Small & connected is beautiful: Fostering digital inclusion and innovation through Rural/Micro Hubs - 14PL21703

Digital inclusion and innovation in Europe's peripheral and rural areas is being fostered by growing networks of local 'hubs' that offer their communites and stakeholders gateways to digital services and opportunities.

These hubs are building communities of individuals, business, the public sector and NGOs, creating environments to co-develop the products, services and skills needed to better manage the digital transformation of their territories and actively include them as players in the process of Europe's digital and societal evolution.

These hubs are the cornerstones of local Digital Innovation Ecosystems or DIGEMs, where they compensate for the lack of density of public, community and business networks or services by strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration to optimise sparse resources, prioritise digital inclusion and engage all stakeholders in service design and implementation.

Rural and Micro-Hubs, their digital mediators, brokers and intermediaries have both thematic and territory-serving functions. Through wider hub networks they are able to share or co-develop skills and resources multiplying their impact and reach. They map, evaluate and match territorial needs and assets with digital innovation products and providers, enabling all stakeholders from entrepreneurs to seniors to be Digital Innovation Ecosystems players and beneficiaries.