In addition to the direct health threat, COVID-19 also brings with it a large number of negative side effects, such as quarantine, restriction of movement, restriction of work, changes in supply, reduction of hobby activities and cultural activities, etc. Through the collection of best practice examples, the challenge aims to contribute to the discussion on how the negative impacts of COVID-19 can be addressed by innovative interventions, be they a new policy, a private sector scheme, a community measure, or an initiative started by an individual living in a countryside.

Conception
The Challenge will collect and publish practical examples from across Europe, with the overall goal of reducing negative spill-over effects of the epidemic on everyday life in the rural regions. The individual examples will be published on the Atlas of the Best Practices, which is a platform developed by the Enabling project (https://www.enabling-project.com/) and is implemented into the PoliRural innovation hub (https://hub.polirural.eu/best-practises) to showcase success stories of rural new entrants.

Basic Scheme of the Atlas

The individual topics will also be addressed in close correlation with the Polirural projects (https://polirural.eu/), which focuses on the analysis of rural policies.

System Components of the Atlas

Your mentors will be

PETR HORAK Education: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, Forest engineering. SW development experience, mainly web solution for geo-spatial data, GIS specialisation, research, development, testing and exploitation of services and geo-information technologies for spatial data management in the area of natural, technical and social sciences, new development, testing and exploitation of services and technologies for spatial data management in areas of rural development including agriculture and forestry, emergency systems, logistics and public administration, implementation of new communication and navigation technologies. Extensive experience of EC projects (project management, development and implementation): Enabling – Enhance New Approaches in BioBased Local Innovation Networks for Growth (2017 – present), Envirogrids (2009 – 2012), Plan4all (project manager, system developer, 2009 – 2011), EarthlookCZ (co-ordinator of the project, 2007-2009), Collaboration at Rural – C@R (2006 – 2010), AMI4FOR new model for knowledge management in forestry based on integration of principles of ambiente mobile intelligence, new methods of navigation and integration of space imaging (2005 – 2008), MILQ-QC-TOOL the development of predictive models on the Internet for optimisation of heat treatment of raw milk in small and medium-sized dairy companies (2005 – 2007), NATURNET-REDIME New Education and Decision Support Model for Active Behaviour in Sustainable Development Based on Innovative Web Services and Qualitative (2005 – 2007).

---

PAVEL KOGUT, MSc, is an experienced researcher and training facilitator who has worked on an extensive portfolio of agriculture related projects e.g. agINFRA, Green Learning Network, PoliRural. He is currently involved in the day-to-day management of an H2020 project PoliVisu, which aims to improve policy making through data and advanced visualisations. Prior to that, Pavel was an assistant analyst at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. Pavel’s career in research began in London’s third sector where he helped a number of charities evaluate their projects for the Big Lottery. 

---