Smart Countryside – better services in rural areas by using digitalisation and experiments

Digitalisation and urbanisation have drawn a great wave of attention and numerous projects and studies on Smart City. However, there hasn’t been a similar wave of attention in the countryside, even though digitalisation might have a greater impact there where the distances are longer, volumes smaller and the pace of service structural change quicker. MDI, Spatia, Finnish Environment Institute and University of Vaasa conducted a study on the current state, opportunities, international practices and service user views on digital services in rural areas. The results will be used in preparing of the experiments beginning in 2017. The project was part of the implementation of the Government Plan for Analysis, Assessment and Research for 2016 and is steered by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Project’s Smart Countryside – Developing and diversification of rural areas’ services by using digitalisation and experiments phases and results (in Finnish, Summary in English) are reported on site www.mdi.fi/smartcountryside.