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Rural Technological Movement

Our vision of rural areas

The rural challenge

Villages have been losing people for decades and no policy has managed to turn it around. We believe the key lies in a sector that is growing all over the world: technology.

  1. 01Why it matters
  2. 02What is failing
  3. 03The opportunity
  4. 04Why now

Chapter 01

Why rural areas matter

The rural exodus began in the 1960s. Today it is no longer a stampede but a steady trickle of young people leaving because their line of work does not exist in their village.

And it is not only a problem for the people who live there. Try emptying this village:

  • Food security. The fields produce: farming is the foundation of our food sovereignty.
  • Well-kept hills. Human activity clears the woodland and keeps the balance with wildlife.
  • Life. School, bar, shop and services open.

That is why there have always been policies against depopulation, from the CAP to tourism incentives. But none has managed to change the trend.

Keeping people in villages is a matter of national importance. It is time to look for new forms of rural development.

Chapter 02

What is failing

In small villages, with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and far from a big city, three sectors dominate. They are the foundation of their economy and life, but they are not making the population grow. Tap each one to see our diagnosis.

Farming Sustains the population Grows the population Tap to flip ↻ The foundation, but no job growth It is the foundation of many villages and of our food, and supports many families. But with mechanisation, each job needs more and more hectares: it sustains those already there without creating new jobs to bring more people in.
Livestock Sustains the population Grows the population Tap to flip ↻ Sustains, but with fewer hands It supports families, landscape and woodland, especially extensive grazing. But margins are tight and intensive farming produces ever more with fewer people, so it does not create the new jobs that would make the village grow either.
Tourism Sustains the population Grows the population Tap to flip ↻ Brings life, but not enough to grow It is the fastest-growing sector and brings many villages to life. But it is concentrated in a few destinations, it is seasonal and much of the work is temporary, so on its own it cannot make the population grow.

Qualitative assessment based on our analysis.

All three sectors are the foundation of villages and sustain the people who live there. But none is growing enough for the population to increase.

Chapter 03

The opportunity: a fourth rural sector

We propose adding a fourth sector to villages, one that complements the existing ones and can grow steadily and attract new residents. Today, the only sector booming worldwide is technology.

See how the village changes with each sector. Tap one and drag the model to rotate it:

Why is it such a good fit for rural areas? Drag the slider to compare:

Traditional industry Moves goods
  • Needs roads, industrial estates and logistics
  • Clusters around big cities
  • Caused the rural exodus
Tech industry Moves electrons
  • Needs connectivity, talent and quality of life
  • Can work for the world from anywhere
  • And the village is a better place to work

Our proposal, in three steps. Tap each one:

Chapter 04

Why now

A rural tech sector is only possible if both sides are interested: villages and people who work in tech. And that interest already exists. Who are you?

In the city
In a village

The urban exodus has already begun. Many people want to leave the city, but they have not yet done so because of the barriers in place.
Next What stands in the way: the 10 barriers And what we do to break them down →