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the full story

Vital Rural Area (short: Vital) is an European co-operation project of 13 project partners from six North Sea countries in the framework of the European Regional Development Fund ERDF, especially the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme. Leadpartner is NOFA, the co-operation between the Dutch Municipalities of Achtkarspelen, Dantumadiel, Dongeradeel and Kollumerland c.a. in the Province of Fryslân. The project is
supported and advised by a scientific group.


Vital Rural Area is a European co-operation project (2009-2014) of 13 project partners from six North Sea countries on the reinforcement of rural areas.  

The project tries to find transnational strategies to fortify regional rural areas by finding new and innovative solutions to three main socio-economical problems, encountered in most rural areas, being: a lack of economic development and innovation, negative or insufficient exposure of the region and downsizing in the level or the accessibility of services and amenities. These problems were turned into three main challenges:

Vital Rural Area is a European co-operation project (2009-2014) of 13 project partners from six North Sea countries on the reinforcement of rural areas.  

The project tries to find transnational strategies to fortify regional rural areas by finding new and innovative solutions to three main socio-economical problems, encountered in most rural areas, being: a lack of economic development and innovation, negative or insufficient exposure of the region and downsizing in the level or the accessibility of services and amenities. These problems were turned into three main challenges:

1)         The empowerment of SMEs towards new economical prospects and innovations

2)         branding of the region, towards a professional exposure

3)         optimizing services, towards more and better accessible services and amenities

The projects performed in Vital Rural Area were bound to either one of these three main issues. In a later stage the projects evolved into best practice pilot cases that have been discussed and improved and sometimes tested and implemented in other Vital regions. Underlying all projects the Co-operative Agreement Approach was used as an organisation and process instrument that ensures the sustainable implementation of project results.  

Built up along the delivery of ‘best practice’ project results the Rural Power Pack was developed, an integral and general working method that can be applied in lots of situations where commonly encountered problems or challenges are faced. It consists of a problem solving methodology including tools and instruments that can be used in lots of situations. 

 

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE BY WORKING TOGETHER FOR
A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPETITIVE REGION

The project tries to find transnational strategies to fortify regional areas and addresses, therefore, in three content-
related and strongly inter-connected workpackages (WPs) three major themes connected to regional development:

  •      empowerment of SMEs, towards new economical prospects and innovations
  •      branding of the region, towards a professional exposure of regions
  •      optimizing services, towards more and better accessible services and amenities

On the basis of the pilots, activities and experiences in the work packages, the project has gradually developed, implemented and tested a , transferable, generic working method for sustainable projects on regional development: the rural power pack RPP. Following the design of the RPP, the 45 pilots have been regrouped into the 7 main themes covered on the Vital website.
The RPP, as well as the resulting policy ideas, has been disseminated and communicated at EU and national level and to other European Regions, by a mobile implementation team in the last year of the project and through (virtual) meetings with other projects. After finalisation of the last (dissemination) activities in August/September 2015, the project was closed by December 2015.

The results of the project have been summarised in the final Newsletter 10.  Currently several projects are being developed or ongoing, covering themes such as “Smart branding”, participative communities, and “green” economy.