The project addresses the issue of limited access to healthcare services in nine villages on the Devetaki Plateau.

Health services in this rural area are difficult to access due to poor organisation and a lack of public transport. This particularly affects the inhabitants of the nine villages, but also tourists. It impedes social inclusion, demographic growth and local economic development. In addition to limited access to healthcare, a lack of knowledge and expertise means that people travel to see their GP unnecessarily, putting extra pressure on doctors.

To address these issues, Sevlievo Municipality and the Devetaki Plateau Association (DPA) held co-creation workshops with stakeholders to develop a Smart Innovation Package (SIP). The SIP includes a user-friendly telemedicine tool for delivering health services remotely, enabling patients to consult doctors, receive diagnoses and monitor their health without visiting a hospital. This will improve access to medical care, particularly in remote areas, and enable a faster emergency response. The package also provides information and lectures on the most common diseases in rural areas, as well as advice on healthy living, food and the use of natural products.

Municipalities, NGOs and medical associations can adapt and use this model if they:
1. ensure the participation of all stakeholders
2. establish partnerships
3. plan activities in advance.
4. perform tests.

Benefits for end users:
- The elderly and families with children benefit from more accessible health services.
- Tourists get faster access to information and responses in the event of injury or accidents.
- General practitioners and specialists experience less pressure.
- The community has access to systematic, user-friendly information.

The main costs are related to coordination and setting up the digital infrastructure, but these can be minimised through partnerships and public funding.

• Devetaki Plateau, Central North Bulgaria website
• News on local workshops to co-design a Smart Innovation Package
• News on SIP CO-CREATION WORKSHOP IN KRAMOLIN
• SIP CO-CREATION WORKSHOP IN BRESTOVO AND KARPACHEVO

The dairy supply chain in Val di Sole is vital for the local economy, yet it is confronted with challenges such as generational turnover, limited market access, and the difficulty of demonstrating the value of its products. The SMART ERA project strengthens the connection between farmers, the local area, and the community by integrating the dairy sector with other vital local industries through a collective narrative supported by digital tools. This enhances the value of products and farmers' roles, thereby increasing competitiveness and sustainability. The project introduces innovative solutions that combine digitalisation, quality research, and direct sales. These include integrated traceability systems, mobile apps, blockchain technology for certifying data, producer dashboards and digital storytelling, which communicate the value of the work, boosting visibility and trust. Practices such as traceability, youth and school engagement, and cultural valorisation are planned in order to strengthen networking and collaboration across sectors. This replicable model blends tradition and innovation to improve profitability, sustainability and community cohesion. Local mayors, the Bruno Kessler Foundation and the Umse Territorial Cohesion Unit of the Autonomous Province of Trento are leading the process, which involves around twenty local stakeholders.

Recommendations: use digital tools to tell the story of farmers’ work and communicate product value in order to increase visibility and trust; implement traceability in order to enhance transparency along the supply chain; engage with young people and schools in order to spread knowledge and enhance cultural identity; strengthen networking between agriculture, tourism and education; support direct sales models in order to increase profitability and autonomy; and promote a replicable model that combines tradition and innovation.

Surrounded by the Tramuntana mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea, the Valley of Sóller is a rural territory that relies heavily on tourism, but also on agriculture (especially with the production of citrics and olives), as main economic drivers. The high seasonality of these sectors, combined with a high degree of tourism massification and a decline of the traditional agricultural sector, are generating important socioeconomic issues. This is exacerbated by a brain drain phenomenon, causing negative demographic growth, and by poor digitalisation and lack of data sharing in the region: connectivity is still a major issue; low offer of digital services by municipality and local companies; lack of knowledge and competences in technology and innovation of local stakeholders; limited availability of data, and extremely low level of data-sharing and integration between local stakeholders.

The project aims to address these challenges through digitalisation of the local industrial ecosystem, and through the implementation of digital services and activities that contribute to improving the sustainable development of the town while retaining the local population and enhancing the coexistence between residents and tourists. In particular, the project aims to foster data sharing between the tourism and agricultural sectors, enabling the monitoring of key indicators, the identification of new products, services and business models that could contribute to diversification of the local economy and a better distribution all year-round. As such, a data platform will be implemented for stakeholders to share their data, and specific training programmes will be implemented to upskill local workforce and raise knowledge and awareness on digitalization, innovation, and sustainability, among others. This will contribute to increasing the digital literacy of the population, and to ensuring the success and uptake of the digital services to be provided within the municipality.

