Winners
CoReorient operates sustainable sharing economy and circular economy services including the Kimppakyydit.com carpooling service and the Liiteri.net 24/7 Library of Things service and community hub. Centria University of Applied Science is an educational institution with strong research and development competences in digitalisation, conceptual design and software development for both private and public organisations.
The solution integrates CoReorient's and Centria's services into a rural logistics system that combines sourcing of deliveries both non-commercially from neighbours, as well as commercially from local entrepreneurs. An AI-based call centre will provide easy access for elderly citizens.
The rural community will have an easier, more fulfilling, cost effective and community-oriented everyday life where grocery and parcel logistics are coordinated efficiently with neighbours and other villages.
Zoomguide is a fast-growing Portuguese company specialising in cultural heritage interpretation and tourism enhancement solutions. They develop, evolve and commercialise a digital platform that serves over three million users across diverse cultural institutions throughout mainland Portugal and its islands. Their core expertise lies in creating innovative, accessible digital solutions that make cultural heritage more engaging and inclusive for all visitors.
Heritage Lens Südburgenland is an innovative digital platform that transforms how visitors experience Southern Burgenland's cultural and natural treasures. The solution makes the region's heritage sites, nature parks and cultural landmarks accessible to all visitors, 24/7, without requiring additional staffing or physical infrastructure.
The platform features a progressive web application with AI-powered visual recognition that delivers rich, multilingual experiences including audio guides, interactive mapping and engaging 2D character animations that bring historical figures to life. The solution includes comprehensive accessibility features with five distinct content profiles (general public, children, visually impaired, hearing impaired and simplified language), WCAG 2.2 compliance and automated visual descriptions for blind visitors.
Key innovations include robust offline-first architecture for areas with limited connectivity, gamification elements with local business integration and an AI-enhanced content management system that empowers local staff to create and manage digital experiences efficiently.
Heritage Lens Südburgenland shall create transformative change that extends far beyond digital innovation to fundamentally strengthen the community's cultural and economic resilience:
Enhanced Cultural Accessibility: By making heritage sites accessible to diverse audiences through comprehensive multilingual content and accessibility features, local pride in cultural assets shall increase while attracting new visitor demographics. The platform will enable residents and visitors with disabilities, language barriers or varying cultural backgrounds to better engage with Southern Burgenland's rich heritage, fostering greater community inclusivity.
Economic Empowerment and Sustainability: The integrated approach connecting cultural experiences with local businesses through gamification and promotional features aims to create sustainable revenue streams that benefit the entire community. By extending visitor stays and encouraging exploration across multiple sites, the platform will distribute tourism benefits more evenly throughout the region while reducing dependency on seasonal tourism patterns.
Local Capacity Building and Digital Empowerment: Through a comprehensive training programme and AI-enhanced content management system, we hope to empower local cultural institutions with digital tools that reduce operational complexity while enhancing professional capabilities. Local staff will gain valuable digital skills and greater autonomy in presenting their cultural narratives to global audiences.
Ultimately, the solution shall contribute to a more vibrant, economically resilient and culturally confident Southern Burgenland that serves as an inspiring example of successful rural transformation through thoughtful technology adoption.
A.D DIGITAL X AGENCY LTD is a Cyprus-based creative technology company specialising in innovative digital solutions for culture, tourism, and education. They design and develop immersive experiences such as 360° virtual tours, interactive software and smart digital tools that enhance storytelling, accessibility and visitor engagement. Their mission is to bridge tradition with technology, locally and across Europe. ARKIKUS - PATRIMONIO VIRTUAL S.L. is an innovative Spanish SME focused on the study and promotion of historical heritage through the use of new technologies. They build bridges between heritage and high-tech, implementing new research methods and tools including VR and AR, 3D modelling in VFX, real-time rendering and interactive mobile and web-app developments that help create unique immersive experiences.
Zamora Medieval XR (ZMXR) is an innovative project that brings Zamora’s medieval heritage to life through Extended Reality (XR) technologies. Visitors can explore 360° virtual tours, 3D reconstructions and gamified storytelling via web, VR headsets, interactive kiosks and QR codes. IoT sensors and web analytics help manage visitor flows sustainably. Combining cutting-edge tech with community engagement, ZMXR enhances accessibility, fosters inclusive rural tourism and provides a scalable model for digital heritage promotion across Europe.
