On 28 August 2025, the third regional stakeholder meeting took place in Wetzlar as part of the European project INSPIRE – Innovative and Smarter Policy Instruments for Rural Europe.
Key representatives from the region discussed how the LEADER strategy policy instrument could be further developed and adapted to ‘smart’ development.
The focus was on the results of an on-site survey covering the themes of Smart Society, Smart Economy, Smart Environment and Smart Living Conditions. The feedback highlights that digital and social innovations are of great importance to the region – ranging from new working models and improved access to community facilities to coaching programmes for digital participation.
Furthermore, the international dimension of the project was highlighted. Whilst the exchange with Spain is of limited transferability, the collaboration with Ireland offers promising points of contact. In addition, a regional good practice – the involvement of the fire brigade in Lahnau – was successfully included in the Interreg Europe database.
A key outcome of the meeting: thanks to personnel changes within the decision-making body, initial progress has been made in adapting the LEADER instrument.
The next steps include preparing for a Smart Village Conference 2026 and coordinating with other projects such as the Erasmus+ project Ruraled.
It remains to be seen how the regional strategy can be made smarter.
Contact persons at IfLS: Hanna Kramer (kramer[at]ifls.de), Dr. Ulrich Gehrlein (gehrlein[at]ifls.de)
