What’s happening in my country
On the country pages you will find useful information about what is happening in EU Member States concerning the planning and implementation of smart villages.
The information aims to orient people on policy planning, key contacts and resources on smart villages. However, it neither aims to be fully comprehensive, nor necessarily reflects the official government or European Commission position.
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European Network for Rural Development Contact Point (ENRD CP)
(
09/07/2018
)
A video with Polish subtitles produced by the ENRD Contact Point summarising what a ‘smart village’ represents from different perspectives.
Language : English, Polish
Type of resource : Video
A video with Polish subtitles produced by the ENRD Contact Point summarising what a ‘smart village’ represents from different perspectives.
Language : English, Polish
Type of resource : Video
European Network for Rural Development Contact Point (ENRD CP)
(
09/07/2018
)
A video with Spanish subtitles produced by the ENRD Contact Point summarising what a ‘smart village’ represents from different perspectives.
Language : English, Spanish
Type of resource : Video
A video with Spanish subtitles produced by the ENRD Contact Point summarising what a ‘smart village’ represents from different perspectives.
Language : English, Spanish
Type of resource : Video
Rigas Zafeiriou
, Aikaterini Kasimati
-
Agricultural University of Athens
, Kytherian Foundation for Culture & Development
(
08/04/2022
)
Aikaterini Kasimati (Agricultural University of Athens) and Rigas Zafeiriou (Kytherian Foundation for Culture & Development) talk about how Kythera Island has been transforming into a full-fledged adventure destination by employing an integrated approach, including Terra Kythera brand and Kytherian Olive oil as PDO, the island’s sustainable tourism development, the INCREAte approach and innovations (culture and nature) and more…
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Aikaterini Kasimati (Agricultural University of Athens) and Rigas Zafeiriou (Kytherian Foundation for Culture & Development) talk about how Kythera Island has been transforming into a full-fledged adventure destination by employing an integrated approach, including Terra Kythera brand and Kytherian Olive oil as PDO, the island’s sustainable tourism development, the INCREAte approach and innovations (culture and nature) and more…
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Kateřina Čadilová
, Veronika Zemenova
-
Municipality of Mukařov
(
03/02/2022
)
Kateřina Čadilová and Veronika Zemenova talk about the challenges and assets of being a suburban area of Prague, the village’s tailor-made website and communication system, the incentive waste management and the “MY WASTE” application, their community centre as the meeting point of all generations, what is smart in the age of “distant life“ and more…
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Kateřina Čadilová and Veronika Zemenova talk about the challenges and assets of being a suburban area of Prague, the village’s tailor-made website and communication system, the incentive waste management and the “MY WASTE” application, their community centre as the meeting point of all generations, what is smart in the age of “distant life“ and more…
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Laura Cantarella
, Enrica Alberti
, Silvia Rovere
-
Municipality of Ostana
, VISO A VISO
(
14/12/2021
)
Enrica Alberti, Laura Cantarella and Silvia Rovere talks about the regeneration process of Ostana from structural, social, cultural and sustainable points of view. A particular focus is put on contemporary approaches for future development such as cultural events, residence programme and sustainable mobility.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Enrica Alberti, Laura Cantarella and Silvia Rovere talks about the regeneration process of Ostana from structural, social, cultural and sustainable points of view. A particular focus is put on contemporary approaches for future development such as cultural events, residence programme and sustainable mobility.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Piotr Ostaszewski
-
Ostoja Natury
(
07/07/2021
)
During the 6th Smart Rural Communities Café, Piotr Ostaszewski from Tomaszyn talks about how regenerative agriculture and smart ecological production methods implemented in Ostoja Natury – their cooperative formed and settled in Tomaszyn – to become the driving force of change of their village. He explains how their BIO HUB – from farm to fork short chain distribution strategy – was carried out in Olsztynek, Warmia and Mazury Region.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
During the 6th Smart Rural Communities Café, Piotr Ostaszewski from Tomaszyn talks about how regenerative agriculture and smart ecological production methods implemented in Ostoja Natury – their cooperative formed and settled in Tomaszyn – to become the driving force of change of their village. He explains how their BIO HUB – from farm to fork short chain distribution strategy – was carried out in Olsztynek, Warmia and Mazury Region.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Bernard Dubuisson
-
Municipality of Profondeville
(
23/06/2021
)
During the 5th Smart Rural Communities Café, Bernard Dubuisson from Profondeville tells about their plans to provide open data to help solve mobility problems and explain how they would like to bring new practices into public service provision around the management of data. He also explains how they provided broadband internet to a remote village at a very low cost and unveil how garbage trucks can help improve mobile coverage.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
During the 5th Smart Rural Communities Café, Bernard Dubuisson from Profondeville tells about their plans to provide open data to help solve mobility problems and explain how they would like to bring new practices into public service provision around the management of data. He also explains how they provided broadband internet to a remote village at a very low cost and unveil how garbage trucks can help improve mobile coverage.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Karel Řehák
(
07/2021
–
09/2021
)
The municipality provides a payment gateway on its website, through which it is possible to book and pay for the hiring of community spaces – such as a community hall or sports facilities – or renting local inventory, such as picnic benches or maintenance equipment. The portal also allows users to pay all kinds of municipal fees, from regular garbage collection and dog licences to fines. The online platform can function alongside the ability to physically visit municipal offices to pay and book for services and equipment.
The municipality provides a payment gateway on its website, through which it is possible to book and pay for the hiring of community spaces – such as a community hall or sports facilities – or renting local inventory, such as picnic benches or maintenance equipment. The portal also allows users to pay all kinds of municipal fees, from regular garbage collection and dog licences to fines. The online platform can function alongside the ability to physically visit municipal offices to pay and book for services and equipment.
Peter Plant
(
2021
–
Ongoing
)
The Tools&Talent App is a smartphone application that provides villagers with access to a bank of local resources and local skills (people) that they can book according to their needs. The development of the app goes hand-in-hand with the development of a physical tool bank, where shared tools and equipment can be stored in a physical location in the village – such as a barn. This can include small hand tools as well as bigger machinery needed, for example, in construction works. Relevant materials and equipment such as tables, benches and tents can also be made available. A professional caretaker or volunteers are needed to manage the shared tools and ensure that they are kept in good condition for ongoing use. The caretaker oversees the maintenance and handing out / receiving back of all tools and equipment. Development of the app also goes hand-in-hand with mapping local skills available amongst the villagers and presenting these also through the app so that local people can find and engage skilled technicians or craftspeople according to their needs. All the available local resources – tools and skills – are uploaded onto the app so that users can find and organise to borrow what they need.
The Tools&Talent App is a smartphone application that provides villagers with access to a bank of local resources and local skills (people) that they can book according to their needs. The development of the app goes hand-in-hand with the development of a physical tool bank, where shared tools and equipment can be stored in a physical location in the village – such as a barn. This can include small hand tools as well as bigger machinery needed, for example, in construction works. Relevant materials and equipment such as tables, benches and tents can also be made available. A professional caretaker or volunteers are needed to manage the shared tools and ensure that they are kept in good condition for ongoing use. The caretaker oversees the maintenance and handing out / receiving back of all tools and equipment. Development of the app also goes hand-in-hand with mapping local skills available amongst the villagers and presenting these also through the app so that local people can find and engage skilled technicians or craftspeople according to their needs. All the available local resources – tools and skills – are uploaded onto the app so that users can find and organise to borrow what they need.
Rudolf Rüscher
(
10/2017
–
04/2018
)
The solution is a smartphone app. It focuses on two target groups. The first is residents and patients. Secondly, the app provides services for local medical practitioners, medical trainees, and potential new medical practitioners. Local patients receive up-to-date information on
The solution is a smartphone app. It focuses on two target groups. The first is residents and patients. Secondly, the app provides services for local medical practitioners, medical trainees, and potential new medical practitioners. Local patients receive up-to-date information on
- Opening/consultation hours of all surgeries in the area – the information is updated every 5 minutes
- Weekend services
- Emergency services (emergency call, access to the nearest heart defibrillator, …)
- Current health information (covid regulations, stroke information, …)
- Other health services (pharmacies, therapists, …)
- Mutual consultation and consultation with experts
- Providing information on training posts for interns
- Providing information on vacant surgeries looking for a practitioner
- Accessing practical information like telephone numbers of emergency physicians, learnings from conferences and trainings, testimonials of setting up a surgery, templates for letters etc.
