The second Living Lab report from the Horizon Europe project RUSTIK summarizes the findings of the 14 Living Labs in the pilot regions. Each Living Lab presents the work carried out during the second cycle of the project in 2024. A central focus of this phase were the so-called data experiments, which tested new data, methods, and analytical approaches to better understand the challenges of rural areas and to support the transition to sustainable and resilient structures through the targeted collection of locally relevant data.
The Austrian Living Lab in the Nockregion-Oberkärnten focuses on the importance and strengthening of Small Rural Businesses (SRBs) at the regional level. Within the framework of the data experiment, SRBs were comprehensively analyzed through spatial and statistical analyses, surveys, and workshops to better understand their role in the region. The results help to increase the visibility of these businesses, highlight their relevance and develop targeted measures to support them. These insights will be incorporated into the regional strategy of the Nockregion, “to become the best living and working region,” which is currently being developed by the Regional Association Nockregion.
The full second Living Lab report of the Nockregion, along with the reports from the 13 other pilot regions of the RUSTIK project, is available here.
