SEK 3 million grant for research on rural Europe

JIBS’ research centre CEnSE has received funding from Formas for the project TASTE - Towards A Smart Rural Europe.

The researchers at CEnSE (Centre for Entrepreneurship and Spatial Economics) will investigate the role of the countryside in Europe. They will perform case studies in Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. The aim is to identify problems and suggest different forms of "smart" development of rural areas. The relationship between city and country, and how political decisions can contribute to smart rural development, is of particular interest.

“ JIBS’ research on regional development and entrepreneurship has become internationally recognized. Receiving this funding, in fierce European competition, shows that we are also beginning to be an environment to be reckoned with when it comes to rural research. This would not have been possible without our very good cooperation with the Swedish Board of Agriculture ,” says Professor Hans Westlund , project manager.

The total grant amount, divided between the years 2013 and 2015, is 376,000 €. The project is one of four that have been granted money within the European research network RURAGRI. Formas is the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning.