Funded Projects 2014-2020

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Project DISTINCT

Project Acronym DISTINCT
Project Title Disruptive Technologies Transforming NPA Communities
Project subsite

Summary

Provision of public services is a major challenge in NPA areas due to lack of critical mass and human resources in remote dispersed communities with low population densities and urgent need to address climate change.

This project explores the practical application of Disruptive Technologies in public service provision. This includes use of Virtual Reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain in health and social care, environmental management and training.

Successful application can save costs, increase viability, improve use of scarce human resources, span distances and improve decision making.

However, the small number and concentration of disruptive technology research and innovation centres, allied with low levels of awareness, present serious blocks to realising this improvement.

The approach of DISTINCT is to work on a transnational axis, producing discrete outputs to overcome these blocks and challenges, i.e.: Use technology foresight techniques and structured engagement with public sector and research/innovation workers to estimate demand  and identify applications, models and solutions; Deploy demonstrators and develop disruptive technology rollout roadmaps to build awareness, confidence and implementation knowledge in distinct public sector areas (environment, health/social care and training); Document existing disruptive technology centres of capacity and best practice options to improve innovation and diffusion.

This will drive achievement of the project’s main result, i.e., “3 NPA regions with significantly enhanced capacity to deliver future-proof viable public services using disruptive technologies” and contribute to the NPA Programme result for Priority Axis 1- Innovation.

The project brings together 3 main partners (university/public sector) from Finland, Ireland, Sweden with associate partners from Iceland and Canada.

Objectives

Develop the awareness and preparedness of three public authorities in the NPA to use disruptive technologies to implement new future-proof models of public service delivery that address skills shortages and low critical mass in remote areas.

Evaluate the potential of the NPA area’s disruptive technologies centres of research and innovation to better meet the future service development needs of the NPA remote and peripheral communities.

Develop usable tools and roadmaps that can catalyse the uptake of disruptive technologies for public service delivery, particularly in the key areas of health, environment and training.

Impacts

Intangible

Raising awareness:

The DISTINCT project allowed to bring disruptive technologies (IoT, AI, AR/VR, Blockchain) into the agenda and discussions of over 40 public sector organisations in the NPA. Throughout examples, webinars, and recommendations, public authorities are now more aware of how disruptive technologies can improve their service provision.

 
Changing attitude and behaviour:

The feedback received shows a change of attitude towards the use of disruptive technologies. Several organisations have expressed their interest in being involved in starting trialling and implementing some new solutions. The project witnessed the change of mindsets of several public sector organisations, moving from the thought “this is not for me” to, “it would be good to try how these technologies could help me in my challenging tasks”.

 

Lead Partner

Partners

Project Info

Theme
Governmental, community, urban-rural development
Priority
1 Innovation
Objective
1.2 Increased innovation in public service provision
Project duration
30-09-20 to 30-03-22
Total budget
153 845 EUR
NPA co-financing
99 999 EUR
Target groups
local public authority
regional public authority
sectoral agency
infrastructure and (public) service provider
higher education and research
education/training centre and school
enterprise, including SME
General public
Joint Secretariat Desk Officer
Kirsti Mijnhijmer