Transformation Of Rural Areas Research Articles

The Impact of Rural E‑Commerce Development on Farmers’Income: A Multi‑Dimensional Empirical Study

This study investigates the impact of rural e-commerce adoption on farmers' income in China, employing a multi-dimensional empirical approach. Utilizing data from 2,000 rural households across five Chinese provinces, we examine the direct effects of e-commerce adoption on income and explore the moderating roles of participation intensity and regional economic development. Our findings reveal a significant positive association between e-commerce adoption and farmers' income, with an elasticity of 0.237 (p < 0.001). Notably, smallholder farmers exhibit the highest income elasticity (0.312, p<0.001), suggesting e-commerce's potential as an equalizing force in rural economies. The study uncovers a non-linear relationship between e-commerce participation intensity and income gains, indicating an optimal level of digital market involvement. Furthermore, regional economic development significantly moderates the e-commerce-income relationship, highlighting the importance of local economic contexts. These results, robust to various econometric specifications, provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners engaged in promoting digital agriculture and rural development. The study contributes to the growing literature on digital transformation in rural areas, offering empirical evidence on the heterogeneous effects of e-commerce across different farmer typologies and regional contexts, and emphasizing the need for tailored strategies in fostering inclusive rural e-commerce development.

OPTIMIZING THE ROLE OF KPM STUDENTS IN DEVELOPING CIAWIGAJAH VILLAGE THROUGH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH WEB PLATFORM

Two critical innovations that support environmental sustainability and community empowerment are waste processing into alternative fuels and village digitalization through the Internet. Both innovations offer solutions to the problem of waste accumulation while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. This technology converts organic and inorganic waste into usable energy, such as biogas or RDF. This method can produce cleaner energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary, village digitization through web platforms is a strategic step in increasing access to information, services, and economic opportunities for rural communities. By using this platform, villages can develop local potential, improve the efficiency of public services, and encourage broader digital inclusion. This platform can meet many needs, including village administration management, promotion of local products, and further training and education. The combination of these two innovations demonstrates collaborative efforts to realize sustainable development that combines environmentally friendly technology solutions and digital community empowerment. The results are hoped to improve the quality of life, reduce unpleasant environmental effects, and accelerate economic transformation in rural areas

Is more rural digitization always better for tourism? An innovative multiscale spatial perspective

Addressing the global challenge of promoting digital transformation in rural areas and reducing the urban–rural digital divide is crucial. This study explores rural digitization within the framework of tourism literature, an area that has received limited scholarly attention. Utilizing economic geography methodologies, this research examines the multiscale relationship between rural digitization and tourism development efficiency at the county level. Our empirical findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in both rural digitization and tourism development, diverging from the existing consensus by uncovering the negative impact of rural digitization on tourism development at the county level. The study also identifies a moderating effect of tourism’s contribution to GDP and per capita GDP, which negatively moderates this impact. This research emphasizes the critical need for a geographic perspective to comprehensively understand the complex relationship between digital technology and tourism development. It provides recommendations for tourism policymakers and developers regarding digitalization in rural areas.

Digital transformation in rural settings: Unlocking opportunities for sustainable economic growth and community empowerment

Purpose: This study explores the potential of digital transformation in rural settings and its role in unlocking opportunities for sustainable economic growth and community empowerment. Method: This study employed a mixed-methods approach that included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from rural communities, government agencies, and technology experts to gain insights into the current state of digital transformation in rural settings. A survey was also administered to assess their digital literacy levels and attitudes towards digital technologies. Results: The study revealed that the adoption of digital technologies can enhance access to information, improve connectivity, and create new economic opportunities for rural communities. It also demonstrates that digital transformation initiatives can empower community members by providing them with the skills and resources necessary to participate in the digital economy. Furthermore, this study identifies several key success factors for implementing digital transformation in rural areas, including infrastructure development, capacity building, and collaboration between stakeholders. Limitations: This study acknowledges certain limitations, such as the focus on a specific geographic area and potential for response bias in the survey. Further research is needed to explore the generalizability of the findings and to examine the long-term impacts of digital transformation in rural settings. Contributions: This study contributes to understanding the potential benefits of digital transformation in rural settings for sustainable economic growth and community empowerment. These findings provide insights for policymakers, community leaders, and technology providers in designing and implementing effective strategies for digital inclusion and rural development.