• Website of MesCultura
• SIP Workshop Video by AnySolution

The project addresses the need for flexible, inclusive and sustainable transport in rural communities with ageing populations and poor connectivity. In places such as Šmarje and Padna, elderly residents, young people, and non-drivers struggle to access services, while local producers lack visibility and face logistical challenges. Traditional transport options are limited, and digital exclusion exacerbates these issues.

Through co-creation workshops, the community has designed an on-demand mobility service that is coordinated by a local NGO and supported by municipalities, the university, and citizens. This solution combines a user-friendly mobile app with local operators and volunteers, providing links to essential services such as schools, health centres, farms, and tourist attractions. It also incorporates elements of the circular economy, such as connections to agri-tourism and local food delivery services. Community trust is built through shared ownership, local engagement, and transparency.

Practical implications:
Rural practitioners, municipalities and SMEs can replicate this model using a simple process.
Identify key user needs (e.g. elderly people or producers).
Involve users via participatory design.
Build a local partnership network.
Use open-source or low-cost digital tools.
Start small and scale up gradually.

Benefits:
- Greater mobility and independence for the elderly and young people.
- Better visibility and sales channels for farmers.
- Local job creation and digital inclusion
Strengthened community bonds

Costs and coordination:
The initial setup includes coordination (approx. €10,000 per year) and the development of a digital tool (€5,000–€15,000). These costs can be reduced through voluntary contributions and funding from public sources (e.g. rural development and social innovation). The target population is up to 500 residents, with 30 plus regular users expected in the first phase.

• Sredisce Rotuda Facebook page
• LinkedIN page of Središče Rotunda
• Središče Rotunda official webpage with the informations regarding SMART ERA pro…
• Šmarje (Municipality of Koper)
• Padna (Municipality of Piran)

Poliedra, in cooperation with all project partners, has tried to meet the need of having a standardised way to assess the level of smartness, defined as the level of digital maturity or readiness, of rural and mountain areas. A standardised norm exists does exist to assess the smartness of cities and communities (namely ISO standard 37122:2019), but no such norm exists for rural areas. SESAM's development started from a  literature review of smartness assessment methods, both qualitative and quantitative, and from the careful evaluation of ISO standard 37122:2019. As a general structure, SESAM has both a qualitative and a quantitative path, aiming to clarify the needs and expectations of rural areas in terms of digital transition, and quantifying them. The project's rural areas have tested SESAM at different levels, and have found it user friendly and flexible enough for their scope: those who wanted a general overview could make use of only the qualitative path, whereas those who wanted a more thorough assessment could delve more deeply in the evaluation of a selected smartness indicators. SESAM's quantitative path is composed of six dimensions of smartness: from Enabling Factors to Economy, from Governance & Policies to Mobility & Transport, from Environment & Climate to Services to the populations. SESAM's qualitative path includes a survey on the relevance , for each rural area, of the dimensions listed above, as well as the possibility of emotional mapping, which gauges the emotional response of local populations to various aspects and features of their own area. SESAM has been designed to allow rural and mountain areas to assess, qualitatively and/or quantitatively, their own level of digital maturity and/or readiness, which help them in setting priorities for their own community-led digital transitions.

• Deliverable 2.1 "Smartness Assessment methodology"

Northern Ostrobothnia is a largely rural region of Finland facing demographic and structural challenges. Many areas are experiencing population decline and limited access to services, which is putting pressure on local businesses. The ageing population and the centralisation of services have made it more difficult for residents, particularly the elderly and those without private transport, to access everyday services. At the same time, rural entrepreneurs often struggle to reach new customers and traditional channels may no longer suffice. However, digitalisation and the rise of remote working present new opportunities to invigorate local economies and communities.

Against this backdrop, a centrally operated digital service platform is being developed and tested in the municipalities of Alavieska, Kalajoki, and Nivala. The platform connects local service providers from various sectors, such as tourism operators, cultural organisations, and care services, more efficiently with residents, remote workers, and visitors. Rather than offering services itself, the platform functions as a digital meeting point where supply and demand can more easily match. Inspired by services such as Airbnb and Uber, this model is tailored to local needs and is available for use by small-scale entrepreneurs and communities.

