Spotlight on Partnership- Meet Vidzeme Planning Region
Located in the northeast of Latvia, Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR) is one of the country's five planning regions, encompassing 11 rural municipalities. VPR's mission is to foster sustainable and balanced growth for Vidzeme by delivering strategic services that benefit local residents, NGOs, businesses, and municipalities alike.
What VPR Does:
- Strategic Planning & Representation: VPR provides planning services at national, regional, and local levels, ensuring that Vidzeme’s unique needs are represented in sectors like business, transportation, culture, tourism, employment, environment, and social policy.
- EU Project Expertise: VPR brings extensive experience in the development and management of EU-funded projects across diverse areas. The team’s expertise is a vital resource for local municipalities, helping them develop and participate in impactful projects.
- Training & Collaboration: Through seminars, workshops, and hands-on training, VPR equips local government staff, NGO members, entrepreneurs, youth, and other groups with the skills and knowledge needed to drive community growth and development.
VPR is committed to making Vidzeme a thriving, well-connected region where local initiatives are supported by both national and EU resources, paving the way for a vibrant future.
Vidzeme Planning Region and Digital Rural
VPR is making strides in the digital realm by collaborating on the Digital Rural initiative, aimed at closing the digital gap in rural areas. Leveraging over 30 international projects' experience, VPR is uniquely positioned to lead in policy transfer, stakeholder management, and digital communication for this impactful initiative.
Key Digitalization Initiatives by VPR:
- Smart City Projects: VPR leads efforts to bring intelligent, connected solutions to local infrastructure, enhancing the quality of life for residents.
- European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH): VPR serves as an EDIH contact point, connecting companies with essential funding and resources to advance their digital capabilities.
- Vidzeme Entrepreneurship Centre (VEC): VEC, a VPR structural unit, offers tailored support for business growth and digital transformation. Through collaboration with business-support organizations and IT clusters, VEC addresses key challenges in digitalization and provides seminars that help local entrepreneurs identify digital solutions for their business processes.
Meet the Digital Rural Team:
- Ineta Tauriņa – Project Lead
- Liene Krīvēna – Project Expert
- Signe Jānelsiņa – Financial Manager
- Marta Riekstiņa – Communication Manager