South West College, alongside a consortium of key partners, has been awarded €3.5 million in PEACEPLUS funding to launch the Smart Rural Innovation Driven Empowerment (STRIDE) programme. The initiative, designed to address the unique challenges faced by rural communities, brings together Alacrity, Atlantic Technological University, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Leitrim County Enterprise Fund, and Ulster University.
STRIDE will operate out of two key innovation hubs—The Workhouse in Enniskillen and The HIVE in Carrick-on-Shannon. With a team of specialist staff embedded within rural communities across Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, and Sligo, the programme aims to empower local citizens by using cutting-edge digital technologies to tackle societal and economic challenges.
In addition, STRIDE, which is supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), will create a "Digital Empowering Communities Portal"—a vital tool for sharing the support available and promoting the innovative digital solutions developed through the programme.
The ultimate goal of STRIDE is to enhance the quality of life in rural areas, enabling more effective delivery of social and economic services while promoting long-term community sustainability.
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “Congratulations to the three truly innovative and transformative projects awarded PEACEPLUS funding today.
“Promoting socio-economic inclusion is crucial within the PEACEPLUS programme and our Smart Towns and Villages investment area is designed to target and address specific needs using modern technology.
“PEACEPLUS will support the creation of jointly developed solutions for Smart Towns and Villages, to incorporate digital hubs, which will enable remote working and ICT-themed social innovation approaches to developing new models of delivery for key services, including health and education.
“This will provide greater access to and awareness of telecommunications, with an area-based approach taken to enable communities to maximise technology to improve social and economic conditions in their areas.