Workshops with residents and service providers have revealed strong interest in easier access to local services and better visibility for providers. The platform's key characteristics include ease of use, safety, access to up-to-date information, and a diverse range of services. Providers benefit from increased reach and visibility at a low cost, while users gain convenient access to relevant services. Social cohesion and local networks are recognised as strengths to build upon.

Development will continue in 2025, with pilot implementation planned for 2026. The model is scaleable and can support rural economies, entrepreneurship and quality of life in other regions.

• Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland website
• Municipality of Alavieska website
• City of Kalajoki website
• City of Nivala website

Situation: East Herzegovina is a south-eastern micro-region of Bosnia and Herzegovina centred on the city of Trebinje, comprising seven smaller municipalities. Geographically and climatically, the region can be divided into two areas: Lower Herzegovina, with an altitude of less than 500m and a Mediterranean climate; and Upper Herzegovina, with an altitude of more than 500m and a mountain climate. The region's biodiversity is very rich, with numerous endemic species. East Herzegovina is an unspoilt region boasting outstanding landscapes, a rich cultural and historical heritage, and unique gastronomy. However, it is the least populated region in the country, with only 15.26 inhabitants per km² (Institute of Statistics of the Republic of Srpska, 2017). This trend has worsened to the point where it could be called an exodus. Highly educated people, as well as the younger reproductive population, are leaving the region. This disrupts the age structure and leads to depopulation.

Solution: The application of SIPs (Smart Innovative Packages) will raise the profile of East Herzegovina as a rural tourism destination on the global map. A digital platform will be developed containing an interactive map showing cultural and historical sites, households offering tourist services, tourist information and guides. It will also provide information on local events and activities as well as customisable itineraries. It will be the first local platform to process the tourist offerings of regional rural areas.

The platform will increase:                                                                                                                                                             
1) the region's visibility,
2) the number of visitors,
3) the income of small-scale producers of local products.

The cultural, natural and gastronomic heritage will be digitalised by involving the most knowledgeable and vulnerable groups: young people and rural women.

• Slow Food Trebinje Herzegovina website
• Slow Food Trebinje Herzegovina Facebook page
• Tourist Board of Republic of Srpska website
• Slow Food International Ark of Taste product from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Article: Cheese in a sac: exploring history, production area and production pro…
• Tourist Board of Trebinje website
• Tourist Board of Bileća Facebook page
• Tourist Board of Gacko Facebook page
• Tourist Board of Nevesinje website
• Tourist Board of Kalinovik website
• The most beautiful village Bratač Facebook page
• Book: Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in the Balkans

Designing and implementing socio-technical innovations to tackle rural development issues is a complex and multifaceted process. The EU-funded SMART ERA project addresses this challenge by empowering local communities to actively engage in creating innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs. A co-design toolkit has been developed to involve local stakeholders in creating Smart Innovation Packages (SIPs)—customised solutions combining both technological and non-technological components to address rural challenges. To support this process, the toolkit identifies key 'ingredients'—social, economic, technological, political, and infrastructural elements—essential for designing effective interventions.  The co-design toolkit includes both analog and digital components.

The analog toolkit includes ingredient information cards, reflection prompts, support canvases, and a visual progress tracking board. These resources encourage critical reflection on rural communities' needs, available resources, and transformative capacities.

The digital component complements the analog tool by providing real-time monitoring, asynchronous collaboration, and gamified engagement. It integrates a digital version of the tracking board, visual feedback, and recognition mechanisms, allowing communities to co-create SIPs in a flexible environment.

By combining digital efficiency with analog strengths, the toolkit enhances accessibility, participatory governance, and community resilience, contributing to sustainable rural development and autonomous rural initiatives.

Practical implications: The co-design toolkit is offered to organisations who steer the community engagement processes to help them guide sessions with rural communities and help them assess their needs, resources, and desired solutions through co-design workshops, inter-sectoral dialogue, and creative envisioning. Currently supported languages are Bulgarian, English, Finnish, Italian, Serbian, Slovenian and Spanish.

• Deliverable D3.1 "SIP Co-Design Toolkit"