Digital transformation in rural settings: Unlocking opportunities for sustainable economic growth and community empowerment

Purpose: This study explores the potential of digital transformation in rural settings and its role in unlocking opportunities for sustainable economic growth and community empowerment. Method: This study employed a mixed-methods approach that included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders from rural communities, government agencies, and technology experts to gain insights into the current state of digital transformation in rural settings. A survey was also administered to assess their digital literacy levels and attitudes towards digital technologies. Results: The study revealed that the adoption of digital technologies can enhance access to information, improve connectivity, and create new economic opportunities for rural communities. It also demonstrates that digital transformation initiatives can empower community members by providing them with the skills and resources necessary to participate in the digital economy. Furthermore, this study identifies several key success factors for implementing digital transformation in rural areas, including infrastructure development, capacity building, and collaboration between stakeholders. Limitations: This study acknowledges certain limitations, such as the focus on a specific geographic area and potential for response bias in the survey. Further research is needed to explore the generalizability of the findings and to examine the long-term impacts of digital transformation in rural settings. Contributions: This study contributes to understanding the potential benefits of digital transformation in rural settings for sustainable economic growth and community empowerment. These findings provide insights for policymakers, community leaders, and technology providers in designing and implementing effective strategies for digital inclusion and rural development.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN RURAL AREAS: A CASE STUDY OF COMPUTER TRAINING AS COMMUNITY SERVICE

Digital Transformation in rural areas has emerged as a significant subject in enhancing the quality of life for local communities. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of computer training as part of community service initiatives in implementing digital transformation. The research methodology involved structured computer training for rural residents and the evaluation of outcomes through surveys and observations. Findings indicate a significant improvement in IT literacy among participants following the training. Active engagement in this program has enhanced ICT skills within rural communities, creating potential for broader access to digital economic opportunities. In conclusion, computer training can serve as a vital tool in accelerating digital transformation in rural areas and promoting digital inclusivity in rural environments.

Bi-level programming optimization method of rural integrated energy system based on coupling coordination degree of energy equipment

Promoting energy transformation in rural areas, building a Rural Integrated Energy System, and developing multi-energy complementary and comprehensive utilization of rural energy in accordance with local conditions are important paths to support global low-carbon transformation and rural revitalization. However, how to consider the coupling synergy of multiple devices and plan the capacity of multiple devices in rural energy systems in an economical, low-carbon, and reliable manner is an urgent issue facing the development of Rural Integrated Energy System. This paper proposes a bi-level programming optimization method of Rural Integrated Energy System based on coupling coordination degree of energy equipment. Firstly, a multi-dimensional rural user energy utilization framework is designed that comprehensively considers agriculture, animal husbandry, industry, and lifestyle. Secondly, the bi-level optimization model of the Rural Integrated Energy System based on the coupling coordination degree of energy equipment is constructed. The upper-level planning model puts forward the equipment coupling coordination degree, and determines the equipment selection scheme for different types of Rural Integrated Energy System planning. The lower-level planning model considers economy, low carbon, and reliability, and uses the improved multi-objective Harris Hawk optimization algorithm to solve the capacity of different energy equipment in the Rural Integrated Energy System. Finally, the effectiveness and scientific nature of the model and method proposed in this paper are verified by the Integrated Energy Systems of a rural area in the north of China. In addition, by comparing the equipment selection scheme with the traditional method, it can be found that the optimization scheme in this paper that considers the coupling coordination of energy equipment reduces the annualized total cost by 29.34 %, reduces the annual carbon emissions by 60.43 %, and increases the reliability by 15.85 %. The collaborative planning of energy economy, low carbon energy and reliable energy has been realized.

