Project data

Summary of the project

In cooperation with practice partners, the conditions under which digitalisation in rural areas can bring about innovations in and with the fulfilment of public tasks will be investigated empirically and experimentally. Among other things, it is to be investigated:

• What (theoretical) parallels exist in the discussion strands on regional innovation systems, start-ups in rural areas, real and innovation laboratories, social entrepreneurship and innovative public task fulfilment?
• What contribution do municipalities in rural areas (especially in the absence of other "strong" actors) make to the regional innovation system, e.g. through other forms of task fulfilment? To what extent can an economic interpretation of municipal co-operation relationships help to shape these co-operations better (economic network theory)?
• Can these relationships be practically shaped by approaches such as networked business models of public task fulfilment ("administrative network analysis")? How can very heterogeneous environmental factors and developments such as open data and platforms be taken into account in these instruments?