Empowering ADRION rural communities to innovate

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B IPA Adriatic-Ionian

Date of latest update: 2025-06-23

Description

Description (EN):

Rural areas in Adriatic-Ionian regions face some common socioeconomic and environmental challenges, including depopulation, brain-drain & ageing population, limited connectivity & access to public infrastructures & services as well as lack of opportunities in policy co-creation & access to funding. These challenges are the most pressing for rural communities (citizens and their SMEs). Additionally, climate change, leading to more frequent extreme weather events, poses serious challenges to the resilience and economy of rural communities. The key to unlocking the full potential of rural areas and helping them become more resilient, is to empower these rural areas and increase the development of networks & clusters among partners, regions, and enterprises to form a multiregional innovation system. Through Interreg VI B IPA ADRION - Specific Objective 1.1 Strengthening innovation capacities in the Adriatic - Ionian region and the indicative action to promote and encourage the development of transnationally designed innovations (technical and non-technical innovation, including services) through pilot & joint actions contribute to addressing societal and environmental challenges such as demographic change, energy efficiency and climate change, ADRURAL project aims to empower rural communities by utilising existing tested & innovative Smart Solutions and other innovation Solutions scenarios & models, addressing key societal and environmental rural challenges. These challenges will be addressed via community-led innovations/Smart Solutions (developed by other projects or initiatives and covering a wide range of relevant challenges faced by rural communities across the EU), from - indicatively- the following five (5) domains: Circular Bioeconomy, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Management, Resilience to Shocks, Citizen Engagement & Quality of Life, LifelongEducation & Training and Climate Adaptation & Mitigation etc. The selected Smart Solutions & scenarios, from these domains, with collected data & information from and for the project, will be demonstrated transregionally, according to geographical & socioeconomical criteria, in five (5) Mini Rural Living Labs (MRLLs) pilots, located in selected countries of the partners in Adriatic - Ionian area. These pilots will vary in economic & socio-cultural contexts by paying specific attention to the needs of women, youth & vulnerable groups, and also will produce new data, upscale knowledge & successful scenarios with the tested innovative Smart Solutions & innovation Solutions. This will lead to the development of successful Innovative Models for rural communities. Moreover, these efforts will result in the creation of a resource library, an online learning system, a discussion forum & a hub for gathering relative information, accessible to users via an integrated ADRURALs Online Rural Empowerment Hub (OREH), incorporating as well innovative solutions, data, models, policies, sources of knowledge, funding opportunities & good practices, from other projects & initiatives. The goal is to establish an accessible integrated live system of shared knowledge. ADRURAL will follow a multi-actor approach through joint rural stakeholder’s actions and governance schemes. A networking strategy will enable links with relevant organisations, networks, projects, initiatives to ensure the active engagement of rural communities and their SMEs for societal & economical change. A new approach & strategy incorporating innovative models and good practices, will be developed & tested through co-creation with users in partners' rural communities, aiming for more resilient & sustainable rural areas in the Adriatic-Ionian region. This approach will be implemented in a living network system which will support evidence-based governance frameworks, policy making and funding instruments to increase knowledge transfer between these specific countries, regions & citizens to address their needs and tackle their challenges effectively. The fact that regional & local best practices in community-led, social & business innovations for rural development do exist, but are often limited to single cases and lack penetration into regional and national policies, demonstrate the need for a transnational approach as an effective mechanism to assist rural areas to jointly develop new solutions & address common issues. ADRURAL recognises the uniqueness of each participating region & combines technology, capacity building, sustainability aiming at empowering ADRION rural communities to overcome the barriers they face. The project outputs are summarized in 1 Transnational strategy and action plans, 1 Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, 1 Adrion Rural Innovation Network, 5 Pilot action set-up plans, 1 Online Rural Empowerment Hub (OREH) and results: 1 Transnational strategy and action plans, 6 Total taken up Solutions, Α formal agreement (MoU) among the 10 project partners to continue cooperation, after the end of the project.

