Tilting At Windmills

The Quest For Social Innovation In Castilla-La Mancha ​

When one thinks of Castilla-La Mancha, the landscape brings to mind vast plains and towering windmills—evocative of Don Quixote, the knight who dared to see beyond what others saw. This image holds a timeless lesson: when faced with immense challenges, vision and courage become transformative. Today, this very spirit fuels the Social Innovation Cluster (SIC CLM) as it takes on the “giants” facing the region—rural depopulation, a persistent digital divide, and the need for sustainable development. Like the knight-errant, SIC CLM is on a journey to tackle what might seem impossible. Yet unlike a lone knight, it is a journey built on collaboration, resilience, and the power of collective innovation (Fundación Cepaim, “Social Innovation and Rural Development,” 2020).