About us
Rural communities and territories have a vast potential to become vibrant centres of innovation grounded in local resources, grassroots action, creativity and social inclusion. Boosted through digital innovation, valorisation of local resources and training, rural areas can strive to become attractive places for all people to live, work and stay.
RURACTIVE aims to build on this potential to develop and introduce innovative approaches for a sustainable and just transition in support of the European Commission's efforts as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The project promotes community-based action for strong, connected, resilient and prosperous rural societies.
01/09/2023 start date 
48 months of duration 
6.5 M € Funding 
29 partners from 10 countries 
Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
As coordinator of RURACTIVE, the University of Bologna leads the overall project coordination and is involved in the development of the conceptual framework for rural smart and community-led solutions and for the policy analysis in Dynamos. The team also leads the development of the methodology “Activating RIEs for community-led development and empowerment” in support of the co-creation process and contribute to the development of the RURACTIVE Digital Hub. Further central involvement is in the organisation of the knowledge transfer events among Dynamos and training of the Additional Dynamos.
The coordination team of RURACTIVE is part of the Planning & Regeneration group of the Department of Architecture, and focuses on spatial and urban planning. It has expertise in research that tackles environmental and economic crises, social disaggregation and climate change related impacts by envisioning new participatory planning and design approaches at the intersection of social, cultural, digital and nature-based innovations, aiming at increasing citizens’ health and wellbeing and communities’ resilience.
Visit the websiteEuropean Association for Innovation in Local Development - AEIDL
AEIDL is responsible for the mapping and analysis of relevant policies at EU level, policy recommendations and guidance to support smart solutions and community-led innovations as well as networking and up-scaling. Central to the latter will be the RURACTIVE Forum and the open contest for Additional Dynamos. Also, AEIDL is involved in the masterclasses for science and policy.
Visit the websiteAlmende
In RURACTIVE, Almende is responsible for the development of the Data Driven Decision Support Tool (DST). The DST will be developed to take appropriate timelier decisions upon data analysis, offering macro-recommendations and assisting in the evaluation of reliability and the generation of alternatives to act for change.
Visit the websiteFederal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research
In RURACTIVE, the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research acts as scientific interface and support organisation between the regional partner Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland GmbH (WAB) and the scientific partners. It will contribute to the general scientific elaborations in the proposed areas of work. The institute works closely together with the WAB as regional partner in the most eastern province of Austria and provides general business model experiences, data provision and analyses.
Visit the websiteBALAM Asociación Agrupación de Producción Integrada Galpagro
BALAM API acts as Dynamo 5 – Andalucía, Spain, in charge of creating a Multi-Actors Rural Innovation Ecosystem. In the case of BALAM API, the target groups for which to create this ecosystem are young and older women, minorities, local producers and communities. The aim will be to establish tourism based on nature and culture and to improve agro-ecological and agri-food practices.
Visit the websiteBern University of Applied Sciences
In RURACTIVE, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH-HAFL) is coordinating a work package on Upgraded Learning, Capacity Building, and Knowledge Transfer Approaches for Smart Rural Communities. Special focus is dedicated to understanding learning needs and gaps, as well as competences and capacities needed for enhancing rural community-led innovation, e.g. digital and technological, technical, social, organisational and governance, financial and new business models.
The team at BFH-HAFL is also leading a task on fostering multilevel knowledge and competence transfer among RURACTIVE Technical Partners and Dynamos, focusing on peer-to-peer knowledge transfer among RURACTIVE Dynamos.
BFH-HAFL is also responsible for leading activities on co-creation of smart and community-led solutions, and activation of multi-actor rural innovation ecosystems for community-led development of RURACTIVE Dynamo Törbel.
Visit the websiteBern University of Applied Sciences
In RURACTIVE, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH-HAFL) is coordinating a work package on Upgraded Learning, Capacity Building, and Knowledge Transfer Approaches for Smart Rural Communities. Special focus is dedicated to understanding learning needs and gaps, as well as competences and capacities needed for enhancing rural community-led innovation, e.g. digital and technological, technical, social, organisational and governance, financial and new business models.
