23/04/2026
Co-creating Smart Village labs in rural areas – INSPIRE partners meet in Košice, Slovakia
Our 4th Project Meeting in Košice
The fourth meeting of the INSPIRE project was held in Slovakia, bringing together consortium partners from 11 European countries to assess progress, share knowledge, and define the next steps towards fostering more inclusive and resilient rural communities.
The meeting took place in the historical centre of the city of Košice on 18–19 March 2026 and was hosted by PEDAL Consulting, under the coordination of the project coordinator, White Research. The first day focused on strategic exchanges, including a review of progress achieved so far, alignment on upcoming activities, and discussions around key milestones reached during the third semester. These milestones include the delivery of the rural typology on social exclusion, the Services and Social economy Atlas on Rural empowerment and the actions implemented so far towards the creation of the Smart Village labs.
The INSPIRE consortium
An interactive session was also dedicated to INSPIRE’s emerging policy insights. Partners reflected on the results from the first half of the project and explored how to translate them into concrete, actionable policy recommendations, laying the groundwork for robust outcomes by the project’s conclusion. Highlights from the presentations are available on the project’s YouTube channel.
On the second day, participants engaged in on-the-ground activities, including a field visit to the Luník IX borough and the Technical University of Košice, which hosts the physical premises of the newly established Smart Village Lab. During the visit, partners met with local members of the Lab, representing both the Roma community and young people with disabilities. These exchanges provided valuable insights into the locals’ needs, ongoing initiatives, and future plans for smart solutions on inclusive services. The visit was covered by local media, with a television crew present to capture the experiences and perspectives of lab members, highlighting their active role in shaping inclusive approaches.
Next Meeting
The meeting in Košice marked the completion of the first half of the project. Looking ahead, the INSPIRE consortium will meet next in Romania, hosted by ROMONTANA. Partners will have the opportunity to visit the Smart Village Lab in Suceava and Maramures, one of the project’s pilot areas, which represents a unique mountainous case in the consortium.
Field trip in Košice
