Smart Villages and rural digital transformation
Tool to assist local actors in promoting Smart Village initiatives
Description
The “Smart villages and rural transformation” document of the European Network for Rural Development supports those involved in the EU Rural Development Programme (RDPs), as well as other rural stakeholders, in the design and implementation of Smart Village initiatives in key policy domains (food, generational renewal, productivity, mobility, etc.). The document underlines the importance of the digital transformation of villages and rural areas, identifying five stages of village development on the journey to becoming a smart village: excluded, connected, engaged, experienced and player.
Technology
The document presents examples of smart villages in which digital infrastructures (including Wi-Fi), public access and digital services have been developed alongside capacity-building programmes, allowing more remote rural areas to host and foster high-tech companies, thus increasing digital employment opportunities for highly skilled workers. One example in Germany described the development of a common digital platform covering such a broad range of fields as the supply of local goods, communication, mobility and e-government.
Target
This thematic briefing targeted primarily local authorities and other institutional actors involved in the preparation of future strategic plans related to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other rural development initiatives. Rural communities, on the other hand, benefitted from the factors and conditions detailed in the document encouraging their engagement in the digital transformation, and supporting them in becoming digital innovators and creators of economic, social and environmental value.
Impact
The long-term aim of Smart Villages Strategies is not just to level the digital playing field and bridge the digital divide between rural communities and urban areas, but also to foster partnerships between cities and rural communities. Rural areas are thus encouraged to advance through the various stages of a genuine digital transformation – from digital isolation to connection – and to become digital players in their own right.
Four Betters
Better environment
Better life
