The rural area of the eastern Harz is increasingly developing into an innovation space in which a variety of initiatives are breaking new ground to drive regional development. A recent report examines how these initiatives are driving social change through networking.

The study looks at social innovation initiatives that contribute to local and regional development. From village cafés to theater projects and cultural festivals, they create meeting spaces that strengthen local cohesion. The focus is on how different actors are connected with each other and what joint activities they develop.

The research reveals four key findings:

•  Firstly, the initiatives shape regional development in a variety of ways and create public spaces that make their activities perceptible and co-designable.
• Secondly, they develop diverse alliances and formats in widely branched networks, share expertise and support each other.
• Thirdly, supra-regional networking strengthens the effectiveness of local actors. While some initiatives are limited to local activities, others are also active regionally or supra-regionally, which gives them a greater social resonance.
• Fourthly, network actors play a central role by further developing programs with local initiatives and acting as anchor points for a culture of “thinking differently”.
  
  The report makes it clear that innovative solutions for regional challenges are created through the cooperation of committed civil society with local actors from municipalities, crafts or schools, embedded in growing network structures. These alliances make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life in rural areas and to shaping sustainable regional development through openness, experimentation and a culture of cooperation.