TERRAE: UL FE and Črna na Koroškem in a European project for rural development

The new European initiative TERRAE: Digital Twins-Enabled Rural Resilience in Agriculture and Forestry was presented at the Municipality of Črna na Koroškem. The project, fully funded by the Horizon Europe programme, brings together 17 partners from eight countries (Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Poland, Belgium and Slovenia) and will develop digital approaches to support sustainable development and increase the resilience of rural communities.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana and the Municipality of Črna na Koroškem are also participating in the project, where one of the pilot implementations will take place. Within the Slovenian pilot, a digital model of the area will be developed in Črna na Koroškem to enable monitoring of forest conditions, simulation of the consequences of natural disasters, and support for spatial planning and decision-making.

The project was presented by Alessia Torre (Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Italy), representative of the lead partner, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between research organizations, local communities and other stakeholders in developing digital solutions for rural areas.

“The TERRAE project combines the power of digital technologies with the involvement of local communities. Rural stakeholders are the ones who know their environments best and are the only ones who can provide us with valuable insights into their everyday challenges and needs, allowing us to develop user-friendly digital tools that effectively support them in their daily lives and economic activities,” said Alessia Torre, TERRAE project manager from Fondazione Bruno Kessler.

The planned activities of the Slovenian pilot were presented by Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana. “At the Laboratory for Telecommunications at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, we have been developing and piloting digital solutions for rural communities for many years. It is essential for us that technologies are co-created together with the communities they are intended for and tested with them in practice. When we received the invitation to participate in the TERRAE project, we immediately thought of Črna na Koroškem, both because of the challenges it faces in terms of digital connectivity and because of the experience of the catastrophic floods in 2023, which exposed the vulnerability of local communities and the need for better crisis management tools. With this project, we hope to help the municipality strengthen its resilience and provide local decision-makers with high-quality data for more informed and effective decisions,” said Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh.

The importance of the municipality’s involvement in the project was presented by Ms Romana Lesjak, Mayor of the Municipality of Črna na Koroškem, who highlighted the opportunities the project brings for local development.

“For the Municipality of Črna na Koroškem, participation in the TERRAE project represents an important opportunity to strengthen the resilience of our community. The digital twin will enable continuous monitoring of conditions, simulation of the consequences of various events, and more proactive spatial management, especially in the field of forestry, as 83% of our municipality is covered by forests. This will allow us to better plan recovery measures after natural disasters and reduce environmental and economic damage,” emphasized Ms Romana Lesjak.

“We also see the project as an opportunity to empower the local community and strengthen cooperation between experts and residents. Local stakeholders, including volunteer firefighters who play a key role in responding to natural disasters, will also be important in this process. At the same time, we aim to preserve Črna as a safe and sustainable destination through responsible spatial management,” she added.

The total value of the project amounts to €5,995,575.03, of which €313,042 is allocated to the University of Ljubljana and €126,500 to the pilot area of the Municipality of Črna na Koroškem.