The Smart_Rural_Grid project is aimed at developing an innovative smart grid approach targeted to the particular conditions of rural electricity distribution networks. The project will devote particular attention to highlight the differentiated specificities of rural electricity distribution and will target the need of gaining substantial improvements in terms of efficiency, quality and network resilience, favouring the introduction of new innovative business models in support of rural DSO's operations and of their future economic and industrial sustainability.By exploring the convergence between electricity and telecom networks, the project is focused on the needs and visions for the future of DSOs' with rural networks, and intends to face a systemic development of rural smart grids aimed at allowing DSOs to operate more efficiently, integrate local renewable electricity sources, interconnect prosumers and increase and guarantee the quality of electricity supply by allowing forming resilient and manageable electricity islands. The project will pave the way for new industrial opportunities for the production and deployment of new industrial products (systems and devices) as well as services for electricity distribution and network management and control, framed by a novel improved electricity distribution network management architecture.The project key impacts are directly related with the delivery of significant cost and investment savings in rural electricity distribution (by overall reducing the percentage of electricity lost during electricity distribution and the gap between electricity generated and electricity consumed) also allowing for an increase potential to inherently accommodate the integration and distribution of renewable electricity sources and Combined Heat and Power (CHP), particularly of those connected to the distribution grid and of locally co-generated electricity (including prosumers) generated in vast rural territories.