vitality is the philosophy

from brawn to brain…

The Vital Rural Area project partners’ rural economies were traditionally based around SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in farming, fishing, food production and other manufacturing industries. That type of work was mainly manual – education was less important than physical ability.

However, today, this is gradually being replaced by the ‘knowledge economy’ and service industries, such as care and wellbeing. This transition, also caused by the need for a more sustainable development, has had a big impact on rural areas. Modern communication and transport has attracted new residents with a different mind-set. But also the existing population has started to develop new attitudes. Because of this the inhabitants of rural regions have more opportunities than ever before.

 
…with old and new needs

This transformation of our rural communities has put an enormous pressure on local shops, banks, post offices, libraries and even public transport. New needs emerge, old needs disappear, but not for everybody at the same time. People that are still dependent on the old local services, who are less capable of using modern facilities and cannot find a job in the ‘knowledge economy’, are in a challenging position. The new opportunities are knowledge intensive and require a different infrastructure. Accessibility by car, availability of broadband, new ways to distribute goods and services, and new types of governance are key factors in the wellbeing of a large percentage of the rural population.

learning from each other

The main aim of the Vital Rural Area project partners is to learn from each other how to grasp new opportunities and how to take care of the groups that are losing ground.

The key theme of our knowledge exchange will not be ‘how can we maintain old structures’, but ‘how can we develop and enhance new structures’, while finding solutions for those who are less flexible and have fewer options.

Vital Rural Area’s three work packages, support for existing and new SMEs, regional branding and marketing, and improving access to and the quality of services, will be developed with this transition in mind.



Modern SMEs are knowledge intensive and tend to deliver services rather than manufacture products. They are increasingly lifestyle based. Quality of living is important when choosing a location. SMEs are less focussed on industrial sites, but on locations with good residential areas. At the same time they expect modern infrastructure, including communications, to be available.

The image and quality of a region plays an important role in their choice of location. Accessibility, image and quality also largely determine the destination choice, also for residents and tourists.

It is from this perspective that the project partners hope to learn from each other, in order to enhance the opportunities of the rural population: vitality is the philosophy.