Digital Rural: Exploring Sustainable Innovation and Digital Transformation in Rural Development

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The “Digital Rural” project is designed to drive digital transformation in Europe’s rural areas, empowering communities to adopt Smart Village concepts that bridge the digital gap between urban and rural regions. By streamlining investments from EU, national, and local policies, the project seeks to make digital advancements in rural areas more effective, ensuring these communities thrive in a connected, modern world.

Communication, Learning, and Innovation Discussions
An Interregional Learning Event took place in Szombathely, Vas County, Hungary on the 5th & 6th of November 2024 as part of the Digital Rural project.

This project is a collaborative effort involving partners from various European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Hungary, Estonia, Poland, and the Netherlands, so this was a fantastic opportunity for all partners to come together to collaborate on driving the project forward.

The agenda focused on key updates, collaboration, and sharing best practices to enhance rural development through digital transformation and sustainable tourism.

Tuesday afternoon was particularly interesting as study visits were held across Vasvár, Győrvár, and Oszkó, allowing attendees to see successful examples of sustainable rural tourism and digital agriculture in action.

Local Food and Tourism Initiatives

In Vasvár and Oszkó, participants had the opportunity to learn about the Folk College, which focuses on preserving local heritage and folk art while also using them as an economic resource through progressive teaching, local farming, food processing and countryside tourism. They showed how digitalisation has helped the region, including setting up an online E School to teach local traditions such as bread making, VR learning opportunities and tourism through gamification apps.

Digital Innovation in Distillery

In Győrvár, we explored the Birkás Pálinka House, a family-run distillery which showcased how digital tools enhance the traditional art of Hungarian pálinka-making

From the orchards to the distillery, every stage of production is meticulously managed by the family, ensuring quality and preserving the authentic flavours unique to Vas County’s landscape.

The distillery has introduced QR codes on each bottle, offering consumers a unique “field-to-table” experience. By scanning the code, consumers can trace the origin of the fruit used in their drink, following its journey from orchard to bottle. This not only provides a transparent look at the craft behind each batch but also serves as an efficient way to track each bottle within the food supply chain. In case of any issue, the QR system allows for quick and accurate tracking of specific batches, enhancing quality control and ensuring confidence in every sip.

Advanced Agricultural Solutions and Building an Action Plan

The morning session on the second day focused on advanced digital solutions in agriculture, discussing the use of spraying drones for sustainable farming to the use of digital transformation in livestock management.

In the final session of the visit, participants took part in a workshop discussing and reviewing the information they had learned from their time in Szombathely. This hands-on session, led by the University of Ljubljana, enabled participants to develop actionable plans based on key takeaways.

Conclusion

The event highlighted the crucial role of shared learning and interregional cooperation in advancing sustainable digital development in rural areas. By bringing together diverse perspectives, each session provided valuable insights and practical takeaways that will guide the implementation of regional strategies aimed at driving long-term benefits for rural communities.

As the “Digital Rural” project continues to evolve, its long-term vision remains focused on fostering tech-driven growth in rural areas, ensuring that even the most remote villages are equipped to thrive in a digitally connected future.

The visit was not only informative but also a truly enjoyable experience. A special thanks to our hosts in Vas County for their warm hospitality and seamless organisation, making this gathering both productive and memorable. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and driving positive change in rural communities across Europe.

For more information on Digital Rural — An Interreg Europe Project visit www.interregeurope.eu/digital-rural , find us on LinkedIn or email Ailish McCormack amccormack@westbic.ie