Zamora’s rich medieval heritage shall become more accessible, engaging and relevant, not just to tourists, but to the local community itself. The solution shall spark a renewed sense of pride in the area’s cultural identity, while also creating new opportunities for learning, tourism and local economic growth.
By combining 360° virtual tours, interactive software and virtual reconstructions, new tools will make history feel alive and inclusive, especially for younger generations and people who may not typically engage with heritage sites.
Local stakeholders shall be empowered by data-driven insights through IoT sensors and web analytics, helping them better understand visitor behavior and plan for sustainable tourism development.
Ultimately, this project shall become a long-term asset for the community, one that brings visibility, education and economic benefits, while preserving the past in a way that speaks to the future.
Moka Digitech is a technology-driven innovation company specialising in AI-powered solutions for healthcare, accessibility and community wellbeing. With a focus on digital transformation, Moka develops tools that bridge the gap between advanced technology and human-centered care, empowering organisations to deliver better, faster and more inclusive services.
Vyva, developed by Moka Digitech, is an AI-powered, voice-first companion designed to support seniors and individuals living alone. It provides 24/7 assistance through smartphones, landlines, kiosks and messaging apps, offering features like medication reminders, fall detection, symptom checks, mental wellness exercises and concierge services. Vyva aims to enhance quality of life, promote independence and connect users with caregivers, family and local services in real-time.
In Zamora, we aim to reduce social isolation among seniors, improve access to timely care and empower local service providers through AI-enhanced communication. By integrating Vyva into the daily lives of seniors, we hope to create a stronger sense of connection, reduce preventable hospital visits, and ease the workload of caregivers. Long term, we envision Vyva becoming a model for other rural regions, enabling healthier, more engaged and more resilient communities.
Moofind is a German startup that develops technology to improve livestock farmers’ efficiency and productivity. They provide a digital platform that leverages satellite data for field and herd management.
GrazeWatch 2000 is an innovative digital platform that helps Scottish livestock farmers efficiently manage their herds and pastures. It uses software and IoT technology to plan paddock rotations, deliver satellite-based pasture recommendations to maintain nutrition and prevent overgrazing and land degradation and track cattle in real time with collar-based geofencing alerts.
GrazeWatch 2000 will increase farmers’ productivity and profitability by maximising pasture potential, saving time on planning and management and reducing expenditure on hay and silage. In addition, it will help mitigate pasture degradation from cattle and sheep, enhance biodiversity, preserve Scotland’s unique landscapes and support climate action.
For the rural communities, this boosts efficiency, productivity and competitiveness, supporting a sustainable transition while securing the long-term viability of farmers’ businesses. These efforts will help combat rural depopulation and preserve cultural traditions, safeguarding the vitality of rural communities.
Evenor-Tech is an ICT company focused on land management and ecosystem services evaluation. They provide expertise on data processing and management, developing digital twin models and ICT solutions.
ANFORA is a user-friendly digital platform that enables rural communities to calculate and understand the water footprint of agricultural products, traditional recipes and complete diets.
- RDD1: Sustainable Agri-food Systems and Ecosystem Management - ANFORA promotes responsible water use in local agri-food chains by allowing farmers to assess the water footprint of specific crops and processing steps adapted to local conditions
- RDD2: Local Services, Health and Wellbeing - free, easy-to-use digital service, improving local environmental literacy and supporting healthier diets with a lower water impact
- RDD3: Energy Transition and Climate Neutrality - , ANFORA indirectly contributes to energy savings by identifying food production and consumption patterns that demand high energy for irrigation or processing.
- CCP: Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation / Biodiversity and Social Justice and Inclusion
The company Dimitrios Kapsalis specialises in the preparation of forestry and environmental studies. It has participated in the development of forest management plans, studies for the opening and improvement of forest roads, studies for the construction of forest fire protection infrastructure, improvement of hiking trails, forest recreation planning and reforestation studies. In addition, it has contributed to the preparation of the Forest Monitoring System studies for the Regions of Northern Aegean, Attica and Macedonia-Thrace.
