After many years of working together, the two Interreg projects CORA and COM³ have come to an end. Together with partners from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany, aconium GmbH developed measures, guidelines and training solutions that enable citizens, small and medium-sized enterprises and administrations in the North Sea region to identify their common challenges and acquire the necessary digital skills. In this way, local stakeholders are empowered across countries to use new technologies in the long term and finally overcome the digital divide in the region’s rural areas.
On June 21, 2023, stakeholders met for a final joint closing conference of the Interreg projects COM³ and CORA. After more than seven years, both projects are coming to an end this June. Together with the lead partner Intercommunale Leiedal, Belgium, aconium GmbH coordinated the project, communication and financial management activities and was involved in the development of the project methodology and training solutions in collaboration with the scientific partners.
The joint journey began in 2017 with the CORA project. The aim was to connect local authorities so that they could identify common challenges and create innovative solutions for a future-proof digital environment. It also provided measures to improve digital literacy. This work was continued as part of the COM³ project. In recent years, the CORA and COM³ projects have developed various instruments to support digitalization in the European regions:
- The partners developed and tested the CORA model for digital transformation. According to this model, a digital infrastructure, skills and services are needed for a future-proof digital region. The CORA partners have developed a series of measures to support municipalities in their digital transformation. Both the model and the measures are available online at https://ruraldigital.eu/model.
- The partners developed and tested the COM³ model, which helps municipalities, regions and economic development organizations to strengthen local businesses and create a digital ecosystem in rural areas.
- On the joint learning platform, you can test your digital maturity level, be inspired by stories from the partner regions and improve your skills with online training modules.
At the final conference, the participants shared their experiences from the project activities and discussed the possibilities for future collaboration.