DESIRA: Digitalization - Economic and social impact in rural regions

H2020 DESIRA – Digitalisation: Economic and social impact in rural regions

DESIRA is a Horizon 2020 project coordinated by the University of Pisa, which includes 25 other organisations (research institutes, NGOs, entrepreneurs), forming a broad, comprehensive interdisciplinary consortium.

The DESIRA project aims to improve the political structure and the capacity of society to respond adequately to the challenges that will arise in rural areas as a result of the digitalization of agriculture and forestry in the next 10 years. To achieve this goal, we want to create a knowledge and methodological base that will increase the ability of a wide range of individuals to identify past, present and future socio-economic influencing factors (including gender differences) in IT-related innovations, in order to further assign greater responsibility for research and innovation in future research, business and user habits and policies, as well as to offer mechanisms and tools that will assist decision-making in relation to the various challenges and opportunities arising from digitalization.

Currently, when talking about digitalization, the opportunities it creates are mainly highlighted. At the same time, the threats posed by digitalization are ignored or inadequately assessed. DESIRA aims to reduce the knowledge gap in the socio-economic field caused by the digitalization of agriculture, forestry, and rural areas. The project provides a comprehensive assessment of both opportunities and threats, taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals as a reference point.

DESIRA will achieve its objectives by mobilizing local business networks, citizen groups, public authorities, Digital Leaders, farmers, as well as media and academics, organizing them in 20 live practice labs and one EU-level rural digital forum.