Internal and External Factors Influencing Rural Households’ Investment Intentions in Building Photovoltaic Integration Projects

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) contributes to promoting green and low-carbon transformation in rural areas. In order to better guide rural households to invest in BIPV projects and promote the goal of “carbon neutrality” in China’s building sector, this study integrates the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the social cognitive theory (SCT), and the PEST analysis framework. It constructs a theoretical model from the perspective of “External Factors-Internal Psychology-Investment Intention” to investigate rural households’ investment intentions toward BIPV projects and their influencing factors. Basic data were collected from 488 valid questionnaires from rural households in Henan Province, and the theoretical model was empirically tested using structural equation modeling. The results show that the model constructed from both internal and external factors effectively explains rural households’ investment intentions (II) toward BIPV projects (R2 = 0.89), with investment attitude (IA) being the strongest psychological motivation leading to their II. All four external factors—policy, economic, social, and technological—positively influence II with diminishing effects. Additionally, the policy factor has the most significant effect on IA, while the economic factor has a more prominent effect on perceived behavioral control (PBC), and the technological factor has a relatively weaker effect on the two psychological factors. Furthermore, the four external factors indirectly influence investment intentions through the two psychological factors of IA and PBC, with the mediating effect of IA being higher than PBC. Based on the findings, this study proposes effective suggestions to enhance rural households’ investment intentions toward BIPV projects.

Székelyföldi falvak: periferizálódás és kihívások

The study is related to a research project carried out in cooperation between the Institute of Development and the Centre for Regional and Anthropological Research (KAM), which deals with the situation of settlements in Szeklerland that do not have the status of a settlement centre, and the process of peripheralisation of these settlements after 1989. In the research, we have attempted to contextualise the analysis in the literature on the contemporary changes in rural areas. The research relies to a large extent on previous analyses carried out at the Institute (see, not least, the group DOMUS Programmes, each of which focused on an aspect of the functioning of rural areas). After outlining the literature context on the transformation of rural areas, this paper briefly describes the research and results in Szeklerland.

The impact of digital governance on the health of rural residents: the mediating role of governance efficiency and access to information.

Digital transformation in rural areas has become a key policy priority worldwide. China is also implementing a digital village strategy and actively promoting the digital transformation of rural governance to improve the well-being of rural residents. The literature suggests that digital governance is linked to health, but the mechanisms behind this relationship remain unclear. Using data from the 2021 China Land Economic Survey (CLES), this paper examines the impact of digital governance on the health, longevity, and mental health of rural residents. To enhance the robustness of the conclusions, this paper also introduces a dual machine learning model to solve the endogeneity problem of the model. This study concludes that digital governance has a significant positive impact on the health of rural residents. This finding remains consistent even after addressing endogeneity issues and conducting numerous robustness tests. Mechanistic analyses indicate that digital governance can enhance rural residents' health by improving village governance (environmental governance) and increasing the efficiency of access to personal information. Further analysis reveals that digital governance significantly increases the life expectancy of rural residents but that its effect on mental health is not significant. This study provides new insights into how digital governance affects health, with important implications for health policy development.

ERG 이론을 바탕으로 한 바이마장족(白马藏族)지역사회 환경 의 고령친화적 개선 방안 연구

The elderly in rural areas are faced with the dilemma of poor community environment, weak social communication ability and insufficient pension knowledge reserve. In addition, due to the serious shortage of social security facilities in rural areas and medical resources, the elderly are struggling, and the suicide rate is far higher than that in urban areas. In order to make the elderly have a comfortable pension environment and face the increasingly serious aging problem with a positive attitude, this paper takes the community environment of the Baima Tibetan elderly in Tielou Township, Gansu Province as the research object of aging transformation. First of all, literature data were used to carry out research on the aging transformation in rural areas. On the basis of sorting out previous research topics, ERG theory was determined as the guide. Secondly, the research methods of on-site investigation, interview and other research methods are adopted to investigate the number of left-behind elderly people in this area, and classify them according to the national standards. At the same time, the image of the current situation of the community environment of the elderly. Finally, combined with the ERG theory, the transformation design of the elderly living environment is implemented, mainly from the three aspects of survival, mutual relationship and growth.

