Online CORA partner meeting
2020-05-12
CORA partners will meet online to discuss progress, outcomes and look into the future activities of the CORA project – where we are and what is ahead of us.

Governmental Day Workshop
2020-12-02
The “Governmental Day” Workshop is an interactive platform for broadband stakeholders in the EU with a strong focus on challenges of the rural digital divide faced by local, regional and national authorities. At the workshop, we a) inform about the EU and Member States broadband and digitisation policies, b) exchange on strategies, approaches and solutions that support digitisation process, as well as c) consolidate a robust broadband stakeholder community.

Integrated Digital Transformation: Joint conference of Interreg projects
2021-06-02 10:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Berlin)
2 June 2021 marked the “Integrated Digital Transformation” conference featuring six Interreg projects. CORA, COM³, Futures By Design, GrowIn 4.0, CUPIDO and SMARTVillages combined their forces for the “Integrated Digital Transformation”. More than 90 participants exchanged experiences in our regions and looked into future opportunities.
You can revisit the Integrated Digital Transformation conference by watching the full recording or separate sessions available on CORA YouTube channel. Check also the agenda for further details and download the presentations of the speakers.

Ms Hilde Crevits, Flemish minister of Economy, Innovation and Social economy welcomed to the conference. At the event, project partners and stakeholders discussed the findings with the partners from other projects and learn about the results of likeminded European projects in the neighbouring fields and regions.

We looked at the transformation model focusing on Digital Infrastructure, Services and Skills (CORA), explored the state of data readiness of SMEs in selected regions (Futures by Design), discussed the Human Resource Management 4.0 portfolio for SME’s (GrowIn 4.0), heared about building communities around digitalisation of businesses (COM³), learned how to connect museums with audiences in new and safe ways (CUPIDO) and got acquainted with a digital exchange platform (SmartVillages). In addition, we will got a glimpse of the future activities planned in the North Sea Region Interreg Programme (JS) and debated on where we go next. Check the conference agenda for further details.
This event was a splendid collaboration between projects and people. Let’s continue to work together on the digital transformation!

Workshop 1: Integrated Strategy, KPIs and Funding
2022-10-27 13:00 - 16:10 | Online
The CORA online workshop series on digital transformation in rural areas sensitised and inspired the attendees, provided them with practical knowledge and concrete guidelines on different topics of the digital transformation in rural areas in the North Sea Region. The attendees met and exchanged with experts and stakeholders and gained knowledge on practical ways of approaching the digital transformation in a municipality. The workshops were free and open to everyone interested. Check the overview and details for all six CORA online workshops on digital transformation in rural areas.
The Workshop 1 “Integrated Strategy, KPIs and Funding” on 27 October 2022 (13:00 – 16:10) provided insight into why a digital transformation strategy for a small municipality is necessary, how it is structured and what an implementation process might look like. Next to a general review of digitalisation and digital transformation, we looked into Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of the digital strategy and explored ways of funding and financing and good practice examples. The workshop tackled the complete cycle of a digital strategy: from the first ideas to the implementation. Download the agenda, presentations (Oldambt, Veile, Hüttener Berge, Eidskog) and check the recording (password: [REDACTED] of the event for more details.
Agenda in brief (13:00-16:10, 27 October)

Opening and welcome. Introducing the smart rural journey approach for small and rural municipalities
Inspirational speech
Learning from the practice. Case studies from European municipalities:
– Integrating the strategy for the municipality of Oldambt
– The digital challenge in Eidskog Municipality as a remote rural area
– Intercommunal approach for a digital strategy
– The digital transformation in Vejle Municipality as a prioritized leadership responsibility
– Senior Citizens Portal – a tool defined by the digital strategy for better quality of life for citizens
Panel discussion. Chances and challenges in developing and implementing digital strategies
Breakout sessions. Room for discussions with presenters of the case studies.

Workshop 6: Cyber Security
2022-11-07 13:00 - 15:30 | Online
The CORA online workshop series on digital transformation in rural areas sensitised and inspired the attendees, provided them with practical knowledge and concrete guidelines on different topics of the digital transformation in rural areas in the North Sea Region. The attendees met and exchanged with experts and stakeholders and gained knowledge on practical ways of approaching the digital transformation in a municipality. The workshops were free and open to everyone interested. Check workshop summaries for the main take-away messages.
The Workshop 6: Cyber Security delivered a holistic experience on Cyber Security for municipalities. The workshop raised awareness among municipalities about security in computer networks and helped better understand how digital and information technologies could be applied to their specific realities in a secure way. Download the agenda and presentation for more details.
Agenda in brief (13:00-15:30, 7 November)

Introduction pitch
Definition and importance of Cyber Security and Privacy – and going deeper in Cyber Security risks and Privacy aspects that are relevant for organizations and people
Presentations and workshop. How to react to cyber-attacks?
Open Discussion

Check the overview and details for all six CORA online workshops on digital transformation in rural areas.

