The ENRD Contact Point organised a European Seminar on ‘Revitalising Rural Areas through Business Innovation’ on 30 March 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.
The Seminar explored how rural businesses – both farm and non-farm – can innovate in ways that “create the conditions for future prosperity and vitality” as articulated in the Cork 2.0 Declaration. Specifically, the event:
- examined a range of EU policies and tools for business innovation, including digitisation, smart specialisation, and social innovation;
- showcased inspiring examples of rural business innovation and explore how such initiatives can be supported and extended through the Rural Development Programmes.
The event is part of the broader ENRD thematic work on 'Smart and Competitive Rural Businesses'.
Background documents
- Agenda
- Factsheet on Rural Digital Hubs
- Factsheet on Business Accelerators and other tools for supporting change in rural businesses
- Factsheet on Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
- Factsheet on Smart RDP support for smart rural businesses
- Seminar highlights
Presentations
Plenary
- Introduction, Paul Soto, ENRD Contact Point
- Rural Policy 3.0, José Enrique Garcilazo, OECD
- Arctic Smart Community Cluster, Ilari Havukainen, Regional Council of Lapland
- Ludgate Digital Hub, Grainne Dwyer, Ludgate Operations Ltd
- Eigg Heritage Trust, Amanda Bryan, Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust
Morning workshops
Rural Digital Hubs
- Swedish Local Fibre Alliance, Sweden, Per Fröling
- Lozère Digital Network, France, Frédéric Dumortier
Business Accelerators and other tools for supporting change in rural businesses
- Introduction, Edina Ocsko, ENRD Contact Point and Jan Willem Van der Schans, Wageningen University
- Masterclass – Short Food Supply Chains, Jan Willem Van der Schans, Wageningen University
- Growbiz, Scotland, Jackie Brierton
- AgriEntrepreneurship Accelerator, Greece, Mara Tsoumari
Social Innovation in Rural Areas
- 3 EVA Aude, France, Peter Wollny
- Alston Moor, England, Sue Gilbertson
Afternoon workshops
Extending business innovation through LEADER (M19)
- A possible role for LEADER, Peter Toth, ENRD Contact Point
- Ayrshire LAG, Scotland, Sarah Hyslop
- Leader Central Cataluña, Spain, Eduard Barcons
Extending business innovation through Cooperation (M16)
- Overview on Cooperation Measure 16, Enrique Nieto, ENRD Contact Point
- Implementation of the EIP-AGRI, Fabio Cossu, DG AGRI (Unit B2)
- Support of innovative tourism projects in Austria, Martina Titlbach-Supper, Austrian Managing Authority
Using the RDPs to implement smart business packages
- Introduction, Paul Soto, ENRD Contact Point
- Incentives for development of entrepreneurship in rural areas through the Finnish RDP, Juuso Kalliokoski, Finnish Ministry of Agriculture
- Using the RDPs to implement smart business support packages: the Spanish Basque RDP, Jone Fernandez Landa, Fundación HAZI
