At RURBANIVE, we believe that innovation grows stronger when shared. From the project’s first months, our consortium has worked collectively to bring visibility, clarity, and coherence to its mission — strengthening rural-urban connections through collaboration, knowledge exchange, and creative communication, and building a strong foundation for engagement, awareness, and impact across Europe and beyond.
Disseminating knowledge through publications
RURBANIVE partners contributed to several scientific and professional publications, ensuring that project insights reach both research and policy audiences. Among these were the article “Systems Thinking and Learning Outcomes Fostering Rural–Urban Synergies: A Systematic Review,” published by RISE in MDPI Open Access Journals, and contributions to the “Soil Health: Current Status and Future Needs” conference and the 6th Symposium on Circular Economy and Sustainability, both hosted by AUA.
The project was also featured in the Circular Insider magazine (Issue 4/2025) with the article “Welche Verwertung wünscht sich Altbrot?” (“What Kind of Recycling Does Old Bread Need?”) authored by ANRI. Furthermore, AEIDL published a policy-oriented piece on Zenodo titled “Prospects for Rural-Urban Policies in the Post-2027 Policy Framework,” underlining RURBANIVE’s growing relevance to future EU policy development.
Building capacity and encouraging co-creation
Capacity-building and co-creation activities have been central to RURBANIVE’s mission of linking knowledge with action. CARTIF launched the alpha version of the Co-Creation Tools (COC-Tools) and the first XR campaign, while CZU, AUA, and other partners organised hands-on workshops and training sessions addressing topics such as circular bioeconomy, mobility, digitalisation, and sustainable entrepreneurship.
Highlights include the “Gemeinsam Kreislaufwirtschaft in Wien & NÖ stärken” training by ANRI, “E-DIH.LT and Digitalisation Consultancy for Business” session by AFL, and “Future of Mobility at the Innovation Campus Lemgo” workshop by ICL. These activities have been instrumental in engaging communities and fostering innovation across Europe’s rural and urban regions.
The project also organised several knowledge transfer workshops, including the Beyond2Festival in Austria, virtual and thematic sessions led by AFL, and a series of workshops on bakery, dairy, beef, and beer processing by CZU. One of the highlights was the “Extended Reality as a Catalyst for Rural-Urban Synergies in the Agri-Food Sector” workshop at Synergy Days 2024, hosted by ICCS.
Collaborating across the European innovation landscape
Collaboration has been a defining feature of RURBANIVE’s communication strategy. RFF hosted a joint webinar on the Sploro platform together with PoliRuralPlus and SPADE ERU, showcasing the RURBANIVE Open Call and promoting cross-project synergies.
AgriFood Lithuania also organised a thematic workshop, “Advancing Digital and Social Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: The Startup Village Approach,” in collaboration with the international initiative ENACT. These events strengthened RURBANIVE’s position within the European ecosystem of innovation and policy dialogue.
Showcasing RURBANIVE at major European events
RURBANIVE has been represented at several high-profile events, showcasing its work and results to diverse audiences. The project had a strong presence at Beyond Expo 2024 in Thessaloniki, Researchers’ Night 2024, Synergy Days 2024 in Barcelona, and Beyond Expo 2025 in Athens, among others.
Participation in events such as EuroXR 2024, ARPA 2024, and Innovent Forum 2025 further highlighted RURBANIVE’s expertise in circularity, digitalisation, and extended reality technologies.
Engaging communities and sharing results
Beyond conferences and fairs, RURBANIVE partners actively engaged with communities through dedicated outreach presentations. The project was showcased at the INTRA Conference, featured in a project pitch at Synergy Days 2024, and presented at the AgriFood Forum 2024 in Vilnius, the Climate Lab, and the ALIGNING Erasmus+ project. RFF also introduced RURBANIVE to the European Groupings for Territorial Cooperation, during a high-level meeting of HELICAS, AMPHICTYONY, and EFXINI POLI.
Joint actions further strengthened collaboration, including activities with FUTURAL during the PAGE Green Industry Summer School in Vienna. The consortium also successfully prepared and published ten Practice Abstracts (in EIP-AGRI format), achieving its mid-term targets and contributing to the EU CAP Network.
A foundation for lasting impact
RURBANIVE’s communication and dissemination activities have built a strong, coherent, and engaging narrative that connects people, places, and ideas. From establishing a recognisable brand and multilingual materials to expanding its digital presence, engaging with media, and facilitating knowledge exchange, the project has effectively translated its vision into meaningful action.
As RURBANIVE continues its journey, its communication efforts will remain focused on connecting rural and urban communities through collaboration, innovation, and shared learning — creating pathways toward more sustainable and inclusive European territories.
