NewEcoSmart: A pioneering initiative to revive rural areas and empower adults 45+

Purpose | In 2019, the President of the European Commission recognised the rural areas as a fundamental aspect of Europe’s identity and economic potential, underscoring the need to preserve and foster them for future growth (DG for Communication & von der Leyen, 2020). Digital and green transition and social innovation can enhance the sustainable development of these areas, but for that, it is crucial to invest in upskilling and reskilling the population. For instance, in 2021, only 20% of the inhabitants of rural areas had above-basic digital skills (EU Digital Skills Divide: Cities Outpace Rural Areas - Eurostat, n.d.).The NewEcoSmart (NES) project is totally aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially goals 4, 8 and 9 (United Nations, n.d.). This project, funded by the European Social Fund, aims to create an inclusive social innovation approach to upskill adults 45+, micro firms and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas, helping them adapt to the twin transitions in their jobs or find new opportunities in habitat-related sectors. This initiative also promotes social entrepreneurial skills and mindsets that support the adoption of circular and socially responsible business models. Methodology/Approach | NES holistic approach will equip the target groups with the skills to excel in their workplaces, while also assisting them in exploring new prospects within the Habitat-related sectors. For that, a tailored intervention will be developed and tested in three pilot sites, in Portugal, Spain and Italy, according to the specific needs of each territory. To develop this approach, the project started by conducting skills needs analysis of 45+ adults and SMEs in the pilot sites, researching for good practices that could be useful in these territories and co-design solutions. This will allow the creation of specific training content adapted to different levels of expertise, which will be tested through six months in the pilots. Moreover, the pilots will assess if the NES framework improves inclusiveness and the participants' quality of life, based on quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Expected Results | The project will develop and deploy a digital transformation toolkit for social economy actors, 45+ adults and SMEs to embrace social innovation and the twin transition. Furthermore, as expanding the NewEcoSmart Ecosystem is another goal of the project, a community of stakeholders will be created, to discuss and discover new social innovation approaches that can be implemented in these rural areas which can promote green and digital transition, economic resilience and helping to close the gap between cities and rural spaces in Europe. Its final aim is to breed a new generation of tech-savvy social entrepreneurs that revitalise rural areas, with long-term impact in key strategic value chains for a more resilient Habitat industrial sector.