Rhineland-Palatinate
Smart village initiative supporting the co-creation of cross-sectoral sustainable digital solutions
Description
Rhineland-Palatinate is an industrialized region in the west of Germany with a strong agricultural sector, linked mainly to wine production and characterized by smallholders farmers, that has been severely affected by demographic changes and rural depopulation. Under the Smart Rural 27 initiative, the Digital Villages Rhineland-Palatinate project was launched with the involvement of three municipalities: Eisenberg; Göllheim and Betzdorf-Gebhardshain. A living lab approach has been adopted for the project under which successful prototype digital solutions to local challenges are further developed by the Fraunhofer Technical Institute and other stakeholders.
Technology
The implementation of the living lab approach has led to the creation of a digital platform named Digital Dörfer 2.0 (https://youtu.be/fHYpKpZzklo?si=lNsMzRrEk3n1oUKy), which intelligently connects villages and brings communities closer together by promoting the provision of digital services that enhance village life. DorfFunk is the main point of access to the Digital Village, and serves as a central communication and services hub. Users can find information on local events, organize carpools, offer their services to the community, etc. The other digital solutions developed under the project include: BestellBar – a local online marketplace; LieferBar – a delivery app supported by community volunteers; LösBar – an app through which the general public can contact the local administration to raise community issues; and DorfPages – providing customized websites through which villages can share news and services. Further apps are in development aimed at improving mobility and the provision of healthcare and nursing services in rural areas.
Target
The Digital Villages project is a multi-actor initiative that involves both regional and local actors. The main users of the digital solutions are local people, vendors and smallholder farmers, municipal administrations, and community volunteers, who use the platform for communication, sales, shopping, service coordination and local engagement.
Impact
The project has led to the development of six digital apps linked to a unique IT platform that boasts nearly 130 000 users across Germany. The project has been scaled up to the national level, and more than 200 municipalities across Germany are now making use of the digital tools created by developers in the pilot phase. The Digital Villages initiative has also triggered the development of a new initiative named “smart regions” that supports the digitalization of larger territories.
Partners
Fraunhofer-Institut für Experimentelles Software Engineering (IESE)
Four Betters
Better environment
Better life
