Project description
Promoting innovation in rural Europe
In the tranquil landscapes of rural Europe, hidden challenges persist. Isolation, limited access to innovative solutions, and environmental concerns weigh heavily on these communities. It is possible to combat these challenges with a set of digital smart solutions (SS). In this context, the EU-funded FUTURAL project serves as an integrated metasearch platform, all-in-one hub for accessing these solutions. This gateway connects users to SS developed by similar initiatives, streamlining access to vital resources. Its impact extends beyond digital innovation, with pilots in six diverse EU rural areas, testing community-led social, technological, and business innovations. With a dynamic consortium and a multi-actor approach, FUTURAL aims to create lasting change through collaboration.
Objective
FUTURAL aims to deliver a set of digital Smart Solutions (SS) under 5 Smart Solution domains to address pressing social and environmental challenges. An integrated metasearch platform providing a one-stop shop for SS will be the gateway to FUTURAL's solutions, enabling search and access to SS developed by similar initiatives. FUTURAL will prototype, test, pilot and demonstrate community-led social, technological and business innovations based on the proposed SS in six rural pilot areas in the EU, representing different geographical and socio-cultural contexts. An interdisciplinary consortium of partners and a multi-actor approach will pave a coherent path towards the FUTURAL innovations through joint actions and governance systems. FUTURAL will engage rural communities and pursue public-private interactions to develop new social practices that enable market adoption and widespread social change. A clearly outlined networking, EU-wide Rural Innovation Forum (EU-RIF), building on links with key organisations, networks, projects and initiatives within the European rural development ecosystem will also be developed. The project's Open Call will fund projects that will develop their own SS, based on the five FUTURAL SS domains, to be applied in other rural areas and be available on the project's metasearch platform. A vibrant and sustainable ecosystem will be created around FUTURAL to maximise the impact of the project. The broad application of the project innovations will be enabled through the creation of business models tailored to the needs of different rural contexts and social groups. Policy recommendations and governance frameworks will be co-created in multi-actor workshops in the project's EU-RIF to support, among others, the European Green Deal, the European Digital Strategy, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the EU's long-term vision for rural areas.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
118 55 ATHINA
Greece
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Participants (20)
56126 Pisa
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106 82 ATHINA
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1040 Bruxelles / Brussel
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
060042 Bucharest
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570 01 THERMI THESSALONIKI
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20009 DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIAN (GIPUZKOA)
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1140 Wien
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89167 Mazeikiai
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
2611 AX Delft
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51147 Koln
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1040 Bruxelles / Brussel
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5500 Bischofshofen
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307187 Birda
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80100 Kythira
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48240 Berriz
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55158 Jonava
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8200 Sint-Andries/Brugge
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300081 Timisoara
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1040 Etterbeek
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111 29 Stockholm
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