Not all supply chains are created equal: The linkages between soy local trade relations and development outcomes in Brazil

Global agricultural trade is a key driver of socioenvironmental transformations in rural areas, including development dynamics. By creating revenue and wealth opportunities, it influences the economic and social relations in a landscape. However, not all landscapes shaped by a given agricultural sector are the same: one variable is how supply chain actors and their embedded networks (including commodity traders, farmers, and input suppliers) develop, maintain, or shift relationship patterns over time. To explore the connections between development and the nature of such trade relationships, particularly between farmers and commodity traders, we take soy as an emblematic example and compare four different municipalities in Brazil. The contrasting cases are Passo Fundo (RS), an old soy-growing area in Brazil’s South, in a consolidated agricultural region with relatively persistent relationships between farmers and commodity traders; Sorriso (MT), in a more recently occupied agricultural region in the country’s Center-West, with relatively low persistence of supply-chain relations; Balsas (MA), a place with persistent supply-chain relations in the so-called Matopiba agricultural expansion frontier; and Bom Jesus (PI), also a frontier municipality but having less persistent relations. We build on quantitative assessments of supply-chain stickiness in those four municipalities, which is understood as the persistence of those commercial relationships in contrast to volatility. Analyzing qualitative data collected through over 30 field interviews with local actors, we show how soy supply-chain relations significantly differ across places. We distinguish them particularly in terms of lock-in effects on farmers and level of trust. Crucially, our findings identify supplier cooperatives as key mediating institutions in the supply chain, counterbalancing the power of commodity traders over farmers. Such cooperatives are also associated with more equitable development outcomes. Yet, they require high levels of social trust and distribute wealth primarily within the sector, leaving other farmers excluded.

Examining proximity factors in public-private collaboration models for sustainable agri-food system transformation: a comparative study of two rural communities

Collaboration among local actors is considered an important precondition for a sustainable transformation of the regional agri-food system. To date, however, little is known about the social innovation capacity of local farmers when it comes to the establishment of alternative food networks. This is especially true for farmers’ collaborations with local government officials, which are becoming increasingly important in establishing sustainability-oriented markets for local products and services, especially in the agricultural sector that is often rooted in rigid logics, supply chains and institutions. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the concept of proximity as an analytical lens to understand private-public collaboration models that aim at facilitating sustainable transformation in rural areas. Drawing on concepts from innovation geography, this paper considers the influence of geographic, cognitive, institutional, organizational and social determinants of collaboration, enabling an evaluation of the social innovation capacity of local private and public actors. This theoretical approach helps to disassemble and differentiate social innovation processes to determine success strategies. The paper studies two rural communities where mayors aim to establish local food stores with regional products and, therefore, seek collaboration with local farmers. While the empirical aspect of the study is limited, the two cases provide an opportunity to test the theoretical framework. The proximity approach can be significant for regional agri-food system transformation and steering social innovation processes by considering the distinct capacities of actors. Our conclusion is that the examination of the absence and degree of proximity facilitates a better understanding of practical recommendations to promote agri-food system transformation.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL AND INNOVATIONS FOR TRANSFORMATION OF RURAL AREAS IN BULGARIA

Nowadays, the role of the human factor in achieving economic growth, improving the quality of life and increasing the well-being of people in rural areas is significantly increasing. This is due to critical factors for lagging development or "marginalization" of rural areas, which leads to depopulation of migration, as well as loss of economic and social capital as building blocks for economic growth. At the same time, there is an upward trend for the revival and transformation of rural areas in Bulgaria thanks to social capital, expressed through growing trust and partnership, as well as the charge of collective voluntary interaction and civic energy.Social capital refers to the resources and benefits that individuals or groups in a society can access through their social networks, relationships, and interactions. It encompasses trust, cooperation and social norms that facilitate cooperation and coordination between people. In this report, the author examines the role and factors for the development of social capital in rural areas of Bulgaria by making a comparative analysis of good practices related to the revival of small settlements thanks to civic activity and social innovations. As a result of the research, the thesis is confirmed that the formation of social capital in rural areas is a long process and depends on factors and events that contribute to the development and strengthening of social networks, trust and cooperation within communities. These factors can help foster a sense of community, cooperation and shared identity among rural residents in Bulgaria, which is especially important in situations of natural disasters, hazards and challenges.In addition, the report examines the role of social capital in Bulgaria as a tool for restoring trust and local identity in rural areas after a long political and economic transition, as well as the contribution of social innovations to the implementation of community-led local development. The role of local action groups as a new kind of collective form for organizing communities in rural areas and the potential for revival based on local resources and identity is traced.

