Smart rurality: reconciling convergence with growth and wellbeing at local level?
A new briefing overviews the concept of ‘smart rurality’ and its components, analyses its evolution and take-up across EU policies over the past ten years, and sets out recommendations to reinforce it in the post-2027 programming period.
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The briefing, produced by AEIDL Expert in Rural and Territorial Development Carla Lostrangio, highlights the following elements to support smart rural areas in the new period:
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Foresee targeted objectives, measures and investments for smart rurality, embedding them in all policies;
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Ensure that measures and programmes supporting smart rural initiatives, such as Smart Villages and Start-up Villages, are embedded into territorial schemes for development and innovation;
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Ensure small-scale innovation schemes, Simplified Cost Options, and one-stop shop platforms facilitate local actors’ access and use of funds;
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Simultaneously foster the technological, organisational and environmental readiness of rural areas to unlock the transition towards ‘smartness’ without disregarding sufficient support to basic needs;
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Focus on social innovation and capacity building to support environmental and organisational readiness.
Join a dedicated webinar on ‘Ensuring that the post-2027 EU policies are (really) smart and sustainable’ on 25 November, which will discuss the briefing.