The LOUTSES project highlights the traditional practice of transhumance among the rural communities of the Zagori area, who move with their domestic animals (sheep, goats) through the subalpine and alpine environments of the Pindos Mountains on the South-Western Balkan Peninsula. The project’s main motivation capitalises on research findings that identified the rejuvenation of sheep and goat herding as an urgent need for the local communities of the region, which, over the years, is changing steadily by recreational tourism. LOUTSES aims to holistically tackle the aforementioned challenges by: restoring of livestock water infrastructure throughout the transhumance period to support the local shepherds, engaging residents and local stakeholders/ authorities on the importance of enhancing and embracing the disappearing craft of sheep and goat shepherds, concerning flora and fauna biodiversity, and water and soil dynamics of (sub)alpine rangelands, and producing recommendations on how the nature-based solution of bio-managed rangelands can be supported through regeneration, public awareness and participation.
The “LOUTSES” project with its implemented holistic solution will contribute substantially to a deeper change in the relationship of the local community with its natural environment and cultural identity.
AREYLight AI is a technology company developing AI- and IoT-driven solutions for sustainable smart city infrastructures. They design and implement end-to-end solutions in smart lighting, energy management, LoRaWAN sensor networks and computer vision to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions and create safer and more sustainable living environments.
Within RURACTIVE, their goal is to enhance energy efficiency in rural areas, reduce carbon emissions and improve community wellbeing by deploying pilot projects of AI-driven smart lighting and infrastructure solutions, while collaborating with local stakeholders to ensure scalability and long-term impact.
LATITUDE is a transdisciplinary design platform operating at the intersection of architecture, urbanism and anthropology. Latitude is specialised in the development of context-specific and bioclimatic spatial strategies, including devices, interventions and public programmes tailored on cultural festivals, biennials and academic institutions. Its work spans installations, spatial studies and publications, in collaboration with universities, design firms, civil society and public institutions.
Roma Tre is an international institution with 13 departments offering courses, master's degrees, training and doctorates. It contributes to Rome’s urban development through repurposed industrial buildings and promotes research, education, solidarity, gender equality and merit. They offer their expertise in interdisciplinary research on sustainable urban and rural development, cultural heritage and environmental resilience as well as advanced methodologies to analyse complex social, environmental and spatial challenges.
BorgoFresh is a modular, transportable prototype designed for the Borgofuturo Festival in Val di Fiastra. It offers shade, renewable energy production and rainwater harvesting, while monitoring environmental conditions in real time. Alongside the installation, the project develops a Sustainable Resources Database and an open-data report of the Festival’s impacts. Together, these elements create a replicable model for sustainable cultural events in rural areas.
In Val di Fiastra, the project’s first goal is to provide infrastructure that makes the Borgofuturo Festival safer and more comfortable in the face of heatwaves, sudden rainfall and water scarcity. But the real transformation goes beyond comfort during the event: it lies in the possibility of nurturing new skills and awareness within the community that hosts it.
The shared construction of a modular prototype, powered by local resources and supported by monitoring systems, becomes an opportunity to engage artisans, associations and residents in tangible sustainable practices. This process not only stimulates short supply chains and strengthens the local economy, but also sparks a sense of collective responsibility around environmental issues. Over time, the community will gain access to a reusable structure, a resource database and a network of competences that will outlive the Festival and any other local activity, continuing to sustain the resilience and cultural vitality of the valley.
Amigo S.r.l. and Finapp S.r.l. are two Italian SMEs combining expertise in climate services and innovative environmental sensing technologies. Amigo provides AI-enhanced climate risk assessments and adaptation tools, while Finapp offers CRNS probes for real-time, large-scale soil moisture monitoring to optimise water management and environmental resilience.
COSMIC will co-develop and validate a smart water management and landslide early-warning solution. The project will provide a tool for managing irrigation practices, reduce water consumption and monitor enviromental risks to relevant actors.
KOKOZA is a social enterprise from Prague, Czech Republic, that helps individuals, companies and cities to compost. They provide VET and TVET services, mentorings, testing and deployment of various composting solutions in cities in Czechia.
Within RURACTIVE they set up the first community-led infrastructure for decentralised biowaste management on Silba Island, Croatia.
