Vital Rural AreaisaEuropeanco-operationproject(2009-2014),comprising13projectpartnersfromsixNorthSeacountries,focusedonthestrengtheningofruralareas.ThecentralpartoftheprojectisformedbytheRural Power Pack,ageneralworkingmethodforsustainableregionaldevelopmentcreatedwithalargenumberofbestpracticepilotcasestudies.ThisRural Power PackprovidesaninteractivetoolboxtobeappliedinotherregionsthroughouttheEU27.

The main goal of the Vital Rural Area project is to developtransnational strategies to strengthen regional rural areasby finding new and innovative solutions to three main socio-economicalproblems,encounteredinmostruralareas:lackofeconomicdevelopmentandinnovation,negativeorinsufficientregionalpromotionanddownsizingoftheleveloraccessibilityofservicesandamenities.Theseproblemswereconvertedintothreemainchallenges:1. TheempowermentofSMEstowardsneweconomic

prospectsandinnovations2. brandingofregionsforprofessionalmarketing3. optimisingservices,formoreandbetteraccessibleservices

andamenities

Vital Rural Area’s 43 projects focused on one of these threemainissues,andcoveredoneormoreoftheseseventhemes:

Theprojectsevolved intobestpracticepilotcasestudies thathavebeendiscussedandimprovedandsometimestestedandimplementedinotherVitalregions.

The Co-operative Agreement Approach was used as anorganisation and process instrument that ensured thesustainableimplementationofprojectresults.

Developed alongside the delivery of ‘best practice’ projectresults, the Rural Power Pack is an integral and generalworkingmethod,thatcanbeappliedinmanysituationswherecommonly encountered problems or challenges are faced. Itconsistsofaproblemsolvingmethodologyincludingpracticaltoolsandinstruments.

THE RURAL POWER PACK

In the United Kingdom our partner is Norfolk County Council.TheyspecializeinseveraloftheVitalthemes,mostdominantlyin SME Empowerment and Education. Two outstanding bestpracticecaseshavebeenexecutedinVital:theprojectStimulatingInnovation and business growth in rural SMEs and the projectSTEPS:buildingaskilledandcompetentworkforce.TheideasanoutcomeofboththeseprojectswereadoptedandusedinotherVitalregionsandcanbeseenasincubatorprojects.

DISSEMINATION OF PROJECT RESULTS AND PARTNER SEARCH Ourprojectresultsandexperiencesarenowbeingdisseminatedthroughout other regions and EU-countries. We are searchingfornewregionalpartnerswhocancontributetheirexperiencesandideastoimproveourknowledgeonspecificsubjectsandtheRural Power Pack.Tofacilitatethisprocesswehaveintroduced‘country pages’ onourwebsite,maintainedby thepartners.AVirtual Meeting Room, containing a Skype conference facility,a live stream for connecting partners and a social mediacorner, facilitating webinars and master classes is now underconstruction.

UPCOMING WEBINARSUpcoming webinars using the Virtual Meeting Room will belaunchedinearly2014andfocusonthefollowing:1. The Innovation House concept introducing new partners

workingonstimulatingandconnectingyoungentrepreneurs (SimonSimonsen,scs@vejenkom.dk))2. E-learning development.Derivedfromtheprojectsalready

deliveredinVital(solarwaterheatingby“deFrieschePoort”and earth warmth by WAK, Husum), we are searching fornewpartners(fromknowledgeinstitutesandcompanies)todevelopnewe-modulesandtofindnewmarketsforregionalentrepreneurs

(LieuweFeenstra/PeterLaan,peter.laan@faro-advies.nl)3. Broadband implementation and applications. In several

Vital regions there is a vast experience on broadbandimplementation.Wearenowinvestigatingfutureperspectiveson optimal use of the broadband facility (services, care,education,entrepreneurship)

(SimonSimonsen,scs@vejenkom.dk).

We invite you to join us in these activities. Do not hesitate tocontactoneofustoshareyourknowledge.

EDUCATION BROADBAND & DIGITAL SERVICES

SME EMPOWERMENT

GOOD GOVERNANCE

COMMUNITYBUILDING

WELLBEING & LIFESTYLE

PROFILING & BRANDING

LOCAL/REGIONAL APPROACH

BEST PRACTICE PROJECTS

- Lessons learned / experiences- Applicabillity check- Sustainability check- Extension Of Knowledge By Exchange

THEMES AND CONTENTS

WORK PACKAGES1. SME EMPOWERMENT2. BRANDING3. SERVICES

THEMESEducationBroadband & Digital ServicesSme EmpowermentGood GovernanceCommunity BuildingWellbeing & lifestyleProfi le & Branding

METHODOLOGY

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT APPROACH

KEY PROJECTS

1. PROBLEM ANALYSIS2. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS3. EXECUTION OF PROJECT4. EXPERIENCES / RESULTS

1. PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES2. SOLUTIONS3. BARRIERS4. TOOLS

PRESENTATION

www.vitalruralarea.eu

INTERREG IV-B PROJECT VITAL RURAL AREA

Dr. Peter Laan, Project manager Vital Rural Area is anexperiencedprojectmanagerandruralexpert,whohasbeenworking with EU-programming including LEADER for more than20years.InVitalRuralArea,Peter-togetherwiththepartnership-developedtheRuralPowerPackanditsmethodologyandisresponsibleforthedisseminationoftheproject.Peter.laan@faro-advies.nl;+31642288961

