The FUTURAL project and reframe.food invites you to the 2nd EU-RIF

 “From Smart Villages to Smart Rural Futures: experiences from the Baltic region”

May 5th & 6th , 2026 | Jonava Cultural Centre in Jonava, Lithuania

reframe.food is excited to invite you to one of the most important events of the year for the future of rural innovation – the second EU Rural Innovation Forum (EU-RIF 2). Organized by the FUTURAL project, this event brings together policymakers, practitioners, EU projects and rural innovators from across Europe to drive forward smart, community-led innovation across Europe’s rural territories.

Under the title “From Smart Villages to Smart Rural Futures: experiences from the Baltic region”, the forum will showcase practical tools, policy insights and real-life rural innovation examples, highlighting how Smart Villages can strengthen resilience, competitiveness and quality of life in rural areas.

Participation is open to anyone interested in rural innovation, Smart Villages and the future of rural development, and registration is available at: https://tinyurl.com/b3dvz9r6

What is the 2nd EU-RIF about?

Rural communities across Europe face many challenges, but they also have strong potential for growth and renewal. In this context, innovation is crucial to help rural areas break out of these vicious cycles and build more resilient, attractive, and sustainable futures. Smart Villages have emerged as a way to support this transition, enabling rural communities to design and implement local strategies that bring together social, digital, and organisational solutions.

The 2nd EU Rural Innovation Forum (EU-RIF), will take stock of progress, experiences, and lessons learned from the planning and implementation of Smart Villages in the Baltic region, showcasing hands-on examples and reflecting on how these initiatives can be strengthened in the future.

Who can attend?

The forum convenes a wide rural innovation ecosystem, including policymakers and implementers, rural innovation networks, EU-funded R&I projects, organisations, entrepreneurs, and community representatives, to support capacity building and expertise sharing on smart community-led innovation.

Why participate in the 2nd EU-RIF?

The 2nd EU-RIF is designed as a hands-on, exchange-focused event featuring expert discussions, workshops and tools rural actors can use immediately. If you’re looking for more reasons to take part, here’s what you will gain:

  • Leave with implementation insights you can apply in your own context.
  • Discover tools, approaches and real examples that support community-led innovation.
  • Build connections with policymakers, implementers, EU projects and rural innovators.
  • Contribute to the discussion on the future of Smart Villages and smart rural development.

What is the role of reframe.food?

May 6th | Sustainable business models for rural innovation

Led by the reframe.food team, this engaging participatory workshop will focus on validating inclusive business models that balance economic efficiency, social impact and real-world feasibility. Through participant-led weighting, the session will test innovation ideas against the actual needs of rural communities, helping identify approaches that are both practical and impactful.

More information for the 2nd EU-RIF event

More information about the 2nd EU Rural Innovation Forum, including the full programme and practical details, is available on the FUTURAL website: https://futural-project.eu/eu-rural-innovation-forum-2/

To stay informed about project’s events, news and updates, follow FUTURAL on social media: