Europe's rural regions bridge innovation gap
Summary. A European Commission study reveals rural regions host innovative startups across diverse sectors including agri-food, robotics, energy, and semiconductors. While cities dominate with 76% of EU startups, some rural areas exceed national averages in startup density and firm creation rates. Place-based policies targeting skills, finance, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial networks can unlock rural innovation potential and reduce urban-rural disparities.
Details
- Countries
- European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Malta, Finland, Estonia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Latvia, Sweden
- Regions
- Europe
- Categories
- entrepreneurship, regional-innovation-systems, policy
- Added
- 2026-04-28