Workshop 3: Digital skills for employees
2022-11-09 13:00 - 16:30 | Online
The CORA online workshop series on digital transformation in rural areas sensitised and inspired the attendees, provided them with practical knowledge and concrete guidelines on different topics of the digital transformation in rural areas in the North Sea Region. The attendees met and exchanged with experts and stakeholders and gained knowledge on practical ways of approaching the digital transformation in a municipality. The workshops were free and open to everyone interested. Check workshop summaries for the main take-away messages.
The Workshop 3 focused on Digital skills for employees. To not leave anyone behind, a municipality needs skilled employees to support citizens in using more digital services. Therefore, this workshop focused on the importance of digital skills in times of continuous digital change and transformation. Download the agenda and presentations, and check the recording (Password: [REDACTED] for more details.
Agenda in brief (13:00-16:30, 9 November)

Welcome and introduction
Expert talk: People first, technology will follow
Inspiring cases.
– Region of Innlandet County Municipality in Norway
– Medium size municipality: The city of Waregem in Belgium
– Small size municipality: Torsby in Sweden
Panel discussion. Opportunities, challenges and solutions. During this 30 minutes session you will get a view on the future and potential policy recommendations.
Summary and wrap-up. What did we learn from our expert and from the 3 inspiring usecases?
Break-out rooms. Place for discussions with presenters of the case studies.

Check the overview and details for all six CORA online workshops on digital transformation in rural areas.

Workshop 2. Smart devices and IoT
2022-11-14 14:00 - 16:30 | Online
The CORA online workshop series on digital transformation in rural areas sensitised and inspired the attendees, provided them with practical knowledge and concrete guidelines on different topics of the digital transformation in rural areas in the North Sea Region. The attendees met and exchanged with experts and stakeholders and gained knowledge on practical ways of approaching the digital transformation in a municipality. The workshops were free and open to everyone interested. Check workshop summaries for the main take-away messages.
The Workshop 2. Smart devices and IoT was to generate insights and inspire municipalities to better understand how these technologies can be applied in a tailored manner to their specific realities. The workshop was cancelled, yet we are working on a written summary of main messages and actions that are relevant for municipalities in this field.
Check the overview and details for all six CORA online workshops on digital transformation in rural areas.

Workshop 4: Stakeholder and Citizen Participation
2022-12-01 13:30 - 15:30 | Online
The CORA online workshop series on digital transformation in rural areas sensitised and inspired the attendees, provided them with practical knowledge and concrete guidelines on different topics of the digital transformation in rural areas in the North Sea Region. The attendees met and exchanged with experts and stakeholders and gained knowledge on practical ways of approaching the digital transformation in a municipality. The workshops were free and open to everyone interested. Check workshop summaries for the main take-away messages.
The Workshop 4. Stakeholder and Citizen Participation explored how local public authorities can stimulate diverse stakeholders and citizens to actively participate in or even set up initiatives in their neighbourhood. The event especially focused on initiatives facilitated by digital technology or initiatives targeting the deployment and usage of digital technologies. During the workshop, several examples of citizen and stakeholder participation were introduced and the main obstacles as well as possible solutions were discussed. Download the agenda, presentations and check the recording (password: [REDACTED] for more details.
Agenda in brief (13:30 – 15:30 CET, 1 December 2022)

Welcome and introduction
Workshop: Local businesses as stakeholders – experience from a COM3 pilot
Workshop: Yes In My BackYard – Climatecase from Denmark with digitalization perspectives
Workshop: Bottom-up broadband initiatives and the importance of ‘going out there’
Pitch: Overview of inputs and take home messages

Check the overview and details for all six CORA online workshops on digital transformation in rural areas.

Workshop 5: Digitalisation of businesses
2022-12-05 10:30 - 13:00 | Online
The CORA online workshop series on digital transformation in rural areas sensitised and inspired the attendees, provided them with practical knowledge and concrete guidelines on different topics of the digital transformation in rural areas in the North Sea Region. The attendees met and exchanged with experts and stakeholders and gained knowledge on practical ways of approaching the digital transformation in a municipality. The workshops were free and open to everyone interested. Check workshop summaries for the main take-away messages.
The Workshop 5. Digitalisation of businesses looked into why supporting digitalisation of businesses, particularly in rural areas, is important and examined how they can be engaged. Representatives from municipalities active in this field joined the workshop and shared their experience. Download the agenda for more details.
Agenda in brief (10:30-13:00 CET, 5 December 2022)

Opening and welcome
Supporting businesses to reach their target market online
Using knowledge exchange to facilitate digitalisation of SMEs
Summary and Next Steps

Check the overview and details for all six CORA online workshops on digital transformation in rural areas.

Joint final conference of Interreg COM3 and CORA projects
2023-06-21 10:30 - 15:00 | Online
We look at the legacy and lessons learned from COM3 and CORA having in mind our future journey. We want to highlight the relevant aspects that help us to strengthen present partnerships and are of use in future or other current projects.
