Digital Age in Rural and Remote Areas 1.12

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The objective of DARRA project is to decrease the digital divide in remote and rural areas among the partner regions, through boosting the usage of ICT by SMEs and the public sector, and improve the overall regional competitiveness. DARRA capitalises on the findings of BIRRA project. The digital divide is a handicap inter-and intra-regionally and one indicator of a region’s peripherality. DARRA project, through the strengthened regional ICT–applications leading to (i) reinforced exchanges with more central & developed regions, (ii) more complete regional ICT-related applications, and (iii) jointly developed approaches, will reduce effectively and sustainably the peripheral character of the partner regions. DARRA project will create a vision of year 2013 regarding life styles in peripheral areas and / or sparsely populated regions. This vision will be a guide to developing ICT strategies in peripheral regions. The e-Ladder model which was developed in BIRRA will be used for this purpose by the partner regions, takeing one step forward in selected domains of the e-Ladder. This means very concrete steps in regional ICT development. The actions in this project will lead to raised awareness and ICT uptake among SMEs and the public sector. Participating regions are Lapland and Kainuu in Finland, Västernorrland in Sweden, Sogn og Fjordane in Norway, Derry in Northern Ireland (UK), and Border Midland West (Donegal & Galway) and Mid West Region in Ireland. The end users of the project are the micro businesses together with SMEs and public authorities which can improve their operations by taking new IT-services into use.

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