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.

Enhancing Rural Development in Serbia’s Zaječar District: Focus on Short Food Supply Chains and Tourism

Map of the Living Lab in Zaječar District

The Zaječar district, in eastern Serbia, encompasses four municipalities with around 97,000 inhabitants. Despite distinct economic dynamics, they share challenges like lower wages, fewer employees, and higher aging rates compared to the national average. The district’s economy relies heavily on agriculture, the processing industry, and services, with significant potential for tourism development.

Economic and Demographic Challenges

The primary challenge is demographic decline, which negatively impacts rural communities, the economy, and natural resources. The Rustik Living Lab (LL) aims to restructure the economy towards high-value activities and labor-intensive services, focusing on tourism and establishing short food supply chains (SFSC).

The LL seeks to integrate the agricultural sector into tourism, benefiting local communities and small businesses. The current challenge is the low representation of local producers in meeting tourist market demands, leading to product sourcing from other regions. By collecting field data, the LL aims to enable evidence-based decision-making, policy development, and improved supply chain coordination.

Strategy Alignment

This initiative aligns with the “Strategy for the Development of the Urban Area of the City of Zaječar and the Municipalities of Knjaževac, Boljevac, and Sokobanja,” aiming to enhance business infrastructure, promote innovation, and establish value chains. RARIS, a key tourism development actor, will benefit from new data, improving decision-making and policy evaluation.

The region’s agriculture is dominated by small family farms focused on cattle, fruit, and grape production. Traditional sectors like meat and dairy are in decline. Focus groups identified supply chain problems, including insufficient trust among partners and lack of stable business relationships.

Policy Relevance

Addressing SFSC in agricultural policy and tourism development is crucial. As Serbia aligns its policies with the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), integrating SFSC ensures compliance and addresses local challenges. Promoting local gastronomic identity through SFSC can boost economic growth and enhance tourism.

Research Questions

  • What is the market potential for local sourcing in the Zaječar district tourism food supply chain?
  • Which products should be prioritized for local sourcing?
  • How can networking within SFSC enhance local agriculture and tourism integration?
  • What changes are needed to make SFSC more sustainable and competitive?

There is a lack of comprehensive data on food supply chain participants, their capacities, and tourist demand for local food. The LL will review municipal databases and conduct surveys to gather necessary data.

The Zaječar district’s focus on developing SFSC and integrating them with tourism presents a significant opportunity for rural development. By addressing existing challenges and leveraging new data, the Rustik Living Lab aims to create a sustainable local food system that enhances economic growth and tourism.

Empowering Szydłowiecki Powiat: Unleashing Potential Through Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Exciting times ahead for Szydłowiecki Powiat! Join us as we embark on a journey of entrepreneurship, innovation, and community empowerment. Together, let's unlock the region's hidden potential and pave the way for a brighter future.

Nestled in the south-western corner of the Mazowieckie voivodeship lies the Szydłowiecki powiat. A district brimming with potential yet facing its fair share of socio-economic and demographic challenges. With a strategic position along the vital S7 express road, connecting major cities like Warsaw and Kraków, this region holds promise for development. However, to harness this potential fully, a transition from a traditional farming-based economy to a more diversified and modern economic landscape is imperative.

Challenges and Opportunities:

The main challenge facing the Szydłowiecki powiat is its transition from a predominantly agrarian economy to one that is more production and consumption-oriented. This transition demands not only economic restructuring but also an increase in spatial mobility and job opportunities. Despite its strategic location, economic dynamics have been sluggish, leading to high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth. Moreover, the district grapples with population outflow, aging demographics, and infrastructure deficiencies.

However, within these challenges lie opportunities for growth. The Living Lab initiative aims to tap into these opportunities by focusing on entrepreneurship development, leveraging the region’s natural resources, cultural heritage, and strengthening local networks. With five municipalities, each with its unique strengths and proximity to urban centers, there’s potential for economic revitalization.

Living Lab: A Path to Transformation:

The Living Lab initiative seeks to address these challenges head-on by fostering entrepreneurship, promoting local heritage, and enhancing connectivity. By harnessing natural resources like sandstone, iron ore, and chocolate flint abundant in Orońsko municipality, the region can drive economic and social development. Additionally, raising awareness about local cultural heritage and traditions can attract tourism and stimulate local businesses.

Research Questions and Data Needs:

To guide this transformative journey, several research questions need to be addressed:

  • What are the essential components of local development potential?
  • Which best practices from other regions can be adapted to address local challenges?
  • What new data sources and collection methods are needed to understand the local challenge better?
  • Which data is essential to develop a local index of entrepreneurship development potential?

Empowering through Data and Collaboration:

Access to diverse data sources and collaboration among stakeholders are crucial for informed decision-making. The Living Lab will leverage secondary data, spatial information, primary data from surveys and interviews, and additional tools like Maptionnaire to fill existing data gaps. Collaboration with local communities, businesses, research institutions, and public administrations will ensure that solutions are tailored to real needs and expectations.

Building Capacities for Success:

Success in this endeavor requires building partnerships, digital competencies, and openness to modern marketing trends. By embracing innovation, creative solutions, and fostering partnerships, the Living Lab aims to unlock the full potential of Szydłowiecki powiat.

In conclusion, the Living Lab initiative holds the key to unlock the latent potential of Szydłowiecki powiat. Through entrepreneurship, leveraging natural resources, and preserving cultural heritage, this region can pave the way for sustainable development and prosperity. With collaborative efforts and data-driven insights, the journey towards transformation begins, promising a brighter future for generations to come.