IXCHEL – Innovative eXperiences in Circular bioeconomy and Habitat restoration for EU-LAC rural and urban Landscapes

The IXCHEL project is an initiative that brings together partners from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to pursue a common goal: to develop and test innovative solutions for restoring degraded soils in urban and rural landscapes.

The project combines nature-based solutions (NbS) with the principles of the circular bioeconomy. Activities will be implemented at seven pilot sites across five countries, where industrial crops will be used as elements of green infrastructure. The aim is to improve soil functions, enhance ecosystem services such as CO₂ sequestration, water infiltration, and biodiversity support, and develop models that can be replicated in other locations.

As part of its contribution, the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU) will conduct soil, environmental and spatial analyses, co-design local nature-based solutions, monitor their impact and participate in the development of scaling and dissemination models for the project's outcomes. The Polish pilot site, located in Bytom, will demonstrate the potential of using industrial crops for phytoremediation and the social and economic benefits of using them on soils contaminated with heavy metals.

The project's outputs will include proposed methods for soil remediation, practical models for implementing nature-based solutions, tools to support the replication of successful approaches in other regions, and recommendations for further applications of the project's results. It is expected that IXCHEL will contribute to restoring soil functions, developing sustainable value chains and increasing public acceptance of nature-based approaches to regenerating degraded land.

Project consortium

University of Burgos, Spain (coordinator)
Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, Poland
Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Peru
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Argentina

Project duration: April 2026 - March 2029

Project coordinator in IETU: Dr. Jacek Krzyżak - Soil remediation, nature-based solutions and urban agriculture, email:

Funding source

The project has received funding from the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Poland, under the 5th EU-LAC Joint Call in STI 2025.