De la desinversión a la valorización: reutilización del patrimonio industrial para un desarrollo rural sostenible. Antiguo distrito industrial de Biella

The wool district in the Piedmontese city of Biella, Italy, is a significant example of industrialisation that developed in a rural valley context, where manufacturing activities, scattered settlements and a valuable natural landscape coexisted. The availability of water resources and the strategic location favoured the growth of an integrated production system, which supported the local economy and helped to shape the cultural identity of the area for over a century. However, the crisis in the textile sector has led to the closure or abandonment of most of the factories, leaving an industrial heritage in decay, with negative socioeconomic and environmental consequences. The current state of abandonment of the wool district poses important questions on how to regenerate and reuse these infrastructures, to return them to a useful and strategic function for the territory. The reuse of disused production spaces presents significant opportunities to stimulate sustainable development, promoting cultural, tourist and entrepreneurial activities that can enhance the existing heritage. In particular, redevelopment scenarios are outlined that aim to preserve the district's historical memory through interventions that combine protection and innovation, such as the transformation of factories into museum spaces, cultural poles or innovation centres for sustainable design and fashion. This contribution analyses the regeneration prospects of the Biella wool district, examining virtuous examples of reuse at a European level and proposing intervention strategies to reconnect the industrial heritage with current economic and social dynamics. Through an integrated approach that considers the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the fundamental role of the local community and institutions in guiding valorisation processes that can combine identity and territory is emphasised.