Rural district description

Central Greece is one of the country’s most diverse regions in environmental, economic and social terms, combining mountain areas, plains, coastal zones and important agricultural landscapes. While the region has significant strengths in farming, food production, natural resources, local products and tourism, these are not evenly distributed across rural and urban areas. These disparities create both challenges and opportunities for strengthening territorial cohesion, enhancing rural-urban linkages and supporting locally driven development. In this context, Central Greece is a strong pilot for integrated rural-urban action based on sustainability and local value creation.

Challenge description

The anticipated outcome is a more resilient, inclusive and digitally transformed rural-urban ecosystem in Central Greece. This will be achieved through stronger digital and green skills among rural stakeholders, wider adoption of smart farming and climate-smart practices, stronger agritourism-driven local economies, increased visibility and value of local products and cultural assets, and better integration between the agri-food, tourism, and cultural sectors.

Anticipated result

The anticipated outcome is a more resilient, inclusive and digitally transformed rural-urban ecosystem in Central Greece. This will be achieved through stronger digital and green skills among rural stakeholders, wider adoption of smart farming and climate-smart practices, stronger agritourism-driven local economies, increased visibility and value of local products and cultural assets, and better integration between the agri-food, tourism, and cultural sectors.

Image credit: 1, 2

Open calls

OpenFarm – Smart Agritourism Challenge

Lead Entity: OpenFarm

OpenFarm organised the Smart Agritourism Challenge (a two-day hackathon) in Central Greece, bringing together more than 60 participants from farming, business, education, technology, and public institutions. The event fostered cross-sector collaboration, produced innovative agritourism concepts, and strengthened links between rural and urban actors. It also helped translate PoliRuralPlus digital tools into practical local use, showing how agritourism can support innovation, sustainability, and regional resilience.

DASK

Lead Organisation: DASKALOS APPS

Partners: KIPA - Kyhtherian Foundation for Culture and Development, ENVCON

DASK is developing an integrated digital gateway specifically designed for the rural agricultural communities of Kythera and Antikythera. The platform responds to a practical barrier identified in the project: existing tools for e-commerce, training, advisory services, and knowledge support are often fragmented, difficult to use, and not sufficiently adapted to the realities of remote island farming and local AKIS actors. To address this, DASK brings together a marketplace, agritourism experiences, training opportunities, and a knowledge base within a single, coherent, farmer-friendly platform that is accessible, locally grounded, and tailored to the needs of these island communities.

Winning projects news

Policy briefs

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