Cunha, Carlos R.Gomes, João PedroFernandes, JoanaMorais, Elisabete Paulo2020-06-172020-06-172020Cunha, Carlos R.; Gomes, João Pedro; Fernandes, Joana; Morais, Elisabete Paulo (2020). Building smart rural regions: challenges and opportunities, In 8th World Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, WorldCIST 2020; Budva; Montenegro. p. 579-589. ISBN 978-303045696-2978-303045696-2http://hdl.handle.net/10198/22096Rural regions are a typology of region rooted around the world. Itsidentity and matrix are differentiated from the most urbanized regions. Associatedwith rural areas is a strong negative feeling of depopulation, undevelopedbusiness fabric, less wealth and less ability to attract investment and wherepublic and private services from various sectors of activity are not concentrated.This reality cannot be socially accepted and must be fought for greater equitywithin countries. To leverage this change, rural regions will have to become cocompetitiveand attractive regions. In order for this transformation to take place,Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a major role. Thisarticle characterizes the rural regions in their demographic and economicdimensions, emphasizing the case of the Northeast region of Portugal. Analyseand review a set of fundamental vectors where ICT can be a key driver andenabler for smart rural regions to be created. Finally, it is presented a conceptualmodel of what can be a smart rural region.engSmart rural regionICTCooperationModelconference paper10.1007/978-3-030-45697-9_56