The role of data in driving transitions in rural areas | RUSTIK webinar

On 30 April, the RUSTIK project hosted an online event to explore the role of data in supporting rural transitions and shaping sustainable futures, gaining insight from the Horizon Europe RUSTIK project (Rural Sustainability Transitions through Integration of Knowledge for improved policy processes).

Rural areas provide ecosystem services, high-quality land-based products, cultural assets, and more. Nevertheless, they face increasing social and ecological challenges including demographic change, climate change, a digital divide, and limited economic diversification.

To navigate these complexities and support sustainable development, data plays a crucial role in guiding these territories toward transition pathways.  By advancing our understanding of different rural functions, characteristics and future scenarios for rural areas, data can help identify their potentials and challenges, enabling more informed place-based policies and targeted interventions.

This online conference brought together experts, project partners, and regional representatives to discuss key challenges such as data access, protection,  and integrating data in decision-making. Participants heard real-world experiences from pilot regions, engaged in hands-on workshops using the data viewer tool, and took part in meaningful discussions on the future of rural areas.

 

Missed the webinar? No worries! The recording is now live!

 

   

   

RUSTIK MIDTERM Draft Agenda

RUSTIK’s Osona Living Lab showcases insights at GRANULAR Webinar on Rural Innovation

Rustik's Osona Living Lab showcases insights at Granular webinar on rural innovation

The RUSTIK project took part in the latest GRANULAR webinar “Living Labs: Driving change in rural areas”, which took place on March 18, 2025. This event, organized by the European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL) as part of the GRANULAR project, aimed to disseminate innovative tools developed within its Living Labs to improve decision-making and management systems in rural areas across Europe.

On this occasion, the Osona Living Lab actively participated in a panel discussion titled “The role of data in driving innovation across Living Labs”. In this session, Marité Guevara and Andreu Blanch, both representatives from the Osona Living Lab in Spain, shared their experience and insights on how data can transform rural policies and practices, exploring both the immediate benefits and long-term impacts of the innovations implemented on rural areas.

In their speech, Marité focused on the development of a Quality of Life Index tailored to small villages, combining objective data with subjective perceptions. Andreu, on the other hand, highlighted the difficulty of acquiring detailed data at the village level, presenting Maptionnaire, a map-based survey tool that helped the Osona Linving Lab to capture local insights on mobility, safety, and public space utilization.

Living Labs impact on EU rural research

The event also featured the involvement of participants from other European institutions. Benjamin Van Doorslaer, Research Programme Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), opened the session, highlighting the importance of Living Labs in EU research.

The webinar showcased insights from two GRANULAR Multi-Actor Labs in Poland and the Netherlands. Agnieszka Kurdyś-Kujawska (Koszalin University of Technology) presented the West Pomerania Living Lab, which promotes short food supply chains and sustainable land use, addressing regional disparities, while Kimberly Wevers (P10) discussed the Dutch Living Lab, which examines rural service provision and housing challenges. Their contribution was essential in showcasing progress in the use of novel data collection methodologies that help local stakeholders to make better resource management decisions.

This webinar is part of GRANULAR’s efforts to promote effective knowledge transfer among various Living Lab initiatives, aiming to enhance sustainable development and resilience in rural areas.

Watch the recording here.