Category
policy
1328 entries tagged policy.
Articles — 1256
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Enhancing Rural Innovation in Canada
OECD Rural Studies report examining Canada's rural innovation ecosystem — the actors, funding flows, and policy levers that shape innovation in rural and remote regions, with comparative international benchmarks. Verify exact publication year on the cover.
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Role of Networks of Rural Innovation in Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals: A Quadruple Helix Case Study
Quadruple helix (academia, government, industry, community) case study of a Chinese rural revitalisation program, finding that multi-actor collaboration around agricultural science, entrepreneurship, and tourism advanced 11 of the 17 SDGs.
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A Primer on Innovation, Learning, and Knowledge Flows
Working paper from Memorial University connecting New Regionalism, knowledge flows, and learning to rural and regional economic development. Frames the region as the locus where competitive advantage is distilled from social and institutional assets.
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Definitions of "Rural"
Foundational Statistics Canada working paper unpacking the multiple operational definitions of 'rural' used in policy and research — by density, by distance to density, by commuting, and by administrative boundary. Essential reading for anyone using rural data.
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Indigenous Cultural Heritage Policies & Local Planning — A Case Study in the Land of Plenty
Master of Resource Management project examining how Indigenous cultural heritage policies intersect with local planning practice, using a place-based case study to surface implementation gaps and possibilities.
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Applicability of Territorial Innovation Models to Declining Resource-Based Regions: Lessons from the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland
Tests how well established territorial innovation models (regional innovation systems, learning regions, etc.) travel to declining resource-based rural regions, using Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula as the case.
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A Tour of Rural Data in Statistics Canada
Background notes for a CRRF webinar walking through how Statistics Canada classifies rural geographies (density, distance, administrative boundary) and where to find rural data. Companion piece to du Plessis et al. 2002.
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How does gender affect the adoption of agricultural innovations? The case of improved maize technology in Ghana
Men and women in Ghana adopt improved maize varieties and chemical fertilizer at different rates. The difference stems from unequal access to complementary inputs like land, labor, and extension services, not from inherent gender preferences. Policymakers can increase equitable technology adoption by improving women's access to these inputs rather than overhauling agricultural research systems.
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Agriculture 4.0: Broadening Responsible Innovation in an Era of Smart Farming
Smart farming technologies like AI and robotics promise productivity gains, but their social implications are often overlooked. Farmers and the public express concerns about how these technologies might reshape agricultural communities. The authors argue that responsible innovation—emphasizing anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity, and responsiveness—must guide Agriculture 4.0. They call for systemic approaches that map innovation ecosystems, broaden participation beyond traditional stakeholders, and test frameworks in practice to ensure technologies develop responsibly.
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Automated pastures and the digital divide: How agricultural technologies are shaping labour and rural communities
Agricultural digitalization in North America, particularly Canada, is reshaping farm labour and rural communities through automation, sensors, and artificial intelligence. The paper identifies three critical tensions: rising land costs paired with automation reducing labour demand, creation of a bifurcated labour market with few high-skill and many low-skill jobs, and corporate control of farm data. Using a social justice lens, the authors argue that digital technologies intensify exploitation of marginalized agricultural workers and deepen rural inequality, calling for policy and research to redirect digitalization toward supporting both food production and vulnerable farm labourers.
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Rural Marginalisation and the Role of Social Innovation; A Turn Towards Nexogenous Development and Rural Reconnection
Rural areas across Europe face increasing marginalization despite EU development policies, with gaps widening between prosperous and struggling regions. This paper examines whether social innovation can combat rural decline. Through three case studies, the author identifies distinctive features of rural social innovation: reliance on civic self-organization due to state withdrawal, and cross-sectoral collaboration. The paper proposes a new framework called nexogenous development, emphasizing socio-political reconnection as a driver of rural revitalization beyond traditional endogenous or exogenous approaches.
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Social innovation in rural development: identifying the key factors of success
Social innovation succeeds in rural development through three layers of factors: overall innovation process conditions, the actor network's operational space, and participation mechanisms. Most success factors resist external control, but rural policy can influence the room to maneuver available to innovation actors. Top-down steering of social innovation proves ineffective, questioning whether policymakers can instrumentalize social innovation for rural development.
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Rural entrepreneurship in Europe
Rural entrepreneurship in Europe operates within a distinct territorial context shaped by physical geography, social capital, networks, and governance structures. The authors argue that rurality itself functions as a dynamic entrepreneurial resource, creating both opportunities and constraints. They present entrepreneurship as a three-stage sequential process influenced by specific territorial characteristics and propose a research agenda addressing both theoretical understanding and policy development for supporting rural entrepreneurs.