The team at BFH-HAFL is also leading a task on fostering multilevel knowledge and competence transfer among RURACTIVE Technical Partners and Dynamos, focusing on peer-to-peer knowledge transfer among RURACTIVE Dynamos.
BFH-HAFL is also responsible for leading activities on co-creation of smart and community-led solutions, and activation of multi-actor rural innovation ecosystems for community-led development of RURACTIVE Dynamo Törbel.
Visit the websiteBIOAZUL
BIOAZUL provides to RURACTIVE their technical expertise related to climate change mitigation and adaptation acting as Climate Change Advisor, supporting the consortium in mainstreaming diversity, equity and inclusion principles along the entire implementation of the project as well as in ensuring the climate neutrality of the proposed innovations. The team is also responsible for developing training and capacity building materials, such as easy-to-understand booklet and learning modules around the six Rural Development Drivers, cross-cutting priorities and the different types of innovations, to empower Dynamos and support for the knowledge transfer events, together with the rest of the partners involved.
Visit the websiteBORGHI in RETE
The cooperative-driven business network, serving as the operational tool for the DES (Economic and Social District) model, is leading the the RURACTIVE Dynamo 10 – Abruzzo in Italy.
Visit the websiteBorgofuturo
Borgofuturo acts as one of the Dynamos within RURACTIVE, with specific expertise in cultural revitalisation, community building and participatory processes for rural regeneration and sustainable social innovation. The association operates at the territorial scale of the Fiastra Valley, Italy, a river basin of around 180 kmq in an inner branch of the province of Macerata, and, interacting with both public and private actors, plays the role of community dynamiser and connector between the hamlets overlooking the valley.
Visit the websiteCenter for the Advancement of Research & Development in Educational Technology
The centre is responsible for developing the eLearning Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and gamified capacity building resources. The MOOC comprises several open source online interactive courses, composed of different interactive and multi-media learning modules (texts, videos, web-based links, pictures). The gamified learning resources aim to actively engage participants and videos will be produced based on content developed in other tasks within the project.
Visit the websiteTechnology Centre CARTIF
Visit the websiteDiputación de Zamora
Zamora County Council, as an integral component of Dynamo 3, together with project partner Technology Centre Cartif, assumes a pivotal role in coordinating and executing innovative, intelligent, and community-driven solutions tailored to the unique context of the region.
Visit the websiteEcomuseum Zagori Social Cooperative Enterprise
Ecomuseum Zagori contributes their expertise on culture innovation, nature-based and cultural tourism, the sustainability and the participatory biodiversity conservation of the protected areas and equal accessibility to cultural and natural heritage.
Visit the websiteEnergicentrum Gotland
The role of Energicentrum Gotland is to guide, create solutions and show possible ways forward in the energy transition with a focus on energy communities and mobility in Gotland´s rural setting.
Visit the websiteEuropean Research and Project Office GmbH
EURICE, together with RISE, is responsible for the RURACTIVE communication activities, including support of rural local communication in the Dynamos. The team also leads the exploitation of key project results and contributes its expertise in the area of IP management.
Visit the websiteF6S Network Ireland Limited
F6S plays the role of Open Call Manager, being responsible for attracting and recruiting innovators that will develop tailored solutions for rural challenges, and who will join the RURACTIVE programme via the Financial Support to Third Parties mechanism.
Visit the websiteFORZA, Agency for Sustainable Development of the Carpathian region
In the RURACTIVE project, FORZA is a Dynamo partner, participating in all project activities with special focus on co-creation and testing of solutions in rural innovation ecosystems.
Visit the websiteGrowBiz
GrowBiz will interface with business practitioners on the delivery of the Rural Development Drivers. GrowBiz already provides support to over 2,000 rural businesses, including 1-1 advice, learning & skills development, mentoring, peer support and networking. It will share case studies and examples of how this support assists in the set-up and sustainability of rural businesses and social enterprises. In addition, GrowBiz has built a 35-strong artisanal community of artists and makers in rural Perthshire, using a digital platform/Smart Village to share stories and expertise, provide tailored support and provision of e-commerce.
