Expert discussion on the topic "Social innovations and periphery” - Regional Development and Rural Areas

What are current topics in the research on rural areas? How does the Corona Crisis affect these regions and what research perspectives does it open up? The Cluster Regional Development and Rural Areas invited Heike Mayer, Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Bern, to an expert discussion on 12.05.2020. The topic of the discussion was, on the one hand, Prof. Mayer's current research projects and, on the other hand, the research agenda of the cluster.

Heike Mayer reported on various projects that are united by the idea of marginality as a possibility. One of these projects was the Digital Multilocality project, which investigates how digital technologies change patterns of labour mobility, how peripheral regions can be integrated and what role they subsequently play in working life. From another project, Prof. Mayer described various social innovations in rural Swiss areas in the field of health care. This project resulted in an inventory of social innovations, which is examplary for the Cluster Regional Development and Rural Areas (https://www.sozinno.unibe.ch/soziale_innovationen/inventar/index_ger.html).

In the following discussion, many connecting points and possibilities for potential cooperation could be identified, because the Cluster Regional Development and Rural Areas also addresses innovation and social entrepreneurship in rural areas. Finally, of course, the topic of Corona also played a role - how does the virus affect financing in communities, for example? Are specific social innovations now emerging to address the challenges of the pandemic? And how mobile are political measures against Corona across borders?