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PoliRural · Project

Text Mining and Scenario Planning Tools for Rural Policy Effectiveness

environmentPrototypeTRL 4
polirural.eu

Imagine trying to figure out why young people keep leaving the countryside — and whether government programs to stop it are actually working. This project built software tools to mine public text sources and extract what rural residents and potential newcomers actually think about living in the countryside. It also created simulation models that show how rural areas across Europe could evolve through 2040 under different policy scenarios. Think of it as a GPS for rural policy: it shows where things are heading and which turns might actually help.

By the numbers
€5,999,875
EU funding invested in developing the tools
43
Partner organizations across the consortium
17
Countries where tools were developed and tested
11
SMEs actively involved in the project
40%
Industry participation rate in the consortium
48
Total project deliverables produced
2040
Forward horizon for rural development scenario modeling
The business problem

What needed solving

Governments and regional agencies spend heavily on rural development programs but have no reliable way to know which interventions are working, who is actually benefiting, and what the countryside will look like in 20 years if current trends continue. Depopulation, land abandonment, and biodiversity loss move slowly but are largely irreversible once they take hold, making early, evidence-based policy decisions critical.

The solution

What was built

Three tools were built: a System Dynamics simulation tool (initial prototype) that models how rural areas could evolve under different scenarios through 2040; an Innovation Hub platform (first release) for collaborative, data-driven policy design; and a text mining solution (first version) that extracts public perceptions of rural attractiveness from online sources without the need for costly field surveys.

Audience

Who needs this

Regional development consultancies advising national or EU governments on rural programsGovTech vendors building or expanding policy analytics platformsAgricultural land investment and asset management firms needing 20-year scenario dataRural tourism and relocation promotion agencies assessing market sentimentInsurance companies modeling long-term depopulation and land-use risk
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Regional Policy Consulting
mid-size
Target: Government affairs and regional development consultancy

If you are a regional development consultancy advising governments on rural investment programs — this project developed a text mining platform that automatically extracts public perceptions of rural attractiveness from online sources, replacing months of manual survey work. The tools were validated across a consortium of 43 partners in 17 countries, giving them broad applicability across diverse European rural contexts.

AgriTech and Land Management
SME
Target: Agricultural technology company or rural land investment firm

If you are an agricultural technology company with clients deciding where to invest in rural land — this project developed a System Dynamics simulation tool that models rural development trajectories to 2040 under multiple scenarios. The consortium included 11 SMEs working on practical applications, and the 40% industry participation rate signals tools designed with real-world usability in mind.

Public Sector Technology
enterprise
Target: Software vendor supplying analytics platforms to national or regional governments

If you are a govtech vendor looking to expand your policy analytics portfolio — this project produced an Innovation Hub platform and a text mining solution tested across 17 countries, addressing a persistent gap in how governments assess the impact of rural programs. With 48 total deliverables and backing from 43 partner organizations, the technology base is substantial enough to anchor a commercial product.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much does it cost to license or deploy these tools?

Based on available project data, the tools were developed under a €5,999,875 EU-funded research initiative and produced as open-source prototypes. Licensing and commercialization terms are not publicly defined; contact the coordinator at CESKA ZEMEDELSKA UNIVERZITA V PRAZE for deployment costs.

Have these tools been tested at meaningful scale, or only in the lab?

The project produced initial prototypes and first releases tested across a 43-partner consortium spanning 17 countries, which is a meaningful real-world breadth. Based on available project data, full-scale commercial deployment has not been confirmed — the tools remain at prototype and first-release stage.

Who owns the IP, and can we license or commercialize these tools?

Based on available project data, the lead coordinator is CESKA ZEMEDELSKA UNIVERZITA V PRAZE in the Czech Republic. EU-funded RIA projects typically require open access to results by default; contact the coordinator directly to clarify commercialization rights and any licensing arrangements.

How quickly could these tools be integrated into an existing analytics platform?

The Innovation Hub had its first release and the text mining tool its first version by project close in September 2022, meaning the codebases exist and are not purely conceptual. Based on available project data, specific integration timelines or API documentation are not confirmed in public materials.

Are there GDPR or data compliance issues with the text mining component?

The text mining solution extracts information from public sources about rural perceptions, which reduces but does not eliminate GDPR exposure. Based on available project data, the project operated within EU research guidelines, but any commercial deployment would require a GDPR compliance review for personal data processing.

How far ahead does the forecasting model actually look?

The foresight study models rural development scenarios through 2040, with agriculture and rural population trends as the core variables. Based on available project data, the scenarios were developed using a System Dynamics modeling approach validated across the 43-partner consortium.

Is there ongoing support available now that the project has closed?

The project closed in September 2022. Based on available project data, post-project commercial support is not confirmed, but the consortium includes 11 research organizations and 4 universities across 17 countries that may offer consultancy or customization services.

Consortium

Who built it

The PoliRural consortium is large and geographically diverse: 43 partners across 17 countries, covering both Western and Eastern Europe as well as Israel and North Macedonia. The 40% industry ratio — 17 industry participants including 11 SMEs — is notably high for a rural policy research project, which suggests the tools were designed with commercial and practical applications in mind from the start. The remaining partners split between 11 research organizations and 4 universities, providing scientific rigor alongside the applied orientation. For a business buyer, the breadth of the consortium is both a strength (the tools were stress-tested across very different rural contexts) and a consideration (no single commercial champion is evident, so there is no obvious vendor to call — the route to licensing runs through the Czech university coordinator).

How to reach the team

Lead coordinator: CESKA ZEMEDELSKA UNIVERZITA V PRAZE (Czech University of Life Sciences Prague) — search the project website or Google AI Search for the PI name and contact email.

Order a report on this consortiumSee CESKA ZEMEDELSKA UNIVERZITA V PRAZE profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Contact SciTransfer to get a one-page business brief and a warm introduction to the PoliRural team. We handle the outreach so you go straight to a conversation about your use case.

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