CENN & EU4Youth to Establish Rural Innovation Hubs with Local Organizations
On November 4, CENN, the Kakheti Regional Development Foundation (KRDF), the Society Biliki, Ninotsminda Youth Center and the Society Development Association (SDA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding together for the creation of Rural Innovation Knowledge Hubs with the aim to develop youth entrepreneurial potential at the local level in Georgia.
In total, three Rural Innovation Knowledge Hubs will be established in disadvantaged rural communities in the Gori, Ninotsminda and Akhmeta municipalities in Georgia. The hubs will provide a co-working space and facilities for the development of young people, especially women and girls from remote and vulnerable communities.
Each Hub will provide access to the internet and technologies and address information gaps as well as equip rural youth with relevant skills and knowledge to discover new opportunities for growth and income generation.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, which fully mirrors global development trends such as the European Green Deal, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and EU4Youth program priorities, the parties aim to co-create and operate innovative knowledge hubs, which is reflected in the preparation and implementation of action plans, providing a unified, safe workspace for the youth, organizing trainings, seminars, workshops and various educational events. The Hubs will provide a wide range of youth-driven activities and initiatives from 2021.
The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed within the scope of the “EU4Youth: Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (SEED) for Green Growth in Borderline Communities” project, which aims to create a favorable ecosystem for the development of social entrepreneurship and green innovation in the borderline regions of Georgia (Gori, Akhmeta, Ninotsminda) and Armenia (Lori, Tavushi, Shirak). The aim of the project is to discover the entrepreneurial potential in the most vulnerable municipalities and to promote entrepreneurship opportunities among youth.
