SAC Research

In an increasingly digital world, most of the information supplied to rural businesses is driven by the supplier’s perception of what is needed and rarely founded on the clear analysis of end-user needs. Digital exclusion and poor connectivity to knowledge are identified by many as the barriers to sustainable development of rural businesses. This project was split into 4 overlapping phases which aimed to address the problems faced by rural businesses in sourcing, processing and using pertinent and timely business support information to make efficient and effective entrepreneurial decisions.

The RuBIES project focused on addressing the problems faced by rural SMEs, located in the Northern Periphery Region of Europe, in sourcing, processing and using pertinent and timely business support information to make efficient and effective business decisions.  Tools utilising ICTs were developed, tested and adopted to help solve some of the problems of information exchange and thus providing new solutions and methods for it from the demand driven point of view. 

The main objective of the RuBIES project was to provide relevant and meaningful assistance and support to rural businesses and SMEs in the Northern Periphery with aims of:

• Solving problems of information exchange and provide new solutions and methods for it from the demand driven point of view
• Raising general awareness amongst rural SMEs and their advisors of the possibilities and assistance that advanced ICT solutions can provide them
• Support the formation of regional, national and trans-national networks and encourage co-operation between SMEs, advisors and information suppliers through exchange of information and experiences
  

Project Number:  NPP No: 03/01/31

This project was funded through Measure 1.2 Access to Information Society of the Northern Periphery Programme, INTERREG III B 2000 - 2006 and was co-financed by national co-finance in each of the partner countries. The funders for the project include:

Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, Scotland
University of Helsinki, Ruralia Institute, Finland
Upplýsingatækni í dreifbýli, Iceland
Hushållningssällskapet i Norrbotten, Sweden
Ministry of Interior, Finland
Regional Council of Central Finland, Finland
Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland

This international project was lead by SAC and had partners from Iceland, Finland and Sweden:

Upplýsingatækni í dreifbýli (UD-project), Iceland
University of Helsinki, Ruralia Institute, Finland
Hushållningssällskapet i Norrbotten, Sweden