The GRANULAR project just published five Living Lab cross-visit dossiers, offering a deep dive into innovative rural development strategies from its Multi-Actor Labs in France, Italy, Poland, Scotland, and Spain. These reports are the result of a collaborative four-year effort to generate new datasets, tools, and methods that empower place-based rural policies across the continent.
Each dossier captures the highlights, learnings, and practical insights from multi-day visits where researchers, local stakeholders, and decision-makers joined forces to tackle pressing rural challenges.
Key insights from local Europe
France: Mobility and access to services
Focusing on the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée region, this visit explored the use of big data and participatory methods to improve rural mobility. Highlights included visits to ethical vending machines for local products and discussions on leveraging digital tools to bridge the gap in healthcare access for sparsely populated mountain areas.
Italy: Sustainable tourism and overtourism management
In the Distretto Rurale Val di Cecina, participants analysed how to balance economic growth with environmental protection. The report showcases strategies like urban trekking, artisanal distillery projects that link forests to cities, and the use of forest certifications (PEFC) to ensure sustainable management of protected areas.
Poland: Strengthening short food supply chains
The West Pomeranian visit highlighted the power of social entrepreneurship and localism. Key case studies include biodynamic farming at Juchowo Farm and innovative food manufactories that support local entrepreneurs while maintaining traditional production methods.
Scotland: Decoding rural diversity through typologies
Held alongside the 6th European Rural Parliament in 2025, this visit focused on how rural areas are classifierd. It featured cutting-edge research from the James Hutton Institute, including digital twin mapping of research farms and the use of virtual reality to represent natural capital for better decision-making.
Spain: Innovation for territorial well-being
In Ourense (Galicia), the “Ourense Rural Bites” sessions explored how artificial intelligence and digital governance can revitalise aging populations. The dossier highlights successful models of territorial revitalisation and the integration of social and health innovation in rural environments.
A resource for decision-makers
These dossiers are practical guides for policy-makers and local leaders. By sharing real-world successes and challenges in key topics across European rural areas, GRANULAR continues to build a robust network of knowledge for a more resilient rural Europe, co-build with actors on the ground.
Explore the full dossiers and discover how these insights can be adapted to your territory.