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The digital divide: Patterns, policy and scenarios for connecting the ‘final few’ in rural communities across Great Britain
Rural areas across Great Britain face an entrenched digital divide compared to urban regions. The paper analyzes Ofcom data to map broadband infrastructure gaps and documents how digital exclusion affects rural households and businesses, particularly in remote areas. Current UK policy proves inadequate, so the authors evaluate community-led broadband, satellite, and mobile solutions as pathways to connect remaining unserved populations and prevent the divide from widening further.
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Transformative social innovation for sustainable rural development: An analytical framework to assist community-based initiatives
This paper develops an analytical framework for understanding how local community initiatives and government structures work together to achieve sustainable rural development. Using a Costa Rica case study, the authors identify that successful social innovation requires 'bottom-linked governance'—where actors across different political levels and sectors share decision-making. They find that bridging roles (network enabler, knowledge broker, resource broker, conflict resolver, vision champion) and power-sharing are critical for social innovation to scale up and transform governance systems.
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Enhanced broadband access as a solution to the social and economic problems of the rural digital divide
Rural areas face a growing digital divide that limits access to essential services and economic participation. While broadband is increasingly vital for health, education, business, and social services, rural communities remain excluded from fast broadband development. Technological and economic barriers make rural deployment costly, and adoption remains low even where infrastructure exists. The paper examines broadband provision challenges in rural Britain and recommends policy priorities for government intervention.
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Green Revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications of Imposed Innovation for the Wellbeing of Rural Smallholders
Rwanda's Green Revolution policies increased agricultural yields and reduced conventional poverty measures, but harmed most rural smallholders. The policies forced farmers to abandon subsistence polyculture for specialized market crops using modern seeds and inputs. Only wealthier farmers could comply; poorer households experienced disrupted livelihoods, increased landlessness, lost knowledge systems, and reduced autonomy. The authors recommend pro-poor tenure reforms and cooperative arrangements alongside agricultural improvements, and call for rigorous impact assessments that examine effects on different social groups.
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Capacity development for agricultural biotechnology in developing countries: an innovation systems view of what it is and how to develop it
Agricultural biotechnology capacity in developing countries requires more than building research infrastructure and human capital. Using an innovation systems framework, this paper argues that countries must develop broader innovation capacity—the ability to use knowledge productively. The author examines six capacity development approaches and concludes that effective policy must take a multidimensional approach that integrates diverse innovation systems strategically.
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Digital innovations for sustainable and resilient agricultural systems
Digital innovations are transforming agriculture by enabling farms to increase productivity, reduce environmental impact, and build resilience. However, realizing these benefits requires addressing economic, social, and ethical challenges. The paper recommends specific policies to maximize opportunities while mitigating risks, and identifies priorities for future agricultural economics research.
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Rural entrepreneurship in place: an integrated framework
Rural entrepreneurship requires a different analytical approach than agglomeration-based theories used in urban contexts. The authors develop a place-sensitive framework that identifies the specific conditions enabling entrepreneurship in rural communities. This meso-level framework helps policymakers and researchers understand rural entrepreneurial places holistically, moving beyond generic ecosystem models to address the distinct characteristics of rural contexts.
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Developing entrepreneurship and enterprise in Europe's peripheral rural areas: Some issues facing policy-makers
This paper examines policies supporting rural entrepreneurship across ten European peripheral areas. It categorizes existing policies, identifies lessons from their implementation, and highlights barriers to enterprise development. The authors argue that peripheral rural regions need more strategic, coordinated policy approaches to build entrepreneurial capacity and clarify enterprise's role in future rural development.
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Systemic problems affecting co-innovation in the New Zealand Agricultural Innovation System: Identification of blocking mechanisms and underlying institutional logics
This study identifies systemic barriers preventing co-innovation in New Zealand's agricultural sector, where farmers, researchers, and other actors should jointly drive technological and social change. The analysis reveals three main blocking mechanisms: competitive science operating in isolation, hands-off government innovation policy, and science-dominated approaches. These institutional barriers persist across many countries and prevent co-innovation principles from being adopted in agricultural policy. The paper argues that transformative policy instruments are needed to overcome these entrenched structures.
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Smart Farming: Including Rights Holders for Responsible Agricultural Innovation
Agricultural innovation embeds values and shapes social relationships, not just technical problems. The paper argues that innovation design and governance must include diverse rights holders and stakeholders to ensure responsible development. Treating innovation as purely technical work ignores how farming technologies reorder social and environmental systems, requiring broader participation in decision-making.