Spatial–Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Rural Development in Northeast China

An assessment of rural development and its driving factors can effectively reflect the characteristics and transformation of rural areas and provide important information for the formulation and implementation of rural development strategies. Taking Northeast China as study area, a rural development index framework was constructed from three dimensions, i.e., basic rural conditions, the state of agricultural development, and farmers’ living standards, based on which the rural development level of each city in Northeast China for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 was assessed. Then, an exploratory spatial data analysis was used to explore the spatial and temporal variations in the rural development level in Northeast China during the period 2000–2020. The driving factors were also analyzed using a geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The results showed that the rural development level showed an increasing trend overall, with a spatial pattern of “high in the central, low in the east and west” in most periods. The degree of spatial agglomeration of the rural development level also showed a strengthening trend overall. The hots spots of rural development were mainly distributed in the Southern and Northern regions, while the cold spots were mostly concentrated in the central, eastern and western regions. Urbanization processes, elevation, annual precipitation and other natural factors have weakened the level of rural development to a certain extent, while agricultural production upgrading, an increase in the general public budget expenditure per capita and the sound financial situation of the government can promote rural development in Northeast China. The effects of the natural environment and local economic conditions on rural development were different in different regions. To improve rural development in the future, we should scientifically grasp the basic conditions, such as rural resource endowment, location conditions, agricultural technology, policies, investment and other external conditions, and formulate regional rural development strategies according to local conditions and in light of local rural characteristics.

Examination of rural architecture that shapes sustainable tourism in emerging economies through stakeholder perspectives: Sile, Istanbul

ABSTRACT Tourism has been recognized as an essential economic development tool generating revenue and employment for nations’ economies. The study aims to prevent the migration of local communities to another place, the disappearance of cultural traditions over time, the inactivity of historical rural buildings, and the transformation of rural areas into places unsuitable for daily life and rituals of the local people with sustainable rural tourism policies and strategies. For this purpose, a participatory perspective will be presented by considering the differences of Akcakese Village in Sile, as in the case studies, with a holistic database to be created in line with the views of tourists, residents, public officials, and tour organizers. This case study has used a conceptual framework of current trends in sustainable rural tourism, as well as a combination of a SWOT matrix and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach to understanding the primary ways in which a declining rural destination can utilize its architectural heritage to regenerate physically, socially, and economically. In this way, the study will contribute to determining the applications that can be made to revitalize the historical rural areas, which have experienced a similar decline with Akcakese Village over time, focusing on rural tourism.

Evolution of the cadastre renewal understanding in Türkiye: A fit-for-purpose renewal model proposal

Keeping the cadastre up to date is as important as establishing it for securely conducting people-to-land relations. As a concept, cadastral renewal refers to digitising the cadastral plan and correcting errors because of cadastre in the legal land registry information, updating them in a format and structure to create infrastructure for spatial information systems, making them available for use. Before 1987, cadastral work was conducted following various production methods and laws of the period. As a result of rapid urbanisation, the transformation of rural areas into urban areas, and the increase in the value of parcels, the delay in land-related investment projects because cadastral data and technical documents do not meet the expectations of accuracy and completeness, has been discussed for a long time in the country. Cadastral renewal projects carried out in places of urgent need because of technical and legal problems have become state policies with the Land Registry and Cadastre Modernization Project (TKMP), initiated in 2007 using the resources provided by the World Bank. In this project, it was determined that 22.3 million of the existing 58.3 million cadastral parcels in Türkiye should be renewed. As of 2021, approximately 14 million parcels have been renewed by the participation of the private sector while the renewal of the rest has been ongoing. This study examined the adequacy of the existing land registry and cadastre data within the scope of rural cadastral renewal. In this framework, the cadastral technical file, land book, and land registry information in the Land Registry and Cadastre Information System (TAKBIS) were compared within the classification framework, and their differences were determined. In addition, the parcel areas calculated by initial cadastral surveys years ago to establish the cadastre were compared with the legal areas and new areas of the parcels calculated after the renewal. It was found that 90.37% of the parcel areas calculated based on the initial surveys were consistent with those calculated after the renewal, whereas 67.47% were consistent with the legal areas within the tolerance values. According to these results, supported by other findings, cost-effective and rapid cadastre renewal has been proposed.