GrowBiz has experience of delivering digital skills to a wide range of rural businesses, including support for cloud applications, website development and online networking. The support is provided on a 1-1 basis as well as peer groups, network meetings and via mentoring. GrowBiz also provides, in collaboration with the Local Government Authority, a single access point for area-wide information on care & wellbeing.
GrowBiz has developed a series of individual ‘cloudrooms’ for specific groups, projects and cohorts – allowing private discussion, sharing of resources and peer support.
Visit the websiteIAAC
Visit the websiteJames Hutton Institute
James Hutton Institute is a research performer within the RURACTIVE consortium. The Institute team is from across disciplines including social sciences and humanities.
It leads the work on the conceptual and operational framework for rural community-led development. This includes deliverables of a Solutions’ Catalogue (a database providing structured information on mapped rural community-led solutions), a booklet on women-led innovation (solutions led by and/or focused on women), and a report on analysis of community-led solutions (the key characteristics and enablers for inclusive and climate friendly rural solutions).
The Institute will provide research and technology infrastructure relevant to the activities, and to the work of the North-east Scotland Dynamo. This positions the Institute to contribute to the co-definition of research and market needs of smart and community-led solutions implementation, monitoring and evaluation, in collaboration with GrowBiz, the other partner involved in this Dynamo. As such it also contributes to the upgraded learning, capacity building and knowledge transfer approaches for smart rural communities.
It will also provide education and training resources through leading masterclasses for science and policy and contributing to a MOOC.
Visit the websiteResearch and Innovation Services-RISE d.o.o.
RISE, together with EURICE, is responsible for the RURACTIVE communication activities, including support of rural local communication in the Dynamos. The team also leads the exploitation of key project results and contributes its expertise in the area of IP management.
Visit the websiteUniversity College Dublin
Visit the websiteUniversity of Pisa
The University of Pisa is a technical partner in the RURACTIVE project. The team is involved in developing a conceptual framework for rural smart and community-led solutions, in identifying community-led smart solutions in rural areas as part of the Solutions Catalogue and the analysis of enablers and processes for rural innovation, with a focus on women-led innovation. The university team also contributes to the multilevel knowledge and competence transfer among RURACTIVE Technical Partners and Dynamos as well as empowering rural communities to act for change through training and capacity building.
Visit the websiteUniversity of Oulu
The research group of the University of Oulu is leading the RURACTIVE Dynamo 1 – Northern Ostrobothnia which focuses and the region of the Iijoki river basin in Finland.
Visit the websiteUrbanex
In RURACTIVE, Urbanex acts as a project partner that supports Dynamo partner City of Zadar in the development of smart and community-led solutions in rural innovation ecosystems and in improving learning, capacity building and knowledge transfer approaches for smart rural communities.
Visit the websiteUppsala University
The Department of Earth Sciences of Uppsala University brings to RURACTIVE expertise related to Energy Planning, Environmental Policy and Management and Energy Transition Management. The university team is a technical partner related to energy transition and closely collaborates with the RURACTIVE Dynamo 11 - Gotland Island, Sweden
Visit the websiteVirtual Vehicle Research GmbH
In RURACTIVE, Virtual Vehicle Research supports the development of the Digital Hub, the Adaptive Monitoring Tool and the Decision Support Tool. The team contribute its expertise in the areas of mobility and digitalisation as well as its long experience in the implementation of numerous national and international research projects.
Visit the websiteWirtschaftsagentur Burgenland GmbH – Department regional development / ARGE nature parks
Wirtschaftsagentur Burgenland is acting as a Dynamo partner, contributing its experiences and results from previous projects to the consortium The team works on innovative ideas in the three drivers of Agri-food and agroeconomy, Multimodal mobility, and Nature-based and cultural tourism.
Visit the websiteCity of Zadar
The City of Zadar contributes their expertise related to sustainable development, spatial policies and territorial cohesion. As a Dynamo, together with Urbanex, the City of Zadar will endeavour to contribute to the creation of an inclusive dialogue environment that can bring about changes in rural areas and assist the current residents in developing in a direction that meets their needs, thereby enhancing the quality of life on the islands.
Visit the website