From Cherry Orchards to Digital Studios: Cross-Sectoral Partnerships Driving Place-Based Innovation in Rural Portugal

Luís Leça, Mariana Salvado, Matilde Caria Secca · 2026 · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Summary. Cross-sectoral partnerships between traditional agriculture and digital industries transformed Fundão, Portugal from a declining rural municipality into an innovation hub. The study examined how collaboration between cherry orchards and video game studios created mutual value, strengthened territorial resilience, and drove economic development. Interviews, document analysis, and participatory mapping revealed the mechanisms through which these partnerships fostered place-based innovation and reversed depopulation trends.

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@article{le-a-2026-cherry-orchards-digital-studios-cross,
  title   = {From Cherry Orchards to Digital Studios: Cross-Sectoral Partnerships Driving Place-Based Innovation in Rural Portugal},
  author  = {Luís Leça and Mariana Salvado and Matilde Caria Secca},
  journal = {Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.20380052},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20380052}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - From Cherry Orchards to Digital Studios: Cross-Sectoral Partnerships Driving Place-Based Innovation in Rural Portugal
AU  - Luís Leça
AU  - Mariana Salvado
AU  - Matilde Caria Secca
JO  - Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
PY  - 2026
DO  - 10.5281/zenodo.20380052
UR  - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20380052
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.5281/zenodo.20380052

Countries

Portugal

Regions

Europe

Categories

regional-innovation-systems, entrepreneurship, innovation-networks, general-innovation

Added

2026-06-01