Danube4Rural.com: Integrated transnational governance model for adapting rural communities’ policies to the needs of remote workers and employer organisations

The depopulation of rural areas is currently a key challenge for the entire Danube region. This brings forward the need to increase the steering capacities of local and regional authorities to better deal with this issue. This is where the present project comes in and aims to develop an evidence-based governance model to create conducive framework conditions and make rural areas threatened by depopulation more attractive for highly qualified remote workers. On the one hand, this approach should contribute to the revitalization of rural regions and, on the other hand, counteract the shortage of skilled workers by activating additional remote workers. Attractive conditions for remote work can also be a factor in enabling a better work-life balance. In rural regions in particular, where there is not (yet) a comprehensive, affordable range of all-day childcare options, establishing conducive conditions for remote workers can lead to increased participation of women in the workforce.

As part of the governance model, needs-oriented solutions are developed and bundled into three policy packages. These will then be tested in nine rural pilot communities affected by depopulation in order to identify and mobilize their untapped potential.

The first policy package focuses on individual measures to improve the quality of life of remote workers in the pilot municipalities – for example in the areas of housing, public transport or leisure activities, or of work-life balance, while the second package includes financial incentives for remote workers, such as relocation subsidies or other tax breaks. The third policy package consists of solutions relating to the legal framework and aims for instance to reduce bureaucratic hurdles within the administrative authorities in order to facilitate the implementation of the other two individual packages of policy measures.

A social research study forms the basis for developing these solutions. The needs and wishes of skilled workers who are interested in remote work are to be addressed with a quantitative survey. Specifically, the aim is to ascertain which factors would favor a move to rural areas. At the same time, representatives of employers and associations as well as public administrative bodies will be involved in co-designing concrete measures for the three policy packages as part of a “Remote Worker Policy Hub” accompanying the project, and other experts will be consulted to this end. The study is designed and coordinated by L&R Social Research in its role as knowledge partner and implemented in cooperation with all project partners in the individual countries. In addition, findings from document and secondary data research and analyses complement the knowledge gained from own surveys to enable a deeper understanding of target group-specific needs and challenges of rural communities.

After piloting, the governance model will be disseminated, proven solutions will be scaled up and transferred to other areas facing similar challenges. This will identify opportunities to make rural regions more attractive, combat the shortage of skilled workers and generally promote labor force participation through new and innovative remote work concepts. The transnational cooperation within the “Remote Worker Policy Hub” also supports the further project implementation through interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and leads to a closer networking of central actors, stakeholders and decision-makers in the region.

The project is implemented transnationally by eleven project partners and a further eleven associated strategic partners in ten countries in the Danube region. The lead partner of the project is the Slovenian municipality of Moravske Toplice. L&R Social Research assumes the role of knowledge partner.

Total budget for the project: € 2,022,032

80% of this is financed by the “Interreg Danube Region Program”.