Press Release − 30 Apr 2021
Inhabitants in four rural areas in Europe are to benefit from a pioneering service network using digital technology, thanks to an ambitious initiative.
Inhabitants in four rural areas in Europe are to benefit from a pioneering service network using digital technology, thanks to an ambitious initiative.
The EU project dRural is taking its first steps to co-develop and roll out a digital service network for people living in rural areas (including, among others, health and care, social, eGovernment, Agri and IT services). The project is expected to help grow the economy and improve quality of life. The future multi-service solution will be set up in four rural regions of Europe: Extremadura (Spain), Jämtland Härjedalen (Sweden), Dubrovnik-Neretva County (Croatia) and Region Gelderland Midden (The Netherlands). It will be demonstrated in each region to ensure it can adapt to regional needs while integrating local service providers.
In these regions, the project team will set up a network of service providers and other players through an open call system, leveraging financial support for third parties. This is to encourage uptake of the solution and to expand the network. This mechanism will promote new market openings to allow smaller and newer players to capture value too.
The dRural project started in January 2021 and will run until 2024. It is already in the spotlight through its active participation in the CITYxCITY festival (13-15 January 2021). This is the annual event of Open & Agile Smart Cities, bringing together global change makers, hot topics and the latest insights about digital urban transformation. Together with its fellow project AURORAL, dRural will have a dedicated session about Rural Smart Communities, a breakthrough project promoting holistic rural development, sustainability, digital innovation and social cohesion.
