dot.rural: Aberdeen University’s Rural Digital Think Tank

I had a very interesting meeting with four members of the rural research group dot.rural on Thursday afternoon.

I’m interested in the activities of dot.rural because it brings together two of my interests: the rural agenda and the digital world. Its website says:

dot.rural is a digital economy research centre at the University of Aberdeen. Researchers are exploring how digital technologies such as computers, mobile phones and the internet can enhance the delivery of crucial services, including healthcare and transport, in rural areas across the UK

It’s funded by a 5-year, £11.8 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Digital Economy Programme and commenced activity in October 2009

If you’re interested, then I hope to do an interview with someone from dot.rural in the coming weeks in which I’ll explore all that in more detail. It’s exciting stuff, though and really important for a country like Scotland in which most remote and rural communities struggle economically. They could all benefit tremendously through greater (and affordable) access to digital technologies, mobile phones, computers etc.

Thanks to Claire Thorne, dot.rural’s training and outreach officer for setting up the meeting. She introduced me to:

• Dr Lizzy Tait, impact assessment research fellow
• Dr Marsaili Macleod, enterprise & culture research fellow
• Dr Leanne Townsend, Enterprise & Culture Research Fellow

I’ll come back to this research centre in another post (and hopefully in some podcasts), but take a look at the website and have a look around. Having worked on the EU’s Incluso project in 2009/10 and met with EU officers I have an inkling of how the wheels turn in the background, and result in changes some years down the line.

There’s lots of really exciting research going on there that will have real impacts on rural life in Scotland (and in other nations, too).