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Navigating the Digital Divide: Barriers to Telehealth in Rural Areas
Telehealth can expand healthcare access in rural areas, but structural barriers prevent widespread adoption where it's needed most. The paper identifies three critical obstacles: inadequate broadband infrastructure, lack of interstate medical licensing agreements, and absence of reimbursement parity laws. Rural populations, racial minorities, elderly people, and those with low education face the steepest disparities. The authors map broadband availability and state policy adoption across the country and recommend policy changes to accelerate rural telehealth implementation.
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Sustainable intensification of agricultural systems in the Central African Highlands: The need for institutional innovation
This study examines agricultural innovation in the Central African Highlands using an agricultural innovation systems approach. The research finds that constraints to sustainable intensification are primarily economic and institutional—caused by weak policies, poor market access, limited financial resources, and ineffective stakeholder collaboration. The authors conclude that 69% of constraints require institutional innovation, particularly improved credit access, services, and markets. They argue that current research and development investments focus too narrowly on farm-level productivity, neglecting the institutional and natural resource management innovations needed at national and regional levels.
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Innovation Systems, Institutional Change And The New Knowledge Market: Implications For Third World Agricultural Development
This paper applies information theory to analyze innovation systems in developing countries, focusing on agricultural poverty. It argues that Third World agricultural research and development requires fundamental institutional reform, not just technological fixes or policy adjustments. The author examines knowledge markets in industrialized countries as models and contends that without restructuring institutions—particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa—technological innovations cannot reach their economic potential.
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Identifying social innovations in European local rural development initiatives
This paper examines social innovation in European rural development by analyzing community-led local development initiatives across five countries. Using a Schumpeterian framework, the authors identify how new resource combinations create social value in rural areas. They find distinct processes and outcomes that generate positive change, and argue these insights should inform the design and evaluation of future rural development policies and programmes.
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Structural Conditions for Collaboration and Learning in Innovation Networks: Using an Innovation System Performance Lens to Analyse Agricultural Knowledge Systems
This study examines structural conditions in eight European agricultural innovation systems that enable or block collaboration and learning in multidisciplinary networks. Using an Innovation System Failure Matrix, researchers identified key barriers including insufficient funding, fragmentation between actors, and weak evaluation criteria for collaborative networks. The findings show each country's system has distinct features, requiring tailored policy approaches rather than one-size-fits-all solutions for promoting collaboration.
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Community-driven social innovation and quadruple helix coordination in rural development. Case study on LEADER group Aktion Österbotten
Social innovations in rural areas emerge through collaboration between universities, industry, government, and civil society—the quadruple helix model. This study of Finland's LEADER programme shows that community-driven projects succeed when local knowledge combines with external actors' expertise. Cultural events, nature activities, and social gatherings strengthen community identity and spark entrepreneurial ventures in tourism and social services. Local community involvement proved decisive for project success.
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Public-private partnerships as systemic agricultural innovation policy instruments – Assessing their contribution to innovation system function dynamics
Public-private partnerships function as systemic policy tools within agricultural innovation systems. This study evaluates four Dutch agricultural PPPs by examining how they influence innovation system functions and feedback loops, rather than just direct organizational benefits. The research reveals that different PPP types have varying strengths and weaknesses as systemic instruments and different capacities to coordinate other policy tools, depending on whether they target sustainability or international competitiveness.
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Infrastructure Investment and Rural Economic Development: An Evaluation of USDA's Broadband Loan Program
The USDA's Broadband Loan Program, launched in 2002, significantly boosted employment, payroll, and business establishments in recipient communities during its pilot phase (2002–2003). However, benefits concentrated in rural areas near cities. The newer program phase showed no measurable economic impact yet, likely due to insufficient time for effects to materialize.
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The rural university campus and support for rural innovation
Rural university campuses in the UK can contribute to local innovation systems, but face significant challenges. Campuses pursuing narrow disciplinary specialization can engage niche industry clusters, though development takes years. Those focused on broad educational access struggle to connect with business. The paper concludes that using new campuses to boost rural innovation requires long-term commitment and may conflict with goals of expanding higher education access.
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Achieving food security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through innovation: Potential role of agricultural extension
Saudi Arabia faces severe food security challenges due to limited arable land and water in its desert climate, forcing heavy reliance on imports. The paper argues that agricultural extension services are critical to promoting innovative technologies—including hydroponics, greenhouse farming, seawater harvesting, and rainwater collection—that can increase domestic food production and reduce import dependency by 2050.
