Two digital learning workshops have been opened in Amboise, in the French region of Centre-Val de Loire, in order to bring the Internet closer to citizens and professionals. The project should lead to the emergence of an ecosystem in the area through boosting creativity and entrepreneurship.
Pep’it Lab: A collaborative platform to reduce the digital divide in Centre-Val de Loire, France
- 16 January 2020
Collaborative and community-based, the digital platform ‘Pep’it Lab’ is aimed at individuals and businesses. Equipment is made available and the users are guided by a coordinator. The public from priority neighbourhoods and rural areas are specifically called upon as the project is primarily aimed at reducing the digital divide.
Making digital services accessible to as many people as possible, whether they are individuals or professionals, is the objective of the “Pep’it” Lab platform implementation at the beginning of 2018 in Amboise. In La Verrerie, one of the two priority neighbourhoods of the town, the residents can come with their questions and train themselves in digital technologies.
Another digital learning workshop “Fablab” has also been created in the town centre, where several 3D printing machines, laser cutting machines or even embroidery machines are made available to individuals and professionals. A multimedia coordinator alternates between these two places, offering support to users.
Digital transition
In the region, rural areas are experiencing a digital divide that is addressed by the project. Fibre connections are in progress, but more and more residents are becoming distraught by the accelerated digitisation of society. The platform must therefore allow the general public, craftsmen and businesses to familiarise themselves with digital issues and encourage them to engage in the digital transition of their individual and professional practices. In addition, specific audiences are targeted - young people, women, job seekers, the elderly - with a particular focus on those living in priority neighbourhoods and rural communities.
Emergence of an ecosystem
The aim is to foster the emergence of a dynamic ecosystem and creative communities in the area, made up of the various professional digital players, as well as citizens. The “Pep’it Lab” and “Fablab” thus make available a shared space for creation and innovation to project leaders and companies, to boost their own professional activities and encourage the use of new forms of cooperative work. Finally, the project must make the collaborative digital platform’ stakeholders aware of the challenge of managing "digital" waste, electrical and electronic equipment.
Total investment and European funding
Total investment for the ‘Design, implementation and experimentation with a collaborative and community-based digital platform’ project is EUR 114 588; the European Regional Development Fund contribution is EUR 55 285 through the ‘2014-2020 Centre-Val de Loire Interregional Programme’ in accordance with the cooperation programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the ‘Jobs, Growth and Investment’ priority.