Project News

Lessons from MARGISTAR for SMART-RURAL’s Rural Resilience Work

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Theo Lynn attended "Overcoming Mountainous Polytraps: Policy Advice from the MARGISTAR COST Action" in Brussels on 8 September 2026 as a member of both MARGISTAR (CA21125) and SMART-RURAL (CA24170). MARGISTAR is finishing. SMART-RURAL is just beginning. The question posed is: what should one hand to the other? A useful starting point is the Issues Paper "Escaping the Periphery Trap: Voices on the Futures of Europe's Remote Rural and Mountain Regions," which brings together responses from forty experts in eighteen countries to seven foresight questions about the next ten to twenty years.
Short-Term Scientific Missions

Supporting the SMART-RURAL Scientific Communication

Damian Gornik (Communications Officer, Centre for Applied Bioscience Research (CABR)) recently participated in a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) as part of the SMART-RURAL COST Action (CA24170). As a member of...
Short-Term Scientific Missions

Dr. Fatjon Cela, Short-Term Scientific Mission (26 April 2026 – 02 May 2026)

We are pleased to highlight the experience of Dr. Fatjon Cela (Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University...
Uncategorized

Beyond Digitalisation: From Industrial Districts to Innovation Ecosystems – BuildingLong-Term Collaboration for Smart Rural Development

Prepared by: Mr Ilija Mugosa, Center for Finance Between 10 and 18 June 2026, I had the opportunity to...
Short-Term Scientific Missions

Beyond Efficiency: Power, Access and Resilience in Smart Rural Logistics

This SMART-RURAL STSM at UiT The Arctic University of Norway explored how digital coordination in rural logistics can reshape not only efficiency and access, but also power and dependence between actors. Through a systematic evidence review and conceptual analysis of 80 publications, the mission examined who controls critical access points such as platforms, payment systems, data interfaces and allocation mechanisms, and whether affected actors have realistic alternatives or safeguards. The findings highlight that resilient rural digitalisation depends not only on improved performance, but also on usable alternatives, appropriate infrastructure, transparent rules and enforceable governance protections.
Uncategorized

Resilience Frameworks and Near Neighbour Countries: Findings from a SMART-RURAL STSM in Moldova and Romania

This SMART-RURAL STSM in Moldova and Romania explored rural resilience from a Near Neighbour Country perspective, examining technology adoption and existing resilience assessment frameworks. The work highlighted key gaps around institutional integration, traditional knowledge, multi-level assessment and the realities of post-socialist rural contexts, helping shape the development of more context-sensitive resilience indicators for SMART-RURAL.