Now the Swedish Board of Agriculture has approved Leader Gute's first project support for the program period 2023–27. The project ”Hosting 2030” is awarded 810,000 kronor to develop and test a new digital model for circular collaboration in local business networks.
Pilot projects will take place in Roma, Klintehamn, and Hemse and also aim to achieve the local strategy for Gotland 2040 regarding offering the opportunities of digitalization to actors in rural areas as well as increased collaboration for a vibrant countryside year-round.
The initiative is based on needs and interests among the local associations and businesses. Roma is the first out, and parallel to the project, a new website for the community will be launched.
Easy-to-use and decentralized platform
In ”Hosting 2030,” an easy-to-use, decentralized platform is used where local actors can collaboratively develop and communicate the local business offerings. They can easily digitalize and present what their businesses offer in various areas and mobile recommend each other directly to visitors.
With the platform, they can develop and communicate the local business offerings in different lists and themes such as ”service in Roma” or ”reuse in Klintehamn.”.
By allowing all actors to participate and help market the local offerings, a shared hosting and a local place information service is created.
The recommendations are directed directly to both those who live and operate in the community as well as to visitors from other places, creating direct contact without intermediaries in the form of large digital platforms that take commissions.
More local direct businesses
The digital platform used in ”Hospitality 2030” is called Loci Network and has been developed by Gotland-based Roombler, which is also the project owner in close collaboration with local stakeholders.
– We unleash the power of existing local business networks. New networks are created when one can see which other actors are locally available to collaborate. The local actors can then present or package themselves together in the form of lists on various themes that help visitors discover them and make direct contact. Lists can be made with all possible orientations such as, for example, for local farm shops or craftsmen. It is up to each community to decide what they want to create, says the project leader. Per Nilsson.
The information of individual businesses listed is quite brief and easy to update with both text, images, directions, and contact information. Here, the visitor should quickly and overview get current information and direct contact with the business. (See examples from Roma in the image above!)
– It does not replace the businesses' websites or other platforms. It is a business-driven complement to create more local direct sales, says Per Nilsson.
Digital dissemination and recommendations
The participating companies then spread information about the app and recommend lists and each other mobile via their own digital channels. In addition, digital bulletin boards with QR codes to lists are set up in stores and other public places in the community. Information can also be spread via joint websites for the towns or areas that participate. It is about highlighting and showcasing the local place's full life as well as providing tools to create even more life and movement together.
Underway in Roma – strong local engagement
The project is based on a need and interest among the local associations and companies in the three rural areas of Gotland that participate. The work is already fully underway in Roma and in the startup phase in Klintehamn and Hemse. In Roma, it is the Roma Interest Association and the association Roma Kungsgårds Framtid that are partners in ”Värdskap 2030”. Lists of services and companies can already be seen on Roma's website: www.romagotland.se
– The strong local engagement and interest in the project is very encouraging, says Per Nilsson.
The ambition is that ”Värdskap 2030” will eventually spread as a model for the development of local business networks in other places on Gotland and the mainland.
Facts about ”Värdskap 2030”:
- The project ”Värdskap 2030” is awarded 810,000 kronor in project support from Leader Gute.
- The project will test a new digital model for collaboration in local business networks in Roma, Klintehamn, and Hemse to show what is possible and then spread the sustainable model to many other places in Sweden and abroad.
- The initiative is based on a need and interest among local associations and companies in the three areas.
- The goal is a shared hospitality and a partially automated information service for the local business networks – to provide more local direct businesses and visitors as well as more money that stays for local development.
- The model in the project is based on the digital platform Loci Network, which is adapted for local business structures and has been developed in Gotland.
- The project owner is Roombler Consulting and the project manager is Per Nilsson.
- Partner to ”Värdskap 2030” is the project ”Three Towns in Cooperation” for the development of Roma, Klintehamn, and Hemse. Behind it are the following associations: Knutpunkt Hemse, Klintetraktens Framtid, Roma Interest Association, and the Association for Roma Kungsgårds Framtid in collaboration with the Study Association Vuxenskolan.