Digitalisation as a Challenge for Smart Villages: The Case of Poland

Rural areas face several development challenges. Some lead to rural decline—such as depopulation—and others are intended to counteract this by revitalising the countryside—such as digitalisation. These two processes are on the agenda of the European Union’s new rural development concept, smart villages. The study aims to identify the spatial differentiation of the digitalisation challenge in Polish rural areas. An attempt was made to operationalise two aspects of this challenge—access to fast Internet and digital competence. The subject of the analysis covered rural areas in Poland at the municipal level. The temporal scope of the study is defined by two approaches—static and dynamic. The first aims to show the state of the ‘here and now’, while the second aims to identify the change intensity. Methods of multivariate comparative analysis were used, resulting in hierarchical classifications of municipalities. The results show significant regional differentiation. Municipalities with predominantly ageing populations face greater difficulties in adopting new digital technologies. Overcoming these disparities will be key to improving the quality of life and resilience of rural communities. The study results provide evidence to justify the need for place-based targeted digital investments under the smart villages programmes.