All news

30 oct 2023

Young adults choosing rural life: insights from Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany

Check the latest research output from the STAYin(g)Rural project which investigates why young adults choose to continue living in rural areas, an understudied aspect in comparison to the reasons motivating their urban migration.

30 oct 2023

Boosting Rural Innovation in Scotland: A Comprehensive Look at OECD Findings

Scotland's rural areas are not just scenic landscapes; they're engines of economic growth and innovation. This OECD report sheds light on how Scotland is leveraging its strengths in university-firm collaborations, social entrepreneurship, and resource management to drive rural innovation. Discover the policies and practices that are making a difference and what more can be done.

30 oct 2023

Networks and rural-urban linkages for rural innovation: The new OECD working paper is out!

Ever wondered how rural areas can become innovation hubs? This OECD working paper reveals that networks and rural-urban linkages are the secret ingredients. Discover how unique rural characteristics influence innovation adoption and what policy insights can guide future strategies.

30 oct 2023

Researchers use web scraping to collect data on rural housing

Looking to unravel the complexities of rural housing markets in Sweden? Discover how web scraping is offering invaluable data that can help monitor environmental shifts, understand rural patterns, and fuel rural development programmes with comprehensive, up-to-date information.

20 oct 2023

Smart Rural 21 – Spotlight on the Final Report

The final report of the first Preparatory Action on Smart Rural Areas in the 21st century, commonly called Smart Rural 21, has been published.
This action aimed to operationalise the Smart Villages definition (provided by the Eco-social Villages Pilot Project) and to test the implementation of smart village strategies in practice.
The Report based on the local experience of 21 villages across Europe, provides important insights on how to support rural communities to develop Smart Village Strategies.

20 oct 2023

EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe': €90 million for 17 new projects to support healthy soils

The European Commission invested €90 million in 17 more research projects that contribute to the EU Mission: ‘A Soil Deal for Europe', one of the EU Rural action plan flagships for resilient rural areas. These projects focus on restoring and protecting soil health to support sustainable food production, biodiversity preservation, climate resilience, and the European Green Deal objectives.

19 oct 2023

Funding opportunities Horizon Europe 2024: €28 million to accelerate innovation in rural communities

Horizon Europe, the European Union’s foremost programme for nurturing research and innovation, will continue to offer significant opportunities for rural communities across Europe to expand their knowledge and innovate. This year, three calls for projects specifically aimed at rural communities have been released, with a total budget allocation of €28 million. These calls form part of the EU Rural action plan flagship “Research and innovation for rural communities”.
You are engaged in research or innovation on rurality or you are a stakeholder interested in multi-actor projects where researchers and rural organisations partner to create knowledge and solutions.

13 oct 2023

Join the EU Climate Pact as an Ambassador!

Join the European Climate Pact as an Ambassador by 15 October. Collaborate with over 500 existing ambassadors to drive climate action in Europe.

10 oct 2023

New Factsheet on Rural Youth Employment Now Online

Discover the latest insights on rural youth employment in our new factsheet. Published by the CAP Implementation Contact Point, this resource aims to guide policy-makers in enhancing job opportunities for young people in rural areas.

01 oct 2023

Eurostat: Employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing

In 2020, nearly 4.5% of the EU’s total employment (9.4 million people) worked within the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector. The vast majority, or 4.2% of total employment, worked in agriculture. The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector continues to be a significant source of employment, particularly in eastern and southern EU countries.