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Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adoption of Agricultural Innovations: A Panel Data Analysis of the Use of Artificial Insemination among Dairy Farmers in Ireland
This study analyzes why Irish dairy farmers adopt artificial insemination (AI) technology at different rates using panel data. The researchers found that both farmer characteristics and farm structure significantly influence adoption decisions. Understanding these differences helps policymakers design targeted programs to promote AI adoption and improve reproductive management practices among dairy farmers.
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Economic growth and broadband access: The European urban-rural digital divide
Broadband access drives economic growth differently in European urban and rural regions. Lower-speed broadband boosted growth in both areas but with weaker effects in rural regions. High-speed broadband significantly accelerated rural economic growth while having no impact in cities. Rural high-speed expansion shows increasing returns to scale and represents critical infrastructure for rural development, supporting policies to close the urban-rural digital divide.
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Innovation gaps in Scandinavian rural tourism
Rural tourism in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden has significant growth potential, but five innovation gaps prevent its realization: portfolio limitations, fragmented policy, knowledge deficits, weak change motivation, and misaligned resource interpretation. Consumer surveys reveal that new customer groups, especially from Germany, demand higher-quality, diversified products like outdoor activities and cultural events. Rural tourism businesses innovate slowly despite having assets to expand offerings without losing authenticity. The gap between customer expectations and spending patterns partly explains this sluggish innovation.
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Entrepreneurship and rural economic development: a scenario analysis approach
This paper demonstrates how scenario analysis helps rural policymakers and entrepreneurs understand barriers to small business growth and economic development. Researchers in Mid Wales used structured scenario development with stakeholders to build shared understanding of uncertainties affecting rural entrepreneurship. The findings show that effective rural enterprise support must be tailored to local context and account for diverse external factors.
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Marketing and innovation: Useful tools for competitiveness in rural and peripheral areas
Rural entrepreneurship drives competitiveness in peripheral areas, but low population density creates obstacles. The paper argues that innovative rural firms succeed by adopting niche marketing strategies tailored to their organizational context. This approach lets rural businesses capitalize on emerging social trends. The author offers policy recommendations to support this model.
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European Rural Development under the Common Agricultural Policy's ‘Second Pillar’: Institutional Conservatism and Innovation
The EU's Rural Development Regulation, launched in 2000 as the Common Agricultural Policy's second pillar, aimed to promote sustainable rural development through decentralized, participative delivery and multi-sectoral approaches. A European study found that institutional conservatism hindered effective implementation of these new principles. The authors argue that further institutional adaptation is necessary for success and identify lessons from EU regional policy that could improve future CAP reforms.
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Food and agricultural innovation pathways for prosperity
Agricultural research investments can reduce poverty and improve rural prosperity through multiple pathways affecting farmers, laborers, value chain actors, and urban poor. The authors identify 18 plausible impact mechanisms linking agricultural research to poverty reduction outcomes and examine how urbanization and climate change reshape development contexts in low-income countries. They emphasize that measuring success requires understanding who benefits and loses, incorporating gender equity and nuanced definitions of prosperity beyond income metrics.
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Can broadband access rescue the rural economy?
Broadband access alone cannot rescue rural economies. While governments promote broadband rollout for rural competitiveness, current technologies are unsuitable for remote areas. More fundamentally, rural businesses lack growth propensity and entrepreneurial drive, making technology access secondary to deeper enterprise challenges. Technology deployment without addressing these underlying limitations will fail to deliver expected economic benefits.
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Conceptualising the DAIS: Implications of the ‘Digitalisation of Agricultural Innovation Systems’ on technology and policy at multiple levels
Digital technologies are transforming agriculture, raising critical questions about data ownership, privacy, and governance. This paper examines Australia's Digiscape Future Science Platform and argues that agricultural industries need proactive policy frameworks and stakeholder forums to manage digital innovation systems effectively. The authors propose that deliberate attention to societal values in technology policy can help agriculture capitalize on digitalization opportunities while mitigating risks.
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Does farmer entrepreneurship alleviate rural poverty in China? Evidence from Guangxi Province
Farmer entrepreneurship significantly reduces rural poverty in China's Guangxi Province. The study surveyed 309 farm business employees and found that socio-cultural capabilities most strongly drive entrepreneurship growth, which in turn substantially decreases poverty. The research recommends equipping rural farmers with entrepreneurial skills as a sustainable, bottom-up poverty reduction strategy that other developing countries can adopt.
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Culture as a barrier to rural women's entrepreneurship: Experience from Zimbabwe
Cultural barriers significantly prevent rural women in Zimbabwe from achieving economic self-confidence and autonomy through entrepreneurship. The paper identifies key issues that development programmes must address to promote women's equality via business activities and recommends future priorities for gender-focused training initiatives.
