical, accessible sustainability solutions!