Transitions towards Sustainable and Resilient Rural Areas in Revitalising India: A Framework for Localising SDGs at Gram Panchayat Level

Twenty-first century rural development (RD) demands a new paradigm of sustainability capable of addressing the difficulties and leveraging on the possibilities, such as climate change, demographic shift, international competitiveness, and rapid technological progress. Amidst these challenges, it is necessary to have a guiding framework from a long-term perspective that aids the integration of current RD policies while allowing space for location and community-specific innovations for implementing sustainable and resilient development strategies. India has witnessed several schemes and programmes for RD with exclusive objectives, varied focus areas, and separate domains, resulting in compartmentalisation in policy frameworks and disjointed implementation. Such initiatives were also often ideated from an urban perspective when it came to peri-urban rural areas or offered a generalist rural perspective (when referring to other rural regions, including those nested in ecological zones, thereby disregarding their local relevance). Accordingly, this study proposes a synchronised SMART village framework to tailor existing RD approaches for sustainable transformations aligned with the sustainable development goals and with a possibility of scaling its applicability in the local context. We initially conducted a bibliometric analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of the emerging transformative approaches to RD, such as smart village (SV). Though in its nascent stage, the SV initiatives in India primarily envision information and communication technology enabled transformations in rural areas, often forcing villages to establish the relevance of such interventions. The study recognises key challenges to RD in India by using the problem tree analysis and further defines a SMART village framework that can be catalytic in transforming rural areas towards a sustainable and resilient state.

СІЛЬСЬКИЙ ЗЕЛЕНИЙ ТУРИЗМ ЯК НАПРЯМ РОЗВИТКУ ТЕРИТОРІЙ: ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКИЙ ДОСВІД

Modern approaches to the regulation and development of rural tourism as a factor in the transformation of rural areas are examined in the article. The theoretical provisions of rural tourism and its importance in international and domestic practice have been studied. The main feature of this type of tourism is the importance of aesthetics, environment, and economy of rural areas in ensuring their sustainable development. The purpose of the research, the results of which are presented in this article, is to substantiate the role and specifics of rural green tourism in the sustainable development of local rural communities based on the study of the best practices of European countries and to generalize recommendations for implementing this experience in Ukrainian realities. The following methods were used: theoretical generalization, factor analysis, abstract-logical (theoretical generalizations, formulation of conclusions), the method of statistical and economic groupings. Approaches to the state regulation of rural tourism are considered using the example of leading European countries. The characteristic features of rural tourism as a separate field of tourist activity are determined. It has been proven that rural tourism is an important tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and its development requires simplification of bureaucratic procedures and harmonization of European and domestic legislation. Diversification of the offer of family farms as centers of rural green tourism has significant potential for the sustainable development of local communities, which is confirmed by international experience. In international practice, rural tourism is either regulated at the legislative level as a separate industry or included in the general tourism regulation of the country, but in both cases, it is part of the diversification policy of agriculture and a tool for local communities’ development. In addition, it is necessary to jointly solve the problem of informing consumers about the value of the product within the framework of sustainable tourism. Here too, effective use of information distribution channels, especially Internet capabilities, is of great importance.

Initiatives of the Indonesian Government for Digital Transformation in Rural Areas

Indonesia is undergoing a digital transformation with a strong focus on building digital infrastructure and harnessing digital technologies to drive sustainable economic growth. Digital literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructures are important to this shift. The Indonesian government also encourages rural development by improving the connectivity and accessibility of rural people to ICT, giving them more power over their development. To achieve a beneficial influence on rural communities, rural peoples must treat the use of ICT in rural regions cautiously and strive to understand its socio-cultural effects. This article aims to study government activities in Indonesia for building ICT infrastructure in rural regions and to acquire a thorough understanding of ICT developments. The research objective is to comprehensively depict ICT development within Indonesia’s rural regions and examine its potential implications for the indigenous population. The Indonesian government should increase competitiveness among its population in the public and private sectors. The government should actively oversee and enhance the digital skills of economic actors in rural areas, offer incentives for innovation, develop communication strategies, and close the digital divide for mountain communities.