Speaker
Description
Digital solutions are increasingly viewed as catalysts for socio-spatial equity within the European Union’s broader agenda for a Twin Transition, where environmental goals intersect with digital transformation (EC, 2022). While extensive policy work has focused on lowering carbon emissions and mitigating ecological risks, the parallel goal of advancing digital transition has received comparatively less scrutiny. Yet, recent research underscores the significance of digital connectivity in improving access to public services, thus enhancing cohesion and ensuring equitable territorial development (Gómez-Carmona et al., 2023; Löfving et al., 2021). Particularly in rural and peripheral regions, insufficient digital infrastructures and limited technological know-how can undermine innovative approaches to the digitalization of service delivery, but not only, it can also compromise competitiveness, economic growth, and development in more peripheral territories (EC, 2024; Draghi, 2024). This deficit then tends to perpetuate the asymmetries between the core urban areas and the rural and peripherical ones, perpetuating disparities (Morris, 2022). Against this backdrop, the present study explores how the push towards digitalization – encompassed in Europe’s Digital Decade – can be harnessed to strengthen access to social services of general interest, focusing specifically on initiatives in Portugal that channel EU funding into digital transition projects. Methodologically, this research draws from an integrated review of policy documents covering the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 funding cycles, in tandem with a financial performance analysis of selected programs. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with local administrators and project leaders reveal how various digital platforms, data-driven tools, and network enhancements are used – or, in some cases, neglected – to improve accessibility and equity. Our preliminary findings indicate that while certain areas benefit from emerging digital strategies, others remain constrained by inadequate infrastructure, financial limitations, or a lack of specialized training. This paper contributes to ongoing discussions about the transformative role of technology in spatial planning by highlighting both the potential for digitally enabled services to mitigate socio-spatial inequalities and the persistent gaps that require strategic policy attention.
References
Draghi, Mario (2024) The future of European competitiveness. Part B, In-depth analysis and recommendations. [Online] available at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/ec1409c1-d4b4-4882-8bdd-3519f86bbb92_en?filename=The%20future%20of%20European%20competitiveness_%20In-depth%20analysis%20and%20recommendations_0.pdf
EC. (2024) Ninth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://dx.doi.org/10.2776/264833
EC. (2022) Towards a green, digital and resilient economy: Our European growth model. COM(2022) 83 final. [Online] available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0083
Gómez-Carmona, Oihane, Buján-Carballal, David, Casado-Mansilla, Diego, López-de-Ipiña, Diego, Cano-Benito, Juan, Cimmino, Andrea, Poveda-Villalón, María, García-Castro, Raúl, Almela-Miralles, Jorge, Apostolidis, Dimitris, Drosou, Anastasios, Tzovaras, Dimitrios, Wagner, Martin, Guadalupe-Rodriguez, María, Salinas, Diego, Esteller, David, Riera-Rovira, Martí, González, Arnau, Clavijo-Ágreda, Jaime, Díez-Frias, Alberto, Bocanegra-Yáñez, María, Pedro-Henriques, Rui, Ferreira-Nunes, Elsa, Lux, Marian and Bujalkova, Nikol (2023) Mind the gap: The AURORAL ecosystem for the digital transformation of smart communities and rural areas, Technol Soc 74, 102304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102304
Löfving, Linnea, Kamuf, Viktoria, Heleniak, Timothy, Weck, Sabine, and Norlén, Gustaf (2021) Can digitalization be a tool to overcome spatial injustice in sparsely populated regions? The cases of Digital Västerbotten (Sweden) and Smart Country Side (Germany), European Planning Studies, 30 (5), pp.917–934. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2021.1928053
Morris, Jonathan, Morris, Wyn, and Bowen, Robert (2022) Implications of the digital divide on rural SME resilience, Journal of Rural Studies, 89, pp.369-377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.01.005
| Keywords | Twin Transition; Digitalization; Territorial Cohesion; Social Services of General Interest |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
