INSPIRE sets up Smart Village labs in seven pilot areas across rural Europe to:

• support social inclusion and participatory governance through E-Democracy tools, boosting participatory democracy, connecting all key stakeholders and empowering rural dwellers and vulnerable groups towards decision-making.

• offer EU-wide and localised capacity building for upskilling and empowerment of rural populations, supporting entrepreneurial initiatives developed in the framework of the project and assisting the labs’ transition into full-fledged “Smart Villages” and the participatory and digital upgrade of the pilot areas governance frameworks.