Expected Achievements (EN):

The main objective is to integrate strategies and outputs developed by several projects into one methodology and one set of services and assess the state of play in rural areas in the Adriatic-Ionian region as regards to enabling an environment for innovation in rural communities Elaboration of the pilot action methodology according to the users to be involved; elaboration of the methodology of pilot actions evaluation. Starting from the methodology and according to the preliminary activities developed, each project area will define a pilot action plan, where sectors will be selected, community networks will be identified, etc Create a user friendly digital tool that serves as a ‘one-stop-shop’ resource hub and interactive community for rural communities, providing them with the necessary tools, information, and resources to empower themselves and drive sustainable rural development in a digitised context. Create policy recommendations and governance frameworks towards supporting a sustainable and inclusive development of rural areas, and maximising the project’s contribution to the Programme’s objectives Leverage existing successful practices, promote knowledge exchange, and empower rural communities with the necessary tools and resources to replicate or adapt innovative approaches. The transferability of best practices contributes to the overall objective of empowering ADRION rural communities to innovate and fosters sustainable rural development across the region.

Project outputs: Adrion Rural Innovation Network(EN)
Pilot action set-up plans(EN)
Online Rural Empowerment Hub (EN)
Transnational strategy and action plans(EN)
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy(EN)

Thematic information

Governance, partnership Rural and peripheral development SME and entrepreneurship

Priority: (VI-B_IPA-A_1) Supporting a smarter Adriatic Ionian region

Priority specific objective: RSO1.1. Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies

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: 028 Technology transfer and cooperation between enterprises, research centres and higher education sector

Partners (11)

Lead Partner: Περιφερειακή Ένωση Δήμων Ιονίων Νήσων

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 920920523

Partner’s ID if not PIC: EL997914496

Department: -

Address: Alexandras Blvd, 49100 Corfu, Greece

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Regional public authority

Website: https://ped-in.gr/

Total budget: EUR 280 175.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 238 148.75

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 42 026.25

Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura di Venezia Rovigo

Name: Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura di Venezia Rovigo

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 926403254

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 04303000279

Address: Dorsoduro , 30123 Venezia, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.dl.camcom.gov.it

Total budget: EUR 180 349.37

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 153 296.96

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 27 052.41

Zaklada za inovacijski i tehnološki razvitak

Name: Zaklada za inovacijski i tehnološki razvitak

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 950746956

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 227724810003 | 4227724810003 | company registration number (EN)

Address: Bišće Polje, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.intera.ba

Total budget: EUR 120 092.50

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 102 078.62

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 18 013.88

Društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću, Inovaciono preduzetnički centar Tehnopolis

Name: Društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću, Inovaciono preduzetnički centar Tehnopolis

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 915677576

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 40/31-02893-6 | 03009645 | Tax identification number (EN)

Address: Radoja Dakica, 81400 Niksic, Montenegro

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.tehnopolis.me

Total budget: EUR 120 030.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 102 025.50

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 18 004.50

Фондација за одржлив економски развој ПРЕДА Плус

Name: Фондација за одржлив економски развој ПРЕДА Плус

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 899656183

Partner’s ID if not PIC: MK4021010514071 | 6662447 | Central Registry of the Republic North of Macedonia (EN)

Address: Kuzman Josifovski , 7000 Bitola, North Macedonia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.predaplus.eu

Total budget: EUR 150 402.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 127 841.70

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 22 560.30

ITC – Inovacijsko tehnološki grozd Murska Sobota

Name: ITC – Inovacijsko tehnološki grozd Murska Sobota

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 937057540

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SI 51545535 | 6028896000 | Business registry number (EN)

Address: Lendavska ulica, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website: http://www.itc-cluster.com

Total budget: EUR 220 528.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 187 448.80

