Around one third of EU citizens (two thirds in Austria) live in rural regions, but GDP per capita there is below average. The inequalities between urban and rural communities in demographic, economic and social terms are the subject of scientific projects and political programs. It is necessary to enable rural areas to compensate for disadvantages and to make greater use of potential with innovative solutions (green and digital transformation). The Horizon Europe project RURACTIVE aims to develop scientific principles and methods to support the development of rural communities and to implement these in the dynamos (pilot regions).
Objective
RURACTIVE aims to promote equitable and sustainable change in rural areas by developing and testing smart, community-led, customized, place-based and inclusive solutions within local Multi-Actor Rural Innovation Ecosystems in 12 Dynamos. RURACTIVE aims to unleash the innovation potential of rural communities by addressing six integrated drivers for rural development: multimodal mobility, energy transition, agri-food and agroecology, culture and cultural innovation, health and well-being, and nature-based and cultural tourism.
Transversal topics such as climate protection and adaptation, biodiversity, social justice and integration are integrated.
RURACTIVE aims to make available existing knowledge on smart solutions, address different forms of innovation and strengthen the capacities and capabilities of rural communities. The ultimate goal is to enable rural community stakeholders and policy makers to develop better strategies, initiatives and policies that promote the transition to sustainable development of rural communities by improving the understanding of the different rural functions, characteristics and future scenarios of rural regions, their potentials and challenges.
Over the four years of the project, the BAB will act as an interface between the scientific work and specifications of the university project partners and their implementation in the Austrian example region of Southern Burgenland (the Austrian project partner is the Burgenland Business Agency/WAB).
The main topics in southern Burgenland will be mobility, nature and cultural tourism as well as food production and agroecology.
Status of the workThe RURACTIVE project started in September 2023 with the kick-off meeting at the University of Bologna.Getting to know the research and practice partners and the intensive exchange at the kick-off meeting provided a good overview of the work to be started in the project. Subsequently, monthly Steering and Dynamo Meetings were held online. The first tasks for the project partners were formulated in Work Packages 2 and 3 (WP).
Status of the work
The RURACTIVE project started in September 2023 with the kick-off meeting at the University of Bologna. Getting to know the research and practice partners and the intensive exchange at the kickoff meeting provided a good overview of the work beginning in the project. Subsequently, monthly Steering and Dynamo Meetings were held online.The first tasks for the project partners were formulated in Work Packages 2 and 3 (WP).
Planned work in 2024
In 2024, intensive work will begin in WP 2 "Conceptual and operational framework for rural community development" and WP 3 "Improving learning, capacity building and knowledge transfer approaches for smart rural communities". WP 2 will develop a comprehensive "catalog of solutions" for community and regional development, where solutions are understood as local practices, products, processes, actions and initiatives in the context of innovation. In WP 3, a literature review and an analysis of EU projects will be carried out and then the tasks developed from this will be passed on to the Dynamos. BAB and WAB will carry out research work both in southern Burgenland and throughout Austria. As the project started in September 2023, the project work will be further specified in the course of the 2024 project year.
Schedule
Project start: 03/2023
Project end: 12/2027
