The project, in which the Universitat de València participates notably, is coordinated by the Instituto de Estudos e Desenvolvemento de Galicia (IDEGA) at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and it promotes an interdisciplinary approach that integrates economics, geography and communication to overcome one of the major contemporary demographic challenges. Depopulation constitutes a structural reality in large parts of the country, especially in rural and sparsely populated areas. For this reason, one of the objectives of DESP-OB is to create an observatory in order to give a rigorous and updated diagnosis of depopulation dynamics. 
Within this project, UDERVAL is in charge for developing a methodological proposal for the selection and implementation of ten case studies, distributed among the research groups or centres participating in DESP-OB, which will allow to create a catalogue of good practices. Essentially, the aim is to identify public policies and private initiatives that can apply for different territories and contexts related to depopulation. This task is carried out by Jaime Escribano, Néstor Vercher, Sergio Bellés, Javier Esparcia, professors of the Universitat de València, and the researcher Jaume Pla. 
Collaboration between research centres makes it possible to integrate different disciplinary and territorial perspectives, encouraging a more comprehensive analysis of the sparsely populated areas (the so-called España vacia(da)), and strengthening the transfer of knowledge to public administration and society.
According to Rubén C. Lois, coordinator of the project and director of IDEGA, “Knowledge about what is happening in rural areas of the different Spanish autonomous communities should be systematised. It should be done from a multidisciplinary approach. On the one hand, from a territorial analysis because there is declining population, but also rejuvenating rural areas. On the other hand, from the economic and social points of view, such as studying the migration effects of the late twentieth century”.
The participation in DESP-OB strengthens UDERVAL’s commitment to the analysis of territorial challenges and knowledge generation aimed at improving public policies and social cohesion. One of the main focus of the project is to draw up recommendations based on scientific evidence that contribute to public decision-making in the frame of the demographic challenge.
This network structure allows the combination of specialisation, territorial diversity, and transfer ability, placing academic research at the heart of the debate of the future of rural and sparsely populated areas.
DESP-OB is one of the initiatives chosen by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Spanish State Research Agency in 2024 call of the programme Redes de Investigación in the frame of the State Transfer and Collaboration Plan of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024-2027.