The Chair of Digital Divide and Territory of the UJI shows the role of intelligent towns in the transformation of rural areas 



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## The Chair of Digital Divide and Territory of the UJI shows the role of intelligent towns in the transformation of rural areas

23/10/2021 |
SCP

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The Chair of Digital Divide and Territory of the Universitat Jaume I analyzed last Friday, October 22, the role of smart peoples at the webinar 'Smart villages against the digital divide'. Conceived with the aim of promoting the digital transition as a tool to make the rural environment of the province a space with intelligent services, the webinar was opened jointly by the Rector of the UJI, Eva Alcón, and the Minister of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society, Carolina Pascual.

In her speech, the counselor stressed that digitization "is essential in the fight against depopulation" and advocates "reducing the digital divide through knowledge, connectivity and training in digital skills." In this line, Pascual insisted on the need “that no one is left behind, an objective that requires analyzing all situations.” In turn, the rector of the UJI referred to overcoming the digital divide as “one of the challenges of the 21st century” and highlighted the role of the Chair "as an instrument for the participation of all agents in rural areas and as a tool to build an inclusive digital society based on equal opportunities."

In the first presentation, entitled 'Smart Territories in the Valencian Community: a sectoral-territorial vision', the professor of Applied Economics at the University of Alicante, José Miguel Giner Pérez, explained that “in addition to innovative companies or entrepreneurs, for the generation of smart territories, the participation of public institutions and civil society is key ”. According to Giner, who based his intervention on the 'We Endorse Territory' project promoted by Labora, "it is relevant to know the culture of each territory." In his opinion, there are different models for the development of smart territories, and they are “to the extent that they orient their actions towards sustainability and inclusion and connect and adapt to the challenges and expectations of those who inhabit them, to guarantee well-being. common, create an environment of collaboration, innovation and permanent communication ”. Giner gave some examples of good practices in this regard, such as those developed around the agri-food industry, in the Vega Baja, or the digital sector, in Alicante.

Two experiences of smart towns were presented below. In the first place, the councilor for the areas of Culture, Development and Urbanism of the Ansó City Council, Blanca Alfonso and the local development agent, Andrea Sánchez, spoke about the case of the town of the province of Huesca, recognized as one of the most pretty from Spain. With 386 inhabitants in 2020, in 2019 it opted for a project to make population settlement possible by introducing innovation as a means to ensure quality of life and stop the depopulation process. Ansó was selected as the only town in Spain in the European project 'Smart Rural 21', conceived to disseminate and share smart strategies in rural areas. From a participatory process, an increase in telework has been detected, a more positive view of the environment and new proposals for urban-rural interconnection.

In turn, Toni Collado, from The El Olmo Foundation (Aras de los Olmos), presented the projects developed in the Valencian town. "The most important thing is that related to energy self-sufficiency - he argued - conceived for Aras to become self-sufficient through renewable energies," a pioneering initiative at the state level that also aims to "solve the problems of power outages, which are common ». In addition, this town of 400 inhabitants also stands out for the launch of a scientific and environmental dissemination center, jointly with the University of Valencia.

Finally, the director of the Chair, Vicent A. Querol, and the researcher Joan Sanfélix, presented the conclusions of the webinar. At this point, Sanfélix highlighted the relevance of networking between companies, institutions and civil society, and also found that the complexity of the digital divide "goes beyond connectivity, because other cracks are those of digital literacy, knowledge , as well as the use and exploitation of resources by citizens. "In turn, Querol spoke about the fact that the idea of ​​'smart'" still appears as an open concept, but as it refers to ecosystems that they try to generate inclusion, this connects with the work of the Chair. ”He also alluded to the need“ to unite layers, because the fight against the digital divide is very necessary to take advantage of digital for one's own and collective good, transforming others areas such as housing or mobility ”.

At the closing of the webinar, María Muñoz, general director for the Fight against the Digital Divide and David Cabedo, deputy vice-rector for Transfer, Innovation and Entrepreneurship spoke. Muñoz recalled that rural areas "are not alien to social transformation" and added that digitization "can be a powerful tool for transformation and change, provided we have the participation of the community." The general director was sure that the conclusions of the conference "will help us to continue designing inclusive policies and backbones of transformation throughout the territory." In his turn to speak, Cabedo invited "to take advantage of rural know-how, taking advantage of the great knowledge and talent that we have and that we must be able to take advantage of it." Likewise, the vice-rector stated that "any innovation comes from knowledge, which does not have to be scientific, and can generate value, which will not always be economic but can be social or environmental."

The aim of the Chair of Digital Gap and Territory is to guide policies and actions so that no one in rural areas is left behind in the great technological and attitudinal transformation that we are experiencing. As a result of the collaboration between the UJI and the General Directorate of the Fight against the Digital Divide of the Department of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society, the Chair develops research, training and dissemination actions to advance towards full inclusion: fairer , accessible and democratic in the various spaces of the Valencian territory..

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