Digitisation: Economic and Social Impacts in Rural Areas

The successful digitalisation of agriculture and rural areas is a top priority of the EU. Digital technologies can help tackle important and urgent economic, social, climate and environmental challenges facing the EU's agri-food sector and rural areas. The DESIRA project will develop a methodology - and a related online tool - to assess the impact of past, current and future digitalization trends, using the concept of socio-cyber-physical systems – which connect and change data, things, people, plants and animals. Impact analysis will be linked directly to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, and will contribute to the promotion of the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation. Involving 25 partners across Europe, the consortium will organise 20 Living Labs and one EU-level Rural Digital Forum. The project will ultimately contribute to policy development across the EU.