Smart villages and startups: Speech delivered at launch event of the Startup Village Forum

European Union. Digital transition, startups and Smart villages: Reaping new opportunities from the digital transition: Speech delivered at launch event of the Startup Village Forum.

According to the speech (click here to read it):

Smart Villages and Startup initiative

• The Startup village initiative can complement the important work already being done in the Smart Villages initiative.
• “Smart Villages” put rural citizens at the centre of constructing their own solutions, making the most of existing skills and helping to develop new ones.
• Communities set out to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions. Using a strategic and participatory approach, mobilising solutions offered by innovation and digital technologies.
• These technologies are also crucial in developing effective ways to connect local producers with the consumers thus shortening the supply chains and moving closer to the realisation of the Farm to Fork Strategy. The pandemic has shown how important the internet is to maintain our food security.
• Smart Villages are now being realised. Supported by an allocation of over €7 million, two Preparatory Actions on Smart Rural Areas in the 21st Century are currently underway.
• The European Union plan is to take these preparatory actions to the field through the national CAP strategic plans of Member States.