Natália Machado, Project Director at SHINE 2Europe, participated in the first edition of the FUTURAL European Rural Innovation Forum (EU-RIF), a key event fostering connections, knowledge-sharing, and policy discussions on smart community-led innovation, the future of rural regions, and post-2027 EU policies. SHINE 2Europe was invited to contribute to the session “Networking & Building Synergies with Other Rural Innovators”, where Natália presented the NewEcoSmart communities and results, while also highlighting the upcoming Terra.Game initiative and some successful stakeholder engagement strategies from the GUARDIANS project.
The highlight of the session was on NewEcoSmart, discussing smart solutions for rural sustainability. NewEcoSmart is an innovative project promoting sustainable and digital transformation in rural areas and Natália shared key insights into the challenges, success factors, and lessons learned from NewEcoSmart, demonstrating how innovation can empower rural communities and support the green transition.
Terra.Game, an initiative that recently won FUTURAL’s Open Call, was also showcased, recognising its potential to drive digital inclusion and rural innovation in the lifelong education and training area. The project uses gamification to enhance digital skills, particularly among vulnerable groups, reinforcing the importance of interactive and accessible learning methods in rural development. Natália also presented some GUARDIANS’ project valuable insights into stakeholder engagement and co-creation methodologies, highlighting the importance of involving diverse actors in the innovation process.
The discussion emphasised how tailored approaches, combining digital tools, co-working spaces, and in-person engagement, can empower rural businesses and communities.
Summarising, we can say that the project’s success lies in its adaptive strategies, ensuring solutions meet local needs while fostering long-term resilience.
The forum reinforced that one-size-fits-all approaches do not work in rural innovation. Instead, success depends on:
- Flexible, localized strategies that adapt to different community needs.
- Balancing digital platforms with physical collaboration spaces (e.g., co-working hubs).
- Strong stakeholder involvement to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.
Natália Machado stated: “FUTURAL Rural Innovation Forum was a fantastic opportunity to strengthen synergies between projects like NewEcoSmart, Terra.Game, and GUARDIANS. The discussions confirmed that rural innovation succeeds on collaboration, adaptability, and human-centered solutions—principles that guide SHINE 2Europe’s work. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate with other rural changemakers!”