01.06.2022

In cooperation with the Protestant Academy Loccum, the project consortium InDaLE organizes a symposium on the topic of challenges and innovative solutions of public services in Germany, Scotland, Sweden and Austria on July 13 and 14, 2022. After more than two years of intensive work, we are looking forward to present our research results and discuss them with people from local and state politics and administration, from associations and with stakeholders from rural areas.

Registration for the symposium and further information can be found at the following link: www.loccum.de/tagungen/22124/

23.05.2022

On May 23, 2022, the InDaLE project consortium held a one-day expert workshop in Hannover. The goal of the workshop was to discuss our preliminary results with experts from the three areas of public services studied in InDaLE.

The day started with a short keynote about our research approach and a presentation of the innovative projects the team analyzed. Three thematic subgroups discussed in depth the preliminary findings and the extent to which innovations from abroad can help address challenges in German regions. At the end, the participants reconvened to report on their findings.

09.05.2022

Between May 5 and 7, 2022 the 25th annual meeting of the AK Ländliche Räume of the German Society for Geography took place in Bautzen. Two members of the InDaLE consortium from the Thünen Institute participated in the meeting, namely: Dr. Annett Steinführer as co-organizer (in cooperation with the Sorbian Institute) and Alexandru Brad, who presented on the methodological design of the InDaLE project.

For more information about the Working Group Rural Areas of the German Geographical Society, please visit ak-laendlicher-raum.de.

08.03.2022

The InDaLE project team met again in presence for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. The two-day coordination meeting took place from 07-08.03.2022 in Springe. The main topics of the exchange were the continuation of innovative projects and their transferability to rural areas in Germany.

On the first day of the meeting, the focus was on the topic of sustainability. The results of the interpretation of the data collected through guided interviews were discussed: What differences and similarities can be identified between the examined projects from the considered areas of general interest in other EU countries and Germany with regard to sustainability? What general statements on sustainability can be derived from this?

The second day was dedicated to the topic of transferability: What impulses for the investigation of the transferability of the projects under consideration result from the interpretation results on permanence? Which factors, framework conditions and governance structures of the areas of public interest considered by InDaLE have to be taken into account when transferring the innovative projects from Sweden, Scotland and Austria to Germany?

These and other issues were the subject of the productive meeting.

The photo shows from left to right Alexandru Brad (TI), Rainer Danielzyk (ARL), Ingo Mose (UOL), Jörn Bannert (GIH), Nathalie Tent (UOL), Annett Steinführer (TI), Alexandra Weitkamp (TUD), Andreas Ortner (TUD), Alistair Adam Hernández (ARL), Alice Gebauer (GIH) and Barbara Warner (ARL).

Missing from the photo are Winrich Voß (GIH) and Juliane Klöden (TUD).

01.03.2022

As part of the Special Issue in the journal Europa XXI on "The Geography and Governance of Infrastructure Provision", members of the InDaLE project consortium have published two papers namely:

A review of the challenges and strategies of delivering services of general interest in European rural areas by Nathalie Tent, Alexandru Brad, Juliane Klöden, Alistair Adam Hernández, Jörn Bannert and Alice Gebauer. Link: europa21.igipz.pan.pl/article/item/13190.html

Experimenting for long-term transformation. Key insights into 20 years of German pilot schemes for innovative rural public service and infrastructure provision by Alistair Adam Hernández and Carolin Schneider. Link: europa21.igipz.pan.pl/article/item/13168.html

The articles are only available in English.

23.09.2021

Dr. Annett Steinführer and Alexandru Brad presented the preliminary results of their research on fire and rescue services at the 5th Northern European Conference on Emergency and Disaster Research, hosted by Mid Sweden University, September 21-23, 2021. The presentation took place as part of the Anticipatory Governance panel and introduced the research methodology, listed the challenges faced by fire departments, and offered insights into Austrian research projects.

03.08.2021

The staff of the research project met again in presence for over a year on 03.08.2021 for a workshop in Hannover. The focus of the workshop was the evaluation of the upcoming interviews with people from Austria, Scotland, Sweden and Germany.

The photo shows from left to right the staff members Kevin Brendler (research assistant ARL), Alice Gebauer (GIH), Jörn Bannert (GIH), Nathalie Tent (UOL), Juliane Klöden (TUD), Alexandru Brad (TI) and Alistair Adam Hernández (ARL).

06.04.2021 

Medical care, educational institutions, local transportation, fire departments - services of general interest in rural regions are not infrequently a problem, simply because little infrastructure is available. Demographic change is exacerbating the situation. When young people migrate to big cities, good concepts are needed. In recent years, there have been many model projects in Germany, but very often they were not continued after the funding expired. So how can we continue when financial and personnel support comes to an end?

Germany is not alone in this question; many regions in Europe have even more difficult conditions for rural development. At the same time, however, they already have more experience. The research project "Innovative Approaches in Rural Areas - Learning from Experiences of Other European Countries for Germany" (InDaLE) of the Universities of Hanover, Oldenburg and Dresden, the Thünen Institute in Braunschweig and the Academy for Spatial Development in the Leibniz Association in Hanover, which started in January 2020, is investigating such innovative approaches to services of general interest in Europe and testing their applicability and transferability in rural areas in Germany.

The theses of the research project, the first results and a look at exemplary European regions, especially Sweden, will be discussed at this conference between the staff of the research project, people from local government and politics and the practice on the ground. The importance of services of general interest in rural regions and the goal of equal living conditions for social cohesion will be discussed with a current perspective.

You are cordially invited to follow the event online and to participate actively in the video conference!

The conference will take place on November 2 and 3 (in the morning) as a face-to-face conference for staff and members of the advisory board of the project "Innovative approaches to services of general interest in rural areas - learning from the experiences of other European countries for Germany" and as an online conference for the public.

On 3.11 (afternoon) and on 4.11 the conference will be continued as a closed event for staff and members of the advisory board.