Smart digital transformation of villages in the Alpine Space
Alpine space rural communities are deprived of highly needed jobs, good provision of services as well as a favourable climate for enterprenuership and social innovation, which result in a brain drain. Digitalization is a promising approach to counter the situation. However the digital divide between rural and urban areas has even increased in the last years. A smart village (SV) approach for mountain areas could unlock the potential of local actors to make their region a more attractive place to live and work. The project aims to apply a SV approach and bring together - in so called Regional Stakeholder Groups (RSGs) - policy makers, business, academia and civil society in a quadruple helix approach (4H) to improve the framework for innovation through new forms of stakeholder involvement facilitated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This includes the following elements, involving the RSGs on every step: 1) In regional analyses the SV ecosystem in test areas (TAs) is described (WPT1); 2) a digital exchange platform (DEP) is implemented for the exchange on the SV approach (WPT2); 3) During the project, the SV toolbox is developed in the TAs in parallel to pilot activities (PAs) in order to enhance networks and services by means of digital, telecommunication technologies, innovations and the better use of knowledge. The information will finally be combined into one transnational toolbox (WPT3); 4) recommendations are formulated to facilitate the transformation of project results into policies (WPT4).  The proposed "SmartVillages" project is a strategic initiative of EUSALP AG5 and follows an integrative, participatory approach implying a city - village dialogue. The direct beneficiaries are local/regional authorities and administrations, SMEs, public service providers, regional development agencies and NGOs which will receive a concrete guidance to implement the SV approach._x000D_
_x000D_
Information added on 2020-06-01, regarding the mitigation of the effects of COVID-19 (the coronavirus pandemic that started in 2019) (English language only): The project SmartVillages provides smart solutions for rural and mountainous areas, which can contribute to the recovery from the pandemic. In the municipality of Kungota (SI) for instance, 5,000 citizens benefit from free public WLAN/WiFi points to promote their services online and advertise local products through a dedicated mobile application.