
Digital transformation and community development in rural areas
Populated, active and growing rural areas contribute greatly to our society. Therefore, they also need the same conditions to develop, based on the needs of the villagers, as more densely populated areas. In this project, doctoral student Johanna Lindberg examines how simple, flexible, digital solutions make life in the countryside easier and increase well-being. Solutions such as unmanned grocery stores, postal and parcel solutions and screens that disseminate local and regional information have been tested mainly in three villages: Moskosel, Porjus and Muodoslompolo. Similar new exciting tests are now in the pipeline for Fällfors and Långträsk.
The project has collaborated with the following actors
Muodoslompolo: Pajala Municipality, Susanns Lanthandel and the village association "Våra byar - Meän kylät".
Brändön: Luleå municipality, Brändön/Örarna village association.
Moskosel, Arvidsjaur: Village association Moskosel framtid, Handlar'n in Moskosel, Servicepunkt Navet.
Porjus: Jokkmokk municipality and Porjus Lanthandel.
In Porjus, the farm shop has introduced a system that allows you to buy food around the clock.
- "It was great that I got help with a digital lock for the store. It was a prerequisite for me to take over. I don't want to sit in the shop all day and staff salaries are a big expense," says Denise Magnusson, shop owner.
The lock installed has geometric facial recognition, which means that anyone can enter by scanning their ID card.
- The big industrial initiatives rarely focus on rural people, but they are very much affected by things like increased traffic and changes in nature. It is in this context that we investigate how life in rural areas can be improved through expanded services, says Johanna Lindberg, who is doing her PhD in Information Systems at Luleå University of Technology.
The project examines this social change with a theoretical framework while the research is very practical and uses the "Living Labs" method developed at Luleå University of Technology.
This means that the researchers engage in a dialog with village associations and traders who want to try out new technology. Initially, an inventory is made of the needs that exist and, together with Luleå University of Technology's expertise, the village residents receive suggestions and support on what solutions are available and help with purchasing and installation. By following these processes closely, the research gets a picture of how they work that can be used to drive rural development and increase well-being and migration in sparsely populated municipalities.
Meet our PhD student, Johanna Lindberg External link, opens in new window.
Opens in youtube (in Swedish)
Contact
Johanna Lindberg
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