Local Action Groups as Facilitators of the Smart Village Concept: Infrastructure, Digital Connectivity and Human Capital in Rural Bulgaria

Abstract: This paper examines the role of Local Action Groups (LAGs) in advancing the smart village concept and improving access to services and infrastructure in rural Bulgaria under the LEADER/Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approach. Drawing on a survey of 321 rural residents and 15 in-depth interviews with LAG directors, the study identifies persistent deficits in transport connectivity, digital infrastructure, and communal services, and examines the risk of reducing “smart village” to a purely technological exercise, detached from local economic and organizational realities. The findings show that LAGs are well positioned to act as coordinators between municipalities, businesses, and communities, but that their effectiveness depends on stronger organizational capacity and closer integration between infrastructure, digital literacy, and human capital support.

Keywords: LEADER; Community-Led Local Development (CLLD); Local Action Groups; smart village; rural infrastructure; digital connectivity; regional development