PROJECT MANAGER VITAL RURAL AREA

INSPIRING EXAMPLES LOOKING FOR NEW PARTNERS AND CONNECTION TO OTHER RURAL WORKERS

1. THE INNOVATION HOUSE http://vitalruralarea.eu/sme-empowerment/24-sme-empowerment-and-enterpreneurship/55-37innovation-house

2. E-LEARNING FOR REGIONAL WORKERS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY http://vitalruralarea.eu/component/content/article/39-sme-empowerment-and-enterpreneurship/projects-sme-empowerment/ 156-e-learning-module-solar-water-heating-nl

3. BROADBAND-APPLICATIONS http://vitalruralarea.eu/broadband-digital-services/23-broadband-and-digital-services/138-20broadband-and-digital-services

Rural Power Pack methodology

PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES Lackofjobs,education,ambitionandpower

SOLUTIONS Aconcept/placetosupportSMEsandentrepreneurs

BARRIERS Cultureandhabits,politicsandtiming Moneyforinvestment

TOOLS SWOTanalysisforpreparation CasestudiesfromotherInnovationHouses

Rural Power Pack methodology

PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES Lackofknowledgeandeducation

SOLUTIONS Empowering of regional SMEs by providing them with training on newtechnologies

BARRIERS Attitudeandlackofambitionandknowledgeoninnovationprocesses

TOOLS E-modulesonthepracticalimplementationofdifferenttypesofrenewableenergyindifferentlanguages

Awebsite(www.educationer.eu)tobeusedinseveralcountries A European network of regional workers and institutes working on

renewableenergy

Rural Power Pack methodology

PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES Lackofinfrastructure,services,education

SOLUTIONS Fibrenetwork(FTTH)toeverybody Digitalservices,trainingprogrammes

BARRIERS Politics,regulations,(changeof)cultureandhabits Money(missingbroadbandinvestment)

TOOLS EU’s‘GuidetoBroadbandinvestment’ Business-casetool

The main objective of the Innovation House concept is for it to bean incubator to stimulate and support SME empowerment and entrepreneurship. The general idea is to gather different SMEs andentrepreneursininspiringsurroundings,collaboratingwithasupportingandinspiringstaff.Enterprisesinthehousewillhaveadistinctsenseofcommunityandmustbewilling toestablish linkswitheachother,butenterprisesoutsidearewelcometousetheservicesaswell.

The InnovationHousecannotexactlybecopied fromoneplaceoronecountrytoanother,butanumberofkeyelementscanbeidentifiedand

SMEs in the installation sector, especially the small ones with 1-15employees,lackknowledgeofthelatestinnovations.Thisisthoughttobeathreattotheirlongtermsurvival.ThemainobjectiveofthisprojectistoempowerexistingSMEsandestablishnewSMEsinruralareas,byprovidingtrainingin(new)technologiesonrenewableenergy.

The institute for vocational training Friese Poort (Leeuwarden, theNetherlands) combined with an experienced company in renewableenergy (Kenteq), was the first one to deliver an e-learningmodule forSolarWaterHeating.Thecourseisqualifiedtothehighstandardsoftheenergysector.Andavailableonthewebsitewww.educationer.eu,ready

Sincedistanceisalwaysakeyissueinruralareas,lackoffastbroadbandconnection is considered to be a major challenge for future growth,development and settlement in rural areas. Networks based on fibretechnology are therefore supposed to be a necessity to keep up lifequalityandcompanyperspectivesinthenearfuture.

TheVitalprojectperformed inVejenhasbecomea leadingexampleofbroadband application in Denmark and is mentioned as an exampleofbestpracticeby theEU-Commission.Next to that,otherbroadband

combinedinalocalsetting.Oneelementisahousewithdifferentsizedoffices,meetingfacilitiesandonemeetingroomequippedwithsupportforidea-generationandcreativity.

The original concept, developed in Vejen Kommun, was introducedand implemented in the Vital region of Lauwersland (Friesland, theNetherlands) and in Rogaland (Norway) in 2012 and 2013 and we arenowsearchingfornewpartnerswhohaveexperienceinthisfieldandarewillingtosharethiswithus.

foruseforboththedesignerandtheinstaller.

Simultaneously,WirtschaftsakademieSchleswig-Holstein(BüroHusum)deliveredacourseon theuseofEarthWarmth toemployeesofSMEsandstudentsattheAcademy.Thewebsitewww.educationer.euprovidesanexcellenttoolforaddingnewmodulestotheseries,dependingonthedemandsoftheregionorcountryinvolved.

Wearenowsearchingfornewpartnersthatworkinthefieldofinstallationtechnologyandrenewableenergy.

projectsbyVitalRuralAreapartnershavebeeninspiredbyexperiencefromtheDanishproject,andintheVitalRuralAreaproject,broadbandand ICT-applications have been the basis for many different pilotactivities.Theactualchallengeistodevelopandimplementnewapplicationsforfastbroadbandinservices,careissues,andeducation.Thetimeisripetocapitaliseonthefacilitiesthatcanbenefitfromfastbroadband,resultinginsavingmoneyforlongerperiodsandthereforeopeningopportunitiestomaintainanddevelopqualityandaccessibilityofbasicservices.

INTERREG IV-B PROJECT VITAL RURAL AREA

www.vitalruralarea.eu