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Fostering a Culture of Innovation in the Countryside | Martin Hollinetz | TEDxCarthage

257 views · Published 25 July 2017 · 11:01 · Indexed 23 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2017 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Austria’s picturesque countryside can obscure another fact, that these rural regions struggle to offer their communities modern opportunities and employment. Martin Hollinetz is working to change that through a network of open technology labs. His team has been able to create a civil society platform, which creates an open space for participation as a civil right. In doing so, they provide infrastructure and a network, and enable bottom up development for local initiatives.

Martin Hollinetz is the founder of OTELO, which works to develop the creativity, responsiveness, and entrepreneurial skills of citizens across Austria. Since 2010, Martin has opened 10 labs and created 26 “node groups” in rural Austria and Germany to prevent the brain drain which occurs when rural residents migrate to cities and transform these regions into thriving centers of innovation and active citizen participation.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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