Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Date of latest update: 2025-09-24

Description

Description (EN):

This is a feasibility and scoping study for a network digital hubs and support services, to enable communities and enterprises to benefit from digital technologies and applications, which deal with climate change. The applications focus on those supporting the Green Business Model and the Circular Economy. The aim is to stimulate local digital provision that is networked transnationally. Transnationality is essential for reasons of scale, expertise, and range of application. A resulting project should share expertise and assist enterprises in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and other areas to develop their businesses, reducing environmental impact and maintaining economic sustainability. The hubs will also support community skills and services in promoting a circular economy. The feasibility study will map digital service provision and expertise in the partnership areas and also the needs of enterprises and community organisations. The original model for analysis encompasses stage 1 technologies (including Internet, Geographic Information System, Mobile Phones, Databases), stage 2 technologies (including Social Media, Apps, Smartphones, and Cloud Computing) and stage 3 technologies(includingArtificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Smart Systems; Virtual and Mixed Reality). The relevance of these to the Circular Economy and Green Business Models will analysed. The analysis will map digital applications to community and enterprise needs and will determine a plan for service development among the hubs. Applications to energy will receive special attention. A community model is chosen as this the optimum way of disseminating awareness and expertise in the regions and of gaining critical mass for added value. The network aims to include mutual reinforcement of skills, links to other bodies and a set of priorities for development, linked to social and economic impacts in terms of sustainability. This project is to determine its structure.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The purpose of the preparatory project was to gather information and analyse it to form the basis of a full project. The partners set out to map digital applications to community and enterprise needs in the participating regions and to determine a plan for service development. The partners responded to the comments on the application, which indicated the need to select relevant commercial sectors and technologies and avoid the risk of being overambitious. In their reviews, some partners indicated that digital services may be provided to entities in the region by digital suppliers located elsewhere and a new project would need to take account of this. As the declared focus was on digital technology applications supporting the Green Business Model and the Circular Economy, which can benefit enterprises and communities, the project developed an approach to focus on key sectors and summarise provision, needs and gaps in those sectors. A review of sectors aimed to focus on key points that can changed. This followed the 80:20 rule, in focusing on a few points (20%) which can deliver large (80%) green benefits. The aims was to realise a technology – sector link. However, it was recognised that priority sectors differed among the different regions and so the aim was to determine technologies that are adaptable to a range of sectors can vary among the partnership. Tourism is a sector common to all the partners and it was proposed that this was the starting point. Partners undertake a review of tourism provision in their regions on the basis of existing knowledge, publications and contacts. This led to a focus on the techniques and technologies of Storymaps, which could be applied to all the regions involved, which would have common themes and criteria. It would also have enabled the creation of an overall story map covering all the project area, indicating differences, similarities and links. This map would indicate changes in climate confronting all the main regions of NPA and highlight how organisations (private and communal) are responding to them. The focus in the project developed from tourism to include agriculture (including forestry) and fisheries, which have relations to the tourism offer in all regions, but in different ways. Green and circular economy actions achieved and underway would be highlighted. As a Storymap, there is the opportunity for enterprises to promote themselves, their practices, services and products, which should lead to market benefits. The project thus aimed to link dealing with climate change with promotion of the locations and local products. The Storymap would also act as a focal point for other digital and green innovations, which enable enterprises and communities to promote themselves and adopt solutions to climate change issues. This approach followed the model of diffusion of innovation and met its five criteria. It was not complex, compatible with existing practices and technologies, easily trialable within the project period, and with suitable indicators can provide tangible results. In bringing together map, graphical and story presentations, it was seen as having a clear relative advantage over disparate offers in three media approaches. It would also add value to data, which is already collected but not made full use of. The project responded to the comments made by the secretariat in a number of ways. It connected with Interreg NPA projects DISTINCT and INNOCAP to avoid overlaps/develop synergies. The proponents of these projects were contacted. The approach of DISTINCT is to use technology foresight techniques and document existing disruptive technology. It has a clear ICT focus, but appears to be aiming at leading edge rather than tried technologies, and thus liaison would be useful. INNOCAP is a preparatory project, which aims to tackle the lack of awareness by public sector organisations for innovative solutions. There are public service providers, who may also be touched on in BRAIN, which may provide for complementary activities or potential overlaps. BRAIN was distinct from and complementary to the above projects by its focus on circular economy and green business model. As a result of the contact with the DISTINCT partner at Umeå University (SE), Umeå University was incorporated as a full partner in the main application submitted. It was involved early on the project development and took part in the project development meetings on line and in person. A full project was developed and submitted under S.O 1.3, which was suggested as potentially more appropriate by the Secretariat. As indicated above it expanded the partnership to include a Swedish partner, which added to the existing Irish, Icelandic and Finnish participants.