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 33 079.20

Razvojna agencija Vojvodine d.o.o Novi Sad

Name: Razvojna agencija Vojvodine d.o.o Novi Sad

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 889837164

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 109963253 | 21275697 | Serbian Business Registry (EN)

Address: Strazilovska, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: http://www.rav.org.rs

Total budget: EUR 100 127.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 85 107.95

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 15 019.05

Centralnoevropska služba za prekogranične inicijative na Balkanu

Name: Centralnoevropska služba za prekogranične inicijative na Balkanu

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 925058931

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 106619263 | 28013655 | Business Registry (APR) Number (EN)

Address: Bulevar Mihajla Pupina, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.cesci-balkans.eu

Total budget: EUR 100 100.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 85 085.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 15 015.00

DIH “Agrihrana Hrvatska”

Name: DIH “Agrihrana Hrvatska”

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 891064893

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 10295005578 | 15001579 | Registration number from Croatian Register of associations (EN)

Address: Trg Dražena Petrovića, 22000 Sibenik, Croatia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://agrifoodcroatia.com/

Total budget: EUR 235 200.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 199 920.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 35 280.00

REFRAME FOOD ΑΣΤΙΚΗ ΜΗ ΚΕΡΔΟΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ

Name: REFRAME FOOD ΑΣΤΙΚΗ ΜΗ ΚΕΡΔΟΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 892252755

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 997017380 | 157069604000 | Business Registry (GEMI) number (EN)

Address: LEONTOS SOFOU, 57001 THERMI/THESSALONIKI, Greece

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://reframe.food/

Total budget: EUR 250 460.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 212 891.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 37 569.00

Foodscale Hub Greece – Association for Entrepreunership & Innovation Αστική Μη Κερδοσκοπική Εταιρεία

Name: Foodscale Hub Greece – Association for Entrepreunership & Innovation Αστική Μη Κερδοσκοπική Εταιρεία

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 892252755

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 997017380 | 15177136000 | Business Registry (GEMI) number (EN)

Address: LEONTOS SOFOU, 57001 THERMI/THESSALONIKI, Greece

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: https://foodscalehub.com/

Total budget: EUR 250 460.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 212 891.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 37 569.00

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Empowering ADRION rural communities to innovate

