International Conference at the University of Siegen: Shaping Innovation in Rural Areas Together
How can innovation in rural areas be reimagined and reshaped? The “International Conference on Innovation in Rural Regions” (ICIRR), held recently at the University of Siegen, addressed this question. About 75 participants from Germany, Turkey, the U.S., Canada, Botswana, Palestine, and the United Kingdom gathered to discuss and further develop existing and new research approaches.
The conference focused on the perspective of viewing rural regions not merely as peripheral areas, but as independent, complex sociotechnical systems. The presentations addressed topics including digital education, local infrastructure, agriculture and the environment, health, the circular economy, and community-oriented and inclusive approaches to innovation. The question of how political and institutional frameworks promote or hinder innovation also played an important role.
The program included twelve academic papers, as well as posters and workshops. All contributions underwent a peer-review process and were published in the digital library of the European Society for Socially Embedded Technologies (EUSSET). A key outcome of the conference was the international and interdisciplinary exchange: Despite differing regional starting conditions, numerous commonalities emerged regarding challenges, issues, and potential solutions. The constructive dialogue also led to the initiation of concrete collaborations.
“The conference demonstrated how valuable international exchange on the future of rural regions is—especially for a region like South Westphalia, which combines rural structures with industrial strength. We deliberately sought to focus on rural-industrial regions and discuss together how they are addressing their respective challenges. Comparing different regional experiences opens up new perspectives and allows us to learn from one another. We initiated this international exchange with the conference and would like to continue it in the future,” say Prof. Dr. Volker Wulf and Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller from the University of Siegen.
The Chair of “Business Information Systems and New Media” (Prof. Dr. Volker Wulf) and the Chair of “IT for the Aging Society” (Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller) organized the conference in collaboration with the DNZ (nonprofit association for digitized and sustainable cooperation). The strong international response underscored the broad academic interest in rural areas and their future. Given the positive exchange and the participants’ interest, further conferences are planned.
