The mobile village store will bring together local consumers and producers
The aim of the digital village project is to improve access to services in rural areas with the aid of innovative information and communication technologies. Local authorities were invited to submit their ideas in a competition. One of those selected was the mobile village store proposed by the Steinwald-Allianz, an interest group comprising 16 local communities in the Tirschenreuth district.
Martin Schmid, who is managing the model project on behalf of the Steinwald-Allianz, says: “Our aim is to develop a mobile village store as part of a local infrastructure linking residents, regional producers, and one existing brick-and-mortar store. The idea is to create a solution in which a sales truck carrying a selected range of goods will travel around the area on a fixed itinerary, stopping in each village that lacks local transportation. We also aim to tap digitalization opportunities – for instance by creating a digital platform for placing orders, tracking the vehicle’s location and dynamic route planning.”
A mobile store as a central point of contact
To refine the scope of the project, the researchers asked the inhabitants of Reuth to describe their expectations for the planned mobile village store. Peter Heusinger adds: “The key element of the Steinwald-Allianz project is a digital platform that will connect customers, operators and producers, allowing them to communicate and serving as a means of planning delivery routes. The platform could also be used to provide other services, such as advice on household and technology matters that will enable senior citizens to live independently in their own homes. The central point of contact for all these activities is the mobile village store.”
It was afternoon before the team had time to take a well-earned break. As they enjoyed a late lunch of freshly grilled pike-perch filets, Annemarie Wojtech summed up the day’s results: “We’ve collected a lot of feedback. The response to our request for input has been amazing, and some really good ideas have emerged. The next step is to analyze and evaluate the data in detail.”
The team took down their stall, thanked Werner Prucker, the mayor of Reuth, for his hospitality, and returned to Nürnberg.
The main elements of this model project will be implemented by mid-2018. But the researchers don’t intend to stop here: the mobile village store is just one means of keeping rural communities alive and attracting new residents. Many other ideas remain to be explored, such as doctors on wheels or co-working spaces. And the best case would be to find integrated solutions that would allow the results of this research to be transferred to other communities and regions.
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