Project acronym: ADRURAL

Project ID: IPA-ADRION00171

Project start date: 2024-09-01

Project end date: 2027-08-31

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

SR21: Smart village strategies; SR27: Policies to facilitate the implementation of smart village strategies aims to promote the take-up of the “smart village” concept in the EU, at the local and policy-making levels. SR27 aims to provide knowledge on smart villages, influence smart village policies, and inform the CAP Strategic Plan. (EN) | Access to smart village information and SS via ADRURALs Online Rural Empowerment Hub (OREH) (EN), FUTURAL - Empowering the future through innovative smart solutions for rural areas. (EN) | ADRURAL is going to connect with the FUTURAL project in order to use produced knowledge and smart solutions but mainly to exchange knowledge in order to build conditions for the maturation and development of solutions to specific and pressing challenges faced by rural communities
(EN), dRural - Development of digital solution services for rural areas creating opportunities for economic growth and improving quality of life. dRural open model platform and data. How these will feed into (EN) | Stakeholders will access additional services for wider deployment and adoption of the ADRURAL SS. (EN), DESIRA I - mprovement of society and political bodies’ capacity to respond to digitalisation challenges in rural areas and agriculture. Plausible digitalisation scenarios in rural areas considering region type, sector, and socio-economic sustainability criteria. (EN) | Improve rural areas’ capacity to change in support of the EU’s Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas. (EN), More than a village; Interreg Central; 2023-2026 - The objective of “More than a village” project is to test and develop different models of a smart village in the Central Europe region context that will increase the attractiveness of rural areas and create favourable conditions for local businesses. The project aims to create new jobs, stabilise rural population and strengthen economic resilience of non-urban areas through a set of strategic and operational actions (pilots).
(EN) | Contribute to increase the attractiveness of rural areas and create favourable conditions for local businesses. (EN), SMARTA - Sustainable shared mobility interconnected with public transport in European rural areas. Αims to give reliable guidance to policy makers, local authorities and practitioners to develop suitable policies and efficient operational solutions for rural mobility. (EN) | Contribute on rural mobility and, in particular, on rural shared mobility (EN), BIO-Boost project is focusing on increasing the latent potential of the participating innovation agencies, to learn from leading innovator regions, and to cement this knowledge and experience in the organisations, building and expanding networks, expanding the cooperation and enlarging the participation of more diverse innovation stakeholders and territories to existing successful initiatives in the bioeconomy, including agri-food, forestry, bio-based chemicals, materials and products, and bioenergy. BIOBoost connects 7 homogenous EU regions in terms of similarities of RIS3 and S3 Platform synergies related to bioeconomy and digitalisation. (EN) | Contribute to building and expanding networks, expanding the cooperation and enlarging the participation of more diverse innovation stakeholders and territories (EN), SmartCommUnity; Interreg Alpine; 2022-2025 main objectives are linked with 1) creating a strong link with the Smart Alps network within AG5, 2) furthering the actions towards smart transition in selected Test Areas (TAs) and inspiring new territories by creating regional links between more advanced (lighthouse) TAs and less advanced (follower) TAs, 3) collecting and promoting innovative digital tools and solutions. The project is implemented in 18 TAs (9 LTAs + 9 FTAs). (EN) | Contribute with the outputs for deploying Test Area in Slovenia, focusing on local food production, delivery and consumption (food transition) and identifying/mapping new digital tools relevant for the agrifood sector. (EN), PATHWAYS Identified drivers towards sustainability and policy recommendations for the policy definition. Towards an enhanced Established dissemination and communication practices and data will be utilised in sustainable future EU agriculture (IUCN) (e.g. roundtables on the environmental and climate architecture of CAP). (EN) | Engagement in the relevant policy processes (EN), HYRDOUSA - Adopting innovative, nature-based and nature-inspired water management solutions. Results: Circular and bio-economy solutions, water management, agricultural and low energy. (EN) | Leverage the knowledge and methodologies to calculate Biodiversity Score. (EN), BIOTRANSFORM - Systemic transformation of regions towards a circular bioeconomy. Methodology with mapping resources /stakeholders/locations, identifying solutions, quick evaluation and selection of suitable solutions, logistics, developing financing and implementation pathway. (EN) | Support rural areas to define their circular bioeconomy pathway including field sustainability. (EN), MOVING - Building capacities and co-developing policy frameworks for new/ upgraded value chains contributing to mountain areas’ resilience and sustainability to climate change. Participatory benchmarking of Mountain Value Chain clusters elaborating an evidence-based policy design. (EN) | Building modern rural policies and societal engagement. (EN), GRANULAR - seeks data sources and implements novel approaches to generate open and replicable data, which can be used at different scales, as well as indicators and tools to characterise the diversity of rural communities. A multi-dimensional set of indicators and trends to inform policy design, monitoring and evaluation shedding light on different dimensions of rurality, useful to identify trajectories towards sustainable and inclusive rural development.
(EN) | Consideration of the set of the produced indicators for the policy recommendations and governance models creation in ADRURAL. (EN), SCENT - Citizen observation and monitoring of the environment. Results: Climate change adaptation and mitigation applications and toolbox. (EN) | Leverage the knowledge gained on heterogeneous data sources from observation networks and citizens. (EN), BioRural - Accelerating circular bio-based solutions integration in European rural areas/BioRural. Create a Rural Bioeconomy Network and promote bio-based solutions (EN) | Connecting and advantage results of activities for maximum visibility and rural Bioeconomy expansion (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 757 463.87

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 493 844.28

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 85.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Report on challenges for innovation
Report on identification of national / regional smart rural communities initiatives
ADRURAL stakeholders network development
Networking and synergies with existing groups, projects, initiatives etc.
Stakeholder Engagement Events
Communication Strategy
Promotion through social media
Promotional material (flyers and banners)
E-newsletters
Regional public events / info days and final event
Progress and financial reports according to the Programme rules
Methodology for setting up the pilot actions and the co-creation activities
Pilot action setup plans
Pilot actions Reports
Pilot evaluation methodology
Transnational evaluation report on pilot actions
Kick Off and Steering Committee Meetings
Functional platform and User Manual
Risk Management Plan
Policy and regulatory mapping report
Transnational strategy and action plan for smart rural communities
Policy recommendations report
Set of tools, procedures to adopt a community led innovation profile
Technical meetings with policy makers
Quality Monitoring Methodology
Quality Monitoring Reports
Best practices guide for more resilient and sustainable smart rural areas
Transferability Assessment Report
Follow up plan to ensure sustainability of results
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
Final Report

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyAdriaticIonianRegion EUSAIR’S mission is to connecting people and institutions to build a common understanding of cooperation for a harmonised, integrated and sustainable region. The vision is to joint multi-level solutions for common challenges towards a stronger Adriatic and Ionian region. Specifically connect with the PILLAR 3 : ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
-To contribute to the goal of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restore them in so far as feasible, by addressing threats to marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
The ADRURAL is a network of simultaneous local and regional hubs of knowledge with the proposed Smart Solutions and methodology and mainly with the Smart Solution Hub. This network will be supported and be alive with the implemented joint horizontal and vertical strategy of cooperation between the partners and all involved stakeholders. The horizontal implementation to ADRION-IONIAN region will span over distinct challenges related to rural innovation, economy, food security, biodiversity, and climate change, which are interrelated to each other, whereas the vertical will span over distinct spatial of rural communities regions over distinct ecosystems and food production systems
EuropeanGreenDeal The European Green Deal will improve the well-being and health of citizens and future generations. European Green Deal will improve the well-being and health of citizens and future generations by providing: fresh air, clean water, healthy soil and biodiversity healthy and affordable food cleaner energy and cutting-edge clean technological innovation longer lasting products that can be repaired, recycled and re-used future-proof jobs and skills training for the transition globally competitive and resilient industry.
ADRURAL is going to contribute and be related because it aims to improve the effectiveness of rural communities tackling the intense challenges they must face in ADRION IONIAN regions, by applying smart solutions, innovative tools & services. Rural areas in Adriatic-Ionian regions face some common societal and environmental challenges such as depopulation, brain-drain and ageing population, limited connectivity & access to public infrastructures & services. These are the most pressing challenges for rural citizens & SMEs. Besides, climate change, leading to more frequent extreme weather events, poses serious challenges for the resilience & the economy of rural communities. The key to unlock the full potential of rural areas & help them become more resilient, is by empowering these rural areas & increase the development of networks & clusters among partners, regions and enterprises to forming a multi-regional innovation system.
Other The long term Vision for the EU’s rural areas identifies the main challenges that rural areas are facing and highlights the opportunities that are available. ADRURAL aims to address the challenges faced by rural areas in the Adriatic- Ionian region, in order to enhance the resilience, sustainability and connectivity of these areas and eventually the quality of life of citizens living in rural targeted regions
Other ADRURAL will contribute to the New European Bauhaus by encouraging community-based innovation and community-led interventions, tailored for real contexts and problems, with the clear aim to promote well-being, of the local people. The project will connect with the New European Bauhaus movement and its vision to integrate the built and natural environment in new ways, with citizens as drivers of the process. Structures for citizen engagement in rural areas, as well as the development of new ways to value active citizenship, will be a major asset

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSAIR

EUSAIR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSAIR Degree of compliance:

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

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B IPA Adriatic-Ionian

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

2025-06-23

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

70 / 70 (100%)

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

638 / 638 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Empowering ADRION rural communities to innovate

Description

Thematic information

Partners (11)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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

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