Smart Villages support in Cyprus

How is the concept of Smart Villages defined?

’Smart Rural Areas’ are ’Collaborating Rural Areas’ that design and implement Smart Local Strategies based on a participatory approach to promote their attractiveness as living and working areas.

Smart solution interventions, including smart agriculture interventions, are implemented, stemming from the needs of the local community. These interventions utilise digital technologies, where possible, to improve their resilience and so that sustainable development, social cohesion and environmental optimisation become characteristics of these areas.

Is digital a key feature of Smart Villages?

The ‘Smart’ concept is strongly connected to digitalisation. High-speed network connectivity – 5G networks and fibre infrastructure – are considered by many stakeholders a necessity for achieving the concept of ‘smart’.

Is social innovation a key feature of Smart Villages?

Social cohesion is expected to become one of the major characteristics of Smart Rural Areas, as a result of relevant smart solution interventions.

How is the CAP supporting Smart Villages?

Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (Managing Authority)

W: http://moa.gov.cy/?lang=en

CAP 2014-2022

Indirectly, no specific Smart Villages intervention.

  • Smart Agriculture
  • Smart energy
  • Digitalisation

(e.g. through M4.1: Investments in Agri-sector,  including activities for smart agriculture and smart farming; M7.3: Broadband Infrastructure for Rural Areas; M16.1: Cooperation)

CAP 2023-2027

Indirectly, no specific Smart Villages intervention.

  • LEADER/CLLD

National Rural Network (Department of Agriculture)

W: http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/da/ead/ead.nsf/home_el/home_el?opendocument

CAP Network support

No specific network activities on Smart Villages.

How are other policies supporting Smart Villages?

No other policies supporting Smart Villages have been identified at this stage.

 

Please find further information about Smart Villages support in Cyprus on the Smart Rural 21 project’s Cyprus country page

Smart Rural 27 – Smart Villages Taskforce

In Cyprus, the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy is already supporting scientific research, investing in innovative entrepreneurship and implementing an ambitious digital transformation reform as well as designing the “Smart Cyprus Platform”, that plans to include rural areas in the near future. The ownership of the Smart Villages Policy is expected to be owned to the Deputy Ministry, at the same time supported through the CAP managed by Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. The National Taskforce is expected to suggest specific CAP policy interventions, securing that duplications are avoided. For that purpose, the Taskforce is built in a way that most of the relevant interventions and funding schemes are represented (including Smart Waste Management, Smart Resources Management – Water, Smart Energy, Smart Mobility, Smart Farming).

Smart Villages in Cyprus

Want to get involved or know more on what Smart Rural 27 is doing in Cyprus? Contact us!

Last update: May 17, 2022