MightyPixel S.r.l. & Coolpixel Studio Di Stefano Jesi Ferrari are a consortium of technology and creative companies with expertise in software development, serverless platforms and user-friendly design. They design innovative digital solutions for shared mobility, route optimisation and local community networking.
Within RURACTIVE they intend to improve multimodal mobility in Abruzzo, Italy, reduce CO₂ emissions, increase access to essential services and strengthen social cohesion through a platform replicable across other rural European contexts.
Ab.Acus is a research-driven, innovation-oriented technology company focused on translating advanced ICT and engineering methodologies into real-world solutions across healthcare, social sciences and the humanities. Its mission is to drive evidence-based digital transformation by coupling applied research with full-stack system engineering and scalable deployment.
REENO proposes a community-centered digital solution that enhances healthcare and wellbeing among older adults in remote areas of Abruzzo. Co-designed with older residents and local stakeholders, the mobile application uses the personal smartphone as a low-cost, widely accessible hub to collect and process health, lifestyle and environmental data.
Through a cloud-based platform and user-friendly dashboards and interface, REENO enables continuous monitoring and delivers tailored physical and cognitive activity programmes that evolve based on everyone’s real-life conditions. A key innovation lies in merging health metrics with geolocation data to generate hyper-personalised interventions that promote healthy living and social connectedness. REENO also includes tools for building mutual aid and leisure-sharing networks, fostering local solidarity and active citizenship. Social engagement is further stimulated by a light gamification layer that rewards participation, boosting motivation and community ties.
REENO shall bring real, everyday improvements to the lives of older adults in remote areas. Through a simple smartphone application, they will be able to monitor their health (tracking steps, sleep or vital signs) and receive personalised suggestions for staying active and well. This information will also be visible to doctors and social workers, helping them step in quickly when something seems off.
The project also aims to reduce the sense of loneliness that many older people face. REENO helps them stay in touch with others in their towns and in nearby ones. It offers a space to join small support groups or shared activity circles (like walking or gardening) where they can connect, feel useful and be part of something meaningful.
REENO also aims to make everyday life easier: it helps older adults request help for small tasks, communicate with local services or alert someone in case of need.
Finally, REENO gives simple alerts about environmental risks (like extreme heat) and provides clear advice: when to stay indoors, when to drink more water or when to avoid physical activity. In this way, the solution becomes a daily companion useful and reliable with focus on improving people’s awareness and wellbeing.
YAGHMA develops solutions to support mindful digital and green transitions. They assess and monitor the impact of digital technologies, AI systems and innovative policies on society and the environment.
Within RURACTIVE they make energy / sustainability advice widely accessible, resulting in better targeted investments and thereby better utilisation of sustainability potential.
RWB Valais is an engineering firm active in the water sector in French-speaking Switzerland. Their multi-disciplinary teams develop and manage complex projects, the essence of which is the interaction between people and the environment.
The Association du Musée valaisan des Bisses aims for:
- The creation, operation and management of a museum representative of the Valais bisses
- The inventory, support and coordination of any cantonal, regional or local action to enhance and promote the Valais bisses
- The development and inventory of collections of cultural assets related to the Valais bisses
- The discovery, in situ, of the Valais bisses in collaboration with cantonal, regional and local tourism authorities and other initiators of discovery programs for the Valais bisses.
O-STROM consists of a combination of flow measurements in the irrigation system's loading basins (Fassung), sprinkler activity detection, the creation of an interactive map displaying sprinkler and Fassung activity, and the creation of a shared calendar application for the organisation of water turns.
The aim is to demonstrate that the O-STROM solution will make Törbel's irrigation network more user-friendly and give local authorities greater visibility over irrigation practices. In the long term, the solution shall be implemented to the entire Törbel network.
STIPO Greece is a non-profit organisation specialising in socio-cultural management, non-formal education and creative placemaking. Their mission is to create vibrant, inclusive and sustainable public and common spaces through participatory processes with local communities, stakeholders and citizens.
Within RURACTIVE they aims to revitalise Törbel’s village center by combining heritage-driven placemaking with local participation, training a local placemaker, engaging residents in shaping their common spaces and creating a transferable model for sustainable rural regeneration.