– I am pleased that our consortium’s project has been recognised by the National Centre for Research and Development – says Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology. – We intend to develop a systemic approach to issues that have not yet been addressed scientifically, together with tools that will genuinely make rural areas smart and turn them into modern, people-friendly communities. I would like to thank Minister Stefan Krajewski and Marshal Łukasz Prokorym for trusting Bialystok University of Technology as a research and development institution capable of undertaking such a task. We have involved specialists from a wide range of disciplines represented at our university. Our ambition is for the project results to be scalable at least nationwide. As part of this project, we will develop a set of tools that will be further applied and implemented on a broad scale.
The RURALSTRAT project, “Framework and directions for implementing the smart village concept in national and regional development policies”, aims to develop modern tools and effective social, governance and technological solutions for smart villages.
– Among the most important problems faced by rural residents are depopulation, demographic decline and population ageing – says Prof. Joanicjusz Nazarko, DSc, PhD, Eng., Head of the R&D component of the project from the International Chair of Logistics and Service Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering Management of Bialystok University of Technology. – In addition, there are transport difficulties, limited access to medical specialists, as well as lower digital competences, which hinder effective functioning in an increasingly complex world.
In the Podlaskie Voivodeship, many municipalities are at risk of permanent marginalisation. Therefore, they urgently require modern development policies that respond to the realities of the 21st century.
– This project will support the development of our region, the search for new technologies and the development of rural areas – says Łukasz Prokorym, Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. – It also aligns with the implementation of the concept of the right to stay, meaning the right for leaving one’s place of residence to always be the result of a free decision, and not of a lack of employment, education, or access to public and healthcare services.
The content lead of RURALSTRAT is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
– One can do nothing and complain that nothing is happening, or one can look for challenges and projects to participate in – says Stefan Krajewski, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. – We are striving to use the latest technological advances and solutions to make life in rural areas easier and better, to support sustainable development of the country and to reach what should be accessible to everyone. We have a chance for record-level funding, nearly EUR 50 billion, which may be allocated to the development of Polish agriculture, rural areas and agri-food processing, strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the sector. This is one of those milestone steps – defining our needs, tasks and objectives, and then preparing strategies that will be translated into concrete programmes and interventions. I am very pleased with this cooperation. This is an example of how forces can be combined: government, local authorities and science working together to develop concrete solutions that will serve us all.
The research partner of Bialystok University of Technology is the Łukasiewicz Research Network – ITECH Institute of Innovation and Technology.
– I am pleased that the results of this work will contribute to the development of as much as 93% of Poland’s territory, which is covered by rural areas – says Katarzyna Jodko-Piórecka, PhD, Eng., Deputy Director for Research at ITECH. – A smart, sustainable and green countryside requires mechanisms, tools and the use of competences that already exist in rural areas. The smart village concept is relatively new, dating back about 10 years. As the Institute of Innovation and Technology, we aim to contribute our research, foresight analyses and legal framework analyses, and I hope that the results of this work will benefit not only the region but also the entire country. Bialystok University of Technology is for us a gateway to the Podlaskie region, so I am very pleased that we are now forming a bridge between science, local government institutions, government bodies and the scientific community. I also hope that through the Łukasiewicz Research Network there will be links with business, because if we are to implement smart solutions, they should also be manufactured in Poland at the highest possible level.
The project includes 16 tasks. Applied research, development work and activities preparing for implementation will be carried out. These include an analysis of the foundations of the smart village concept, an assessment of modern technologies and services for rural areas, preparation of a catalogue of recommended solutions, as well as the development of a pilot project and implementation proposals at national and regional levels. Training activities and broad dissemination of results are also planned.
The RURALSTRAT project will be carried out over three years under the Strategic Programme for Scientific Research and Development Works “Social and economic development of Poland in the context of globalising markets” (GOSPOSTRATEG).
Author: Jerzy Doroszkiewicz
