Digital Villages Lower Saxony: What remains after the end of the project?
Four and a half years of funding, countless advances: The Digital Villages Platform in Lower Saxony will continue to exist in the future – and is moving forward with a new app and operating company.
Digitalisation is not purely an urban issue. The Digital Villages of Lower Saxony show how low-threshold services can also improve the lives of people in rural areas. Photo: Claudia Krahne
The Digital Villages Lower Saxony research and development project has been completed – but the digital success story continues. After four and a half years of intensive work and a three-year rollout across Lower Saxony, the project's funding period will end in summer 2025. What remains is a proven platform, committed local authorities and a clear vision for the future of rural digitalisation.
‘Resilient, networked, committed local authorities in Lower Saxony – that was the goal of the project,’ says Dr Carola Croll, scientific advisor in the project team. The initiative was carried out by the Digital Opportunities Foundation and the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE and funded by the Lower Saxony State Chancellery and the Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development.
The Digital Villages platform provided communities with a low-threshold, data protection-compliant means of digital communication – locally, regionally and nationwide. The DorfFunk app was used to exchange information, organise events and strengthen the sense of community.
"Once DorfFunk is established, the village community is strengthened. The app creates a greater sense of cohesion and belonging," reports one user.
And the success is measurable: accompanying scientific research has examined the perception of quality of life in the participating municipalities. Noticeable improvements have been observed in the areas of communication and community, leisure and tourism, as well as administration and politics – proof of the impact of digital tools in rural areas.
The app has been positively received by both the community and the authorities. A senior administrative official sums it up: ‘DorfFunk makes a very important contribution to the culture of democratic debate in our community. Over 1,500 people from our joint municipality now use DorfFunk. It brings us even closer together digitally. A great success!’
New paths after the end of the project
When funding ends, the question of continuity usually arises – in Lower Saxony, this question has already been answered: the platform will remain in place. On 6 June 2025, Smartes Land GmbH was founded – a joint venture between Fraunhofer IESE, ÖRAG Rechtsschutzversicherungs-AG / Deutsche Assistance AG Group and the Versicherungskammer Group. This lays the foundation for long-term operation not only in Lower Saxony, but throughout Germany.
At the same time, a comprehensive relaunch is planned: the existing DorfFunk app will be replaced by StadtLand.Funk – with a modernised design, two-factor authentication, multimedia integration and the new ‘Funkzentrale’ (radio centre), which bundles all communication channels.
Recommendations for action for other regions
In addition to developing digital solutions, the project also documented practical findings. A comprehensive guide provides local authorities, volunteers and citizens with specific advice on introducing digital innovations.
In addition, ten key recommendations for action on scaling digital innovations in rural areas were developed – for state and federal funding bodies and rural development. They show how digital projects can be successfully introduced, further developed and sustained in the long term.
‘The establishment of the Digital Villages Platform has made the diverse range of activities in local communities more visible – and at the same time, new opportunities for jointly overcoming challenges have emerged,’ says Dr Carola Croll.