The project consortium
The INSPIRE project “Supporting the inclusion, wellbeing, and growth of rural areas through multi-actor Smart Villages labs for enhanced governance frameworks“ is dedicated to fostering sustainable and inclusive growth within European rural areas.
The goal of the project
A special emphasis is laid upon enhancing social well-being and inclusion among rural residents and vulnerable populations. Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities in these regions, INSPIRE promotes a multi-faceted approach to social inclusion. In such a way it can supports rural communities in accessing high-quality social services. This is achieved through a comprehensive set of activities, including awareness campaigns, capacity-building workshops, and on-the-ground pilot programs.
Territorial scope
INSPIRE operates across seven diverse pilot territories:
• Košice region, Slovakia
• Eastern and Midland Regions, Ireland
• Lubelskie, Poland
• Kythera island, Greece
• Bourgogne Franche Comté, France
• Konitsa municipality, Greece
• Maramures and Suceava, Romania
Project activities, tools and methodology
The above mentioned territories encompass coastal, rural, peri-urban, and mountainous areas to explore and implement innovative solutions tailored to each region’s specific needs.
Central to the project is the concept of “Smart Village Labs”. They serve as dynamic hubs for local engagement, innovation, and knowledge exchange. The initiative uses these labs to promote social entrepreneurship. Moreover, it empowers rural citizens to become active participants in their communities’ socio-economic development.
In addition, INSPIRE introduces a novel territorial typology for rural areas. Thus, it facilitates a better understanding of regional specificities and enhances targeted interventions. The project also strengthens governance frameworks and encourages informed policymaking through advanced E-Democracy platforms and user-driven innovation approaches.
Ultimately, INSPIRE will deliver a Rural Social Inclusion Policy Dashboard. Policymakers, stakeholders, and rural communities will be provided with data-driven insights to support sustainable and inclusive growth in rural areas.
Through these efforts, the INSPIRE project aims to bridge gaps, empower communities, and contribute to a resilient and socially cohesive rural Europe.
The project consortium
The INSPIRE initiative is coordinated by White Research (Belgium). The project consortium consists of 18 partners from Belgium, Greece, Netherlands, Spain, Czechia, Turkey, Slovakia, Poland, France, Ireland and Romania.
PEDAL Consulting is responsible for the pilot area in Košice, Slovakia. Its role is to support participants in the project’s labs to transform their social economy ideas into actionable solutions by coordinating activities, engaging experts, and facilitating Design Thinking workshops.
This task also includes organizing networking events, field visits, and creating deployment roadmaps to prepare initiatives for small-scale demonstrations.
