RURALITIC meets the public in Vienna with sprouting ideas

With interactive tools and engaging conversations, the team cultivated fresh interest in migration, mobility, and the evolving roles of rural regions.

Representatives of the RURALITIC project from the University of Krems took part in the Lower Austria Research Festival 2025, held on 10 October at Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna. The festival, designed to make science as accessible as a stroll through a bustling village market, brought together 200 researchers providing insights from across the region. The event managed to spotlight the true cream of the crop: the ability to sow the seeds of curiosity among the public and harvest genuine dialogue between science and society.

Throughout the day, the historical halls of the Palais were buzzing with chatter and activities. Children darted from stand to stand, young people gathered in small circles to quiz researchers, and adults took their time digging deeper into topics that caught their interest. The RURALITIC booth became one of the event’s lively crossroads.

The team’s theme — ‘What does a migration researcher actually do, and what does our food have to do with migration?’ — proved to be fertile ground for conversation. Through maps, playful interactive tools, and hands-on demonstrations, visitors explored how the movement of people, goods, and food shapes rural life. Many were surprised to learn just how much these flows influence the resilience of rural communities, revealing that rural research is anything but a field left fallow.

Putting RURALITIC on display

The festival provided a fruitful opportunity to introduce the project’s broader aims. RURALITIC is a four-year research-to-policy initiative funded under the Horizon Europe programme, coordinated by INRAE and supported by 16 partner organisations from across Europe. Its mission is to develop a new theoretical model that redefines rural areas by integrating physical and social spaces, mobility patterns, and multiple forms of flows. The project is rolling out an extensive data-gathering strategy to capture how rural regions are changing in the wake of COVID-19 and longer-term societal transformations.

For many visitors, the RURALITIC stand offered a first glimpse into the complexity and fascination of rural research. Children eagerly traced migration routes on large illustrated maps, while teenagers discussed how global supply chains influence the food on their plates. Adults engaged in thoughtful conversations about the changing role of rural regions, from renewable energy production to social cohesion and sustainable mobility. These encounters provided a refreshing reminder of how science communication can spark curiosity across all ages.

For the RURALITIC team, the event’s main takeaway was the exchange with children, young people, and adults was truly enriching. The strong public interest showed that rural topics are far from niche; in fact, the demand for clear, science-based information about rural areas is thriving. The day affirmed that when researchers take their work out into the field, the public is more ready to cultivate new understanding alongside them.

For further RURALITIC updates or involvement in international events, follow us on BlueSky and LinkedIn. Our scientific publications are available on Zenodo.