We have the ideas, the R&D, the innovation and the connections within the supply chain.
Now we’re creating a space to expand this vision to preserve Portugal’s rich cultural heritage.
Join us on a journey to renovate a historic paper mill ruin into a 750m2 cultural hub of innovation.
that’s a blend of old with new, history with innovative new ideas.
A place where people connect, share, and collaborate,
using what’s on hand, what’s been used before, even discarded as waste,
to create something beautiful that has a new purpose.
The building is just the beginning and it’s what we need your help with.
We dream of transforming it into something beautiful, retaining as much of the old structure as possible, and making it a space where ideas can thrive.
The Passive Paper Mill Project will be the place where sharing and testing ideas happens, a hub for collaboration and incubation. The products that emerge will pay tribute to the people behind them and the crafts that inspired them.
The vision has been drawn, the mission defined, the on-the-ground partners are ready to move forward. Our next steps are procuring the land and permits, securing sufficient funding to achieve this, and then starting the renovation of the paper mill.
Once the building has been completed, the focus turns to the land. There’s a stream that runs through it and a whole biosphere that’s currently overgrown and inaccessible. We’ll create food gardens, pathways for exploring the wild sections of the land, and spaces where you can soak up nature’s sounds and quiet your soul.
Now a place of regeneration the Passive Paper Mill project will host workshops, showcase Portugal’s local heritage, including food arts and culture, and provide a community space for R&D and innovation. The focus is on building a circular economy community where products made from textile waste showcase heritage crafts and modern innovation.
interested in nature finance and who understands the importance of the circular economy, this project provides an opportunity to be the catalyst for circular innovation, land regeneration and cultural revival. Please connect if you’d like to know more.
who sees the vision and wants to be part of it, join our crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. You choose your level of investment. It can be as small as €10, and you have the opportunity to purchase products coming out of the innovation hub starting at €50.
your network could help us generate demand to scale production. Gifting, retail, or events, products can be customised to fit a brief for bulk orders. We have the supply chain infrastructure in place to support this.
And once the Passive Paper Mill is fully renovated, consider it as a space to host workshops and in-person cohorts.
Founder/CEO/Art and Project Direction
Donna Marie Bowman-Coe is a textile engineer, designer, and creative strategist with over 25 years of global experience in the textile industry and supply chain. From New York to Europe, Asia, and the Americas, she has worked alongside mills, artisans, and manufacturers, translating deep material knowledge into meaningful, scalable solutions. Her move to Portugal was one of personal renewal. Now she wants to give back to the community and culture that’s helped her heal. With her technical textile industry knowledge, Donna has identified scalable ways to use textile waste to create new products. Using the beauty and vibrance of Portuguese heritage crafts as inspiration. Her work is driven by a singular belief: that textiles hold stories—of people, place, and time—and that preserving them is essential to shaping a more responsible future.