Website: https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/brain/

Thematic information

ICT and digital society Rural and peripheral development

Priority: (VI-B_NPaA_1) Strengthening the innovation capacity for resilient and attractive NPA communities

Priority specific objective: RSO1.2. Reaping the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 018 IT services and applications for digital skills and digital inclusion

Partners (5)

Lead Partner: Údarás na Gaeltachta

Partner’s ID if not PIC: O5399180O

Department: Research and Sectoral Development

Address: Na Forbacha, H91TY22 Galway, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: http://www.udaras.ie

Total budget: EUR 14 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 9 360.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 5 040.00

Comhairie Contae Mhaigh Eo

Name: Comhairie Contae Mhaigh Eo

Department: Economic Development Unit

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IE8F03186T

Address: Aras an Chontae, F23 WF90 Castlebar , Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.mayo.ie

Total budget: EUR 5 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 3 510.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 1 890.00

Innovation and Management Centre CLG T/A WestBIC

Name: Innovation and Management Centre CLG T/A WestBIC

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 4672192W

Address: Galway Technology Centre, H91 E2W5 Galway, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.westbic.ie

Total budget: EUR 9 993.74

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 6 495.93

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 497.81

Samtök Sveitarfélaga á Norðurlandi Vestra

Name: Samtök Sveitarfélaga á Norðurlandi Vestra

Department: Business development, regional support

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 888801689 (PIC Number)

Address: Höfdabraut, 530 Hvammstangi, Iceland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: http://www.ssnv.is

Total budget: EUR 10 100.48

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 6 565.31

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 535.17

Karelia-ammattikorkeakoulu

Name: Karelia-ammattikorkeakoulu

Department: Energy and Environmental Technology

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI24543771

Address: Tikkarinne, 80200 Joensuu, Finland

Department address: Karjalankatu , 80200 Joensuu, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.karelia.fi

Total budget: EUR 10 100.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 6 565.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 535.00

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Mayo County Council

Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Partners and Projects info

Innovation and Management Centre CLG T/A WestBIC

Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Partners and Projects info

Federation of Regional Authorities NW Iceland

Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Partners and Projects info

Karelia University of Applied Sciences

Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Partners and Projects info

The Gaeltacht Authority

Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Project acronym: BRAIN

Project ID: NPA0200063

Project start date: 2022-12-01

Project end date: 2023-05-31

Project status: closed

Relevant linked projects:

Digi2Market (NPA project) (EN) | The project developed and tested a Green Business Model, which can be further scoped in this project. There were some beneficiary enterprises in the target regions, which began the journey into digital applications and marketing, which can be expanded. The lessons learned and techniques developed will be greatly enhanced in this project with digital and circular economy foci. The lessons learned include insights on needs of micro enterprises. (EN), Ruritage (HORIZON project) (EN) | The means of developing and implementing local economic development strategies in rural areas based on natural and cultural heritage will be inform this project in developing relations with development agencies and enterprises. Ruritage developed digital tools and techniques, which application can be tested and scoped in this preparatory project. These include apps for determining and optimising landscape and cultural assets, interaction techniques to promote group working. (EN), CAST (COSME project) (EN) | This project developed training, mentoring and networking techniques targeted at innovative tourism enterprises. This including coaching in gaining external finance. These techniques will examined for application in a main project.
(EN), SHAPE (NPA project) (EN) | Building on NPA SHAPE project’s learning journey in the project as part of capacity building and transnational learning. (EN), Arctic Indigenous Digital Talent Hub (EN) | It is a Nordregio project, whose goal is to build Digital Talent Hubs & Virtual Reality environments in indigenous communities in Arctic Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland and Canada.
Interaction with the project is sought to learn from their experiences and to establish means of networking, which will be important for a main project. (EN), Arctic Digital Nomads (EN) | Arctic Digital Nomads are a network of co-working spaces in Iceland, Norway, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. It is supported by NORA. Interaction with the project is sought to learn from their experiences and to establish means of networking, which will be important for a main project. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 49 994.22

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 25 930.93

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 65.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 25 930.93. Co-financing rate, 65.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Methodology report -questions & metrics
Survey of digital provision
Survey of enterprise needs
Survey of community needs
Digital energy possibilities
New partnership
Project specification
Detailed project description

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-09-24

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

310 / 310 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Building Resilient And Innovative Networks among rural communities

Description

Thematic information

Partners (5)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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