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Barriers to the development and progress of entrepreneurship in rural Pakistan
Religious, socioeconomic, and structural forces suppress social and cultural capital in rural Pakistan, explaining why entrepreneurship remains extremely low in agricultural regions. The study interviewed 84 families in interior Sindh and found that entrepreneurship requires specific socioeconomic conditions to flourish. The authors recommend policy interventions to promote entrepreneurship in agro-based rural economies.
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Sustainable primary health care services in rural and remote areas: Innovation and evidence
Rural and remote Australia has developed innovative primary health care models that work when tailored to local conditions and supported by aligned governance, funding, and workforce systems. Success requires coordination across government levels, clear service benchmarks, and national information systems to monitor outcomes. These evidence-based approaches can guide global health system reform to deliver sustainable care in hard-to-reach communities.
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Government Interventions to Promote Agricultural Innovation
Government interventions can effectively promote agricultural innovation by reducing farmers' adoption barriers and encouraging technology uptake. The paper analyzes how subsidies, information programs, and other policy tools influence farmers' decisions to adopt new practices. Strategic government support accelerates innovation diffusion and helps farmers improve productivity while reducing environmental impact.
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Place-Based Resentment in Contemporary U.S. Elections: The Individual Sources of America’s Urban-Rural Divide
Rural Americans harbor significant resentment toward urban communities, and this place-based animosity strongly predicts voting behavior in U.S. elections. The researchers analyzed survey data from 2018 to 2020 and found that rural resentment was a powerful predictor of vote choice in both the 2018 midterm and 2020 general elections, independent of partisanship and racial attitudes. The findings explain a key driver of America's urban-rural political divide.
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Environmental regulation, agricultural green technology innovation, and agricultural green total factor productivity
Environmental regulations in Chinese provinces drive agricultural green technology innovation and productivity gains, but the effect depends on regional economic development levels. In poorer regions, regulations have minimal impact. As regions develop economically, environmental regulations increasingly spur green innovation and boost agricultural productivity. Regulations affect overall productivity more than technology adoption alone.
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Determinant factors for the development of rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurship in Spain depends on market opportunities rather than unemployment rates. R&D investment and available credit encourage rural business creation. Surprisingly, highly educated professionals are less likely to start rural ventures than those with secondary education. The findings suggest policymakers should focus on innovation funding, credit access, and employment policies to revitalize rural economies and combat depopulation.
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Challenges for the next level of digital divide in rural Indonesian communities
This study examines digital divide challenges in a rural Indonesian village by moving beyond simple access gaps to analyze four stages of internet adoption: motivation, material access, skills, and usage. Researchers found age-based disparities among digital natives and identified how internet use positively affects community participation. The analysis reveals distinct barriers at each adoption stage, leading to targeted policy recommendations for improving rural development through ICT in Indonesia and other developing countries.
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The fourth industrial revolution, agricultural and rural innovation, and implications for public policy and investments: a case of India
India's Digital India initiative deploys networked digital solutions to boost agricultural productivity and rural welfare across 156 million households. The paper identifies three major barriers: delivering location-specific, farmer-friendly agricultural content; building digital literacy so farmers can effectively use apps; and measuring actual adoption and impact. Success requires complementary investments in physical, human, and institutional capital alongside ongoing policy reforms.
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Unpacking systemic innovation capacity as strategic ambidexterity: How projects dynamically configure capabilities for agricultural innovation
Agricultural innovation projects succeed by strategically balancing exploitation of existing capabilities with exploration of new ones across multiple levels of innovation systems. The authors studied two New Zealand projects addressing lamb survival and sustainable land management, finding that project actors must configure resources and capabilities across individual, organizational, and network levels to overcome capability gaps and break unhelpful path dependencies. Effective projects require dedicated facilitators for reflexive monitoring and alignment with innovation policies supporting sustainable development goals.
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Public-private sector partnerships in an agricultural system of innovation: Concepts and challenges
Public-private partnerships in agriculture face institutional barriers rooted in trust, habits, and practices rather than technical obstacles. The paper argues partnerships succeed when embedded within local agro-enterprise networks that drive rural development. Building social capital within agricultural innovation systems, tailored to local contexts, is essential for overcoming these constraints and enabling effective collaboration between public research organizations and private actors.
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Transitions in water harvesting practices in Jordan’s rainfed agricultural systems: Systemic problems and blocking mechanisms in an emerging technological innovation system
Water harvesting innovation in Jordan's rainfed agriculture faces three major barriers: insufficient funding, fragmented government vision, and institutional problems that prevent technology legitimization. The study reveals that donor interventions, informal land tenure laws