Natália Machado, Project Director at SHINE 2Europe, participated in the first edition of the FUTURAL European Rural Innovation Forum (EU-RIF). This key event fostered connections, knowledge-sharing, and policy discussions on smart community-led innovation, the future of rural regions, and post-2027 EU policies.
SHINE 2Europe was honoured to contribute to the session “Networking & Building Synergies with Other Rural Innovators,” where Natália presented NewEcoSmart (NeS), highlighting its achievements in advancing eco-digital transformation across rural Europe. The presentation went beyond project results to explore implementation challenges, with special emphasis on the unique NeS Transnational Community.
The NeS Transnational Community represents an innovative collaborative network of EU-funded projects, international experts, and stakeholders working across borders to address the challenges of twin transitions. Through organized collaboration sessions focused on sustainability and long-term impact, this community facilitates knowledge exchange, mutual learning, and cross-border cooperation.
Forum attendees showed particular interest in understanding how NeS maintains such high levels of stakeholder engagement. “The NeS Community demonstrates the power of transnational cooperation,” noted Natália Machado. “By creating spaces for knowledge exchange and co-creation, we are seeing more impactful and sustainable solutions that can fight rural challenges.”
The session reinforced that NewEcoSmart’s community-driven approach offers valuable lessons for rural innovation across Europe, particularly in maintaining engagement and ensuring the practical applicability of digital solutions.