Milan Kazda
(
09/2005
–
12/2006
)
The project of an energetically self-sufficient village is based on the utilisation of waste materials and their transformation into biogas as a renewable energy source, from which electricity and heat are subsequently generated for the local consumption of the inhabitants of the village within one energetically closed circuit. More specifically, this is achieved by setting up a biogas station with a cogeneration unit. This includes a homogenisation and fermentation station, a central boiler room, a heating station for burning straw and wood waste generated within the village and a transfer station and hot water distribution system throughout the village. When biogas and other waste materials collected in the village are burned in the unit, the supply of high-temperature heat drives a turbine-powered generator which produces electricity. At the same time, the ‘waste’ heat from this process is used to heat water. This ‘cogeneration’ enables a more efficient exploitation of the input materials. The electricity is provided into the local grid to meet local needs. Meanwhile, the heated water is distributed via insulated pipes through transfer stations to almost all houses in the village for heating rooms and utility water heating. In this way, the system meets all the energy needs of the village year round in terms of both electricity supply and heating.
The project of an energetically self-sufficient village is based on the utilisation of waste materials and their transformation into biogas as a renewable energy source, from which electricity and heat are subsequently generated for the local consumption of the inhabitants of the village within one energetically closed circuit. More specifically, this is achieved by setting up a biogas station with a cogeneration unit. This includes a homogenisation and fermentation station, a central boiler room, a heating station for burning straw and wood waste generated within the village and a transfer station and hot water distribution system throughout the village. When biogas and other waste materials collected in the village are burned in the unit, the supply of high-temperature heat drives a turbine-powered generator which produces electricity. At the same time, the ‘waste’ heat from this process is used to heat water. This ‘cogeneration’ enables a more efficient exploitation of the input materials. The electricity is provided into the local grid to meet local needs. Meanwhile, the heated water is distributed via insulated pipes through transfer stations to almost all houses in the village for heating rooms and utility water heating. In this way, the system meets all the energy needs of the village year round in terms of both electricity supply and heating.
Miriam Nolting
(
2016
–
2019
)
The DorfFunk smartphone app provides local news and information through various thematic channels. It enables local businesses, services, organisations and authorities to communicate with local people about the services they offer and the latest news and events. It also enables local users to network with other people in their area, including through a chat feature. In addition, users can sell, purchase or lend items using the ‘offer’ and ‘search’ functions. The DorfFunk smartphone app bundles various thematic channels including local news, information on services and events, as well as chats – a digital place for exchange and communication to experience community even in times of physical distance. In addition to finding local practical information and news, local users can network with other people in their area through the app. For example, using the ‘offer’ and ‘search’ functions, users can sell, purchase or lend items. In addition, the ‘chat’ area of the app offers the possibility to safely exchange information with one another at any time. Topic-specific and partially closed groups can be created using the group function, so that not every user can read the messages. The second component of the solution is a village and community website. Engaged members of the community, clubs and associations as well as the town administration can provide information about the activities, current affairs and events taking place locally to be uploaded on the website and connected with the app. The website is set up to be filled with content by both a community editorial team and the town administration and uses a structure that can automatically integrate various sources of information. Contents of the website such as news and events can be displayed in the DorfFunk app.
The DorfFunk smartphone app provides local news and information through various thematic channels. It enables local businesses, services, organisations and authorities to communicate with local people about the services they offer and the latest news and events. It also enables local users to network with other people in their area, including through a chat feature. In addition, users can sell, purchase or lend items using the ‘offer’ and ‘search’ functions. The DorfFunk smartphone app bundles various thematic channels including local news, information on services and events, as well as chats – a digital place for exchange and communication to experience community even in times of physical distance. In addition to finding local practical information and news, local users can network with other people in their area through the app. For example, using the ‘offer’ and ‘search’ functions, users can sell, purchase or lend items. In addition, the ‘chat’ area of the app offers the possibility to safely exchange information with one another at any time. Topic-specific and partially closed groups can be created using the group function, so that not every user can read the messages. The second component of the solution is a village and community website. Engaged members of the community, clubs and associations as well as the town administration can provide information about the activities, current affairs and events taking place locally to be uploaded on the website and connected with the app. The website is set up to be filled with content by both a community editorial team and the town administration and uses a structure that can automatically integrate various sources of information. Contents of the website such as news and events can be displayed in the DorfFunk app.
Jesús Diez
(
06/2020
–
Ongoing
)
The Community Food Lab uses a community space equipped with kitchen facilities (ovens, microwaves, sinks etc.) and modern equipment, including advanced food processing tools in order to teach and train the local population in culinary and preservation techniques. Training also focuses on the use of the different equipment provided. Courses focus on typical local food products cultivated in the area, building the capacity of local people to process the food locally. Course participants learn to transform produce from local gardens, orchards and forests into products that can be marketed and consumed locally. The aim is to enable and encourage individuals and start-ups to make preserves and other foods from local produce, which they can then sell. The Community Food Lab also provides a space where the local population and new entrepreneurs can meet and exchange around new products, recipes and business ideas.
The Community Food Lab uses a community space equipped with kitchen facilities (ovens, microwaves, sinks etc.) and modern equipment, including advanced food processing tools in order to teach and train the local population in culinary and preservation techniques. Training also focuses on the use of the different equipment provided. Courses focus on typical local food products cultivated in the area, building the capacity of local people to process the food locally. Course participants learn to transform produce from local gardens, orchards and forests into products that can be marketed and consumed locally. The aim is to enable and encourage individuals and start-ups to make preserves and other foods from local produce, which they can then sell. The Community Food Lab also provides a space where the local population and new entrepreneurs can meet and exchange around new products, recipes and business ideas.
Ostoja Natury
(
12/2020
)
The Smart Village Strategy of Tomaszyn has been developed in the context of the ‘Preparatory Action for Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century’ project funded by the European Commission.
Type of resource : Document
The Smart Village Strategy of Tomaszyn has been developed in the context of the ‘Preparatory Action for Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century’ project funded by the European Commission.
Type of resource : Document
Municipality of Remetea
(
12/2020
)
The Smart Village Strategy of Remetea has been developed in the context of the ‘Preparatory Action for Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century’ project funded by the European Commission.
Language : English
Type of resource : Document
The Smart Village Strategy of Remetea has been developed in the context of the ‘Preparatory Action for Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century’ project funded by the European Commission.
Language : English
Type of resource : Document
(
18/03/2022
)
A full recording of the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop held in Torup (Denmark) under the heading ‘The strength of society in developing resilient rural communities’.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
A full recording of the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop held in Torup (Denmark) under the heading ‘The strength of society in developing resilient rural communities’.
Language : English
Type of resource : Video
Tyge Mortensen
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on the importance of facilitation and cooperation in small communities, given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on the importance of facilitation and cooperation in small communities, given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
Peter Plant
-
Torup Ting
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on the LEADER Programme and its achievements in Torup (Denmark), one of the Smart Rural 21 selected villages, given at the project’s 4th Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on the LEADER Programme and its achievements in Torup (Denmark), one of the Smart Rural 21 selected villages, given at the project’s 4th Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
Anne Gravsholt Busck
-
University of Copenhagen
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on the developments and results achieved in Torup (Denmark), one of the Smart Rural 21 selected villages, given at the project’s 4th Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on the developments and results achieved in Torup (Denmark), one of the Smart Rural 21 selected villages, given at the project’s 4th Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
Heino Smed Sørensen
, Kirsten Birke Lund
-
MINLANDSBY
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on Smart Rural 21 project support to Torup (Denmark), one of its selected villages. ‘Tools and talents’ is an application designed and developed by the local community with the project’s support. The presentation was given at the fourth Smart Rural 21 regional workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on Smart Rural 21 project support to Torup (Denmark), one of its selected villages. ‘Tools and talents’ is an application designed and developed by the local community with the project’s support. The presentation was given at the fourth Smart Rural 21 regional workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
Susanne Abildgaard Rud
-
BARK Rådgivning
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on sustainable development in rural communities given at the fourth Smart Rural 21 regional workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on sustainable development in rural communities given at the fourth Smart Rural 21 regional workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
Peter Plant
, Wiet van Meel
, Edina Ocsko
, Alberto Alfonso Pordomingo
, Szidónia Nagy-Menyhárt
-
Municipality of Remetea
, Torup Ting
, Tussenheid Hilvarenbeek
, E40
, Apadrinaunolivo.org
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on the state-of-play of the Smart Rural 21 project and four of its participating villages: Remetea (Romania) and Torup (Denmark); and the Come Along! villages Oliete (Spain) and Hilvarenbeek (The Netherlands). The presentation was given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on the state-of-play of the Smart Rural 21 project and four of its participating villages: Remetea (Romania) and Torup (Denmark); and the Come Along! villages Oliete (Spain) and Hilvarenbeek (The Netherlands). The presentation was given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
Stefan Jensen
-
European Commission – Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on the latest developments around Smart Villages, given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on the latest developments around Smart Villages, given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
E40
(
18/03/2022
)
A presentation on the state-of-play of the Smart Rural 21 project, given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
A presentation on the state-of-play of the Smart Rural 21 project, given at the 4th Smart Rural 21 Regional Workshop.
Language : English
Type of resource : Presentation
