Smart Mountain Villages

Environmental concerns, economic recession and the Covid-19 pandemic crisis are threatening rural societies. To sustain rural communities, in 2017 the EU launched the Smart Village Initiative and the European Commission published the EU Action for Smart Villages document. Smart Villages aim to amend both services and business activities for improving the quality of life of citizens, by relying on social innovation and digital technologies. Smartization can be seen as a flywheel to foster local economy and enhance the resilience of villages as socio-ecological systems. In mountain areas, however, smartization faces a number of constraints, including of the geographical and cultural context and adequate investments. This focus session aims to become a platform for discussing Smart Villages, its application in different European mountain ranges (Alps, Carpathian and Caucasus) and assessing future research and operative directions. Examples of technological and social innovation actions and lessons learned from case studies are welcome.