{"id":3516,"date":"2026-05-13T08:20:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T08:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?p=3516"},"modified":"2026-05-13T08:20:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T08:20:56","slug":"from-bali-to-brussels-remote-work-is-reshaping-europes-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3516\/from-bali-to-brussels-remote-work-is-reshaping-europes-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"From Bali to Brussels: remote work is reshaping Europe\u2019s regions"},"content":{"rendered":"

As digital nomads rethink where to live, researchers are exploring whether their choices can help close Europe\u2019s urban\u2013rural divide. New research suggests the shift to remote working could support rural regions, but only where infrastructure and policy align.<\/p>\n

By Anthony King<\/p>\n

Mandy Fransz was working a nine\u2011to\u2011five office job in Dublin for a big American tech firm when she made a life\u2011changing switch. In 2018, the Dutch tech worker quit her office job to try remote work in search of a better quality of life.<\/p>\n

She travelled to Bali, southeast Asia, for a month as a digital nomad. \u201cI started freelancing as a consultant, providing digital products and services to clients worldwide,\u201d Fransz recalled.<\/p>\n

Back in Dublin, she gave up her lease to become a full\u2011time nomad and joined a LinkedIn community for remote workers.<\/p>\n

Stories like hers are becoming increasingly common, raising questions about where people live, work and pay taxes, and what that means for cities and the countryside.<\/p>\n

These questions are being explored by an EU\u2011funded group of researchers. Their three-year research project, called R\u2011Map, is examining\u00a0how remote working arrangements affect Europe\u2019s urban\u2013rural divide. Their work is due to conclude in January 2027.<\/p>\n

Remote work boom<\/strong><\/p>\n

Remote working expanded rapidly during the COVID\u201119 pandemic. Thousands of people asked to join the LinkedIn group for remote workers that Franz was then helping to build \u2013 rebranded as Remote Workers Worldwide.<\/p>\n

According to the European Central Bank, the share of employees working from home at least occasionally rose from 12% in 2019 to 22% in 2024. A 2024\u00a0survey<\/a> found that around one\u2011third of employees work from home several times a week.<\/p>\n

For governments and regional authorities, the shift is reshaping where people live, how local services are used and how evenly development is spread between urban and rural areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to understand the meaning of remote working in Europe and the differences between countries,\u201d said Stratos Stylianidis from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, who leads the research.<\/p>\n

The team has surveyed over 20 000 individuals, analysing how remote work in urban and rural areas influences regional imbalances.<\/p>\n

Working with local partners from six EU countries, as well as T\u00fcrkiye and the UK, the researchers are building an evidence\u2011based picture of how remote work is reshaping societies, economies and the environment.<\/p>\n

Back to the country<\/strong><\/p>\n

For decades, people have moved towards cities. Now, many remote workers say they would rather live elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we asked where people would like to work, 80% chose rural or suburban areas, but when we asked where they actually live, most are still in cities,\u201d said Fransz, now a remote work advocate, entrepreneur and community builder recognised internationally in the \u201cfuture of work\u201d space.<\/p>\n

This gap lies at the heart of the R\u2011Map research. Remote work could support rural and suburban development,\u00a0but only if regions can attract and retain workers. Otherwise, it risks reinforcing existing inequalities.<\/p>\n

Across Europe, fully remote and office\u2011only roles are increasingly giving way to hybrid arrangements. In countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Finland and Germany, many employees still work from home at least part of the week.<\/p>\n

R-Map examines how policy frameworks, working arrangements and digital infrastructure shape these patterns. Its goal is to provide policymakers with a simple dashboard to test scenarios and guide investment.<\/p>\n

At the core is the R-Map model, which combines survey data, regional indicators and local insights to assess the long-term impacts of remote work.<\/p>\n

Attracting remote workers<\/strong><\/p>\n

After becoming a full\u2011time digital nomad, Fransz spent two years working remotely in the United States, Colombia, Croatia and Portugal.<\/p>\n

Croatia was among the first EU countries to introduce digital nomad visas, allowing stays of up to 18 months without local income tax. Estonia, Portugal and Greece have since introduced similar schemes.<\/p>\n

Such initiatives are of particular interest to the R\u2011Map team because they illustrate how policy choices can shape the geography of remote work.<\/p>\n

Remote work could help counter rural decline in parts of Europe. As Stylianidis noted, migration to cities can leave rural areas increasingly isolated.<\/p>\n

This can trigger a downward spiral, with fewer people in villages, leading businesses to close and public services to become less viable.\u00a0EU projections suggest most rural regions will face population decline.<\/p>\n

Some see remote work as a way to reverse this trend. The R\u2011Map team is testing that assumption, examining when it supports regional development\u00a0and when it exacerbates existing pressures, such as rising housing costs.<\/p>\n

The EU has already recognised this challenge in its Rural Vision Action Plan, which aims to make rural areas stronger, more connected and more resilient by 2040.<\/p>\n

Practicalities matter, though, if working in rural areas is to be sustainable.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine moving to a Mediterranean island for the lifestyle,\u201d said Stylianidis. \u201cYou also need to consider things like internet connectivity, social life, roads and access to healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers are therefore including social and environmental factors in their analysis, to build a fuller picture of the trade-offs involved when work moves online.<\/p>\n

Answers for policymakers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The R\u2011Map team is focusing on six main areas: Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Milan, Surrey and two cross-border locations between Germany and the Netherlands and Austria and Switzerland.<\/p>\n

These diverse settings \u2013 from major cities to suburban areas and rural and cross\u2011border regions \u2013 allow the researchers to compare how remote work plays out under different local conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to identify policies that can both benefit remote workers and inform future EU action,\u201d said Stylianidis.<\/p>\n

The R-Map dashboard will allow authorities to explore what-if scenarios, testing the impact of different policies and investments.<\/p>\n

Preferences vary widely depending on age and life stage. Younger people may prioritise co-working spaces or caf\u00e9s with reliable WiFi, while families may look for larger housing, childcare and schools. Access to healthcare is also a key factor for many.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might prefer a co-working space or work-friendly caf\u00e9 in a vibrant city as a young digital nomad,\u201d said Fransz. \u201cLater on, you may appreciate other attractions, such as access to nature, childcare or a bigger house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her own choices reflect this shift. She has settled 45 minutes outside Lisbon, in a suburban area renowned for its natural beauty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we moved here two years ago, there were few work-friendly caf\u00e9s or shops with international products,\u201d she said. \u201cThat has changed, and more amenities are emerging to attract international residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the R\u2011Map team, these lived experiences feed into a broader story. As remote work becomes more regulated, the choices made by workers, employers and policymakers will determine whether it narrows the urban\u2013rural gap, or widens it further.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published\u202fin\u00a0<\/em>Horizon<\/em><\/a>\u00a0the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Research in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. <\/em><\/p>\n

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