RELOCAL Case Study “Smart Country Side Ostwestfalen-Lippe” in the national debate

On January 23 and February 28, 2019, ILS Researcher Sabine Weck presented and discussed results from the RELOCAL case study “Smart Country Side Ostwestfalen-Lippe”, which uses digital tools for improving quality of life and social cohesion in 16 participating villages, on two occasions at German national-level events.

The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) started a range of initiatives to maintain rural areas as attractive and vibrant places to live and work. Amongst others, the BMEL annually hosts the International Green Week in Berlin. During this year’s event, an expert forum discussed the role of citizen engagement and digitalisation for rural development, whereby the RELOCAL case study “Smart Country Side” received attention from a broad audience.

Four weeks later, at the bi-annually national event of the Leibniz Association (WGL), organised by an association of German spatial research institutes (5R-Network) in Berlin, Sabine Weck presented results of the  “Smart Country Side” case study and discussed it with an audience of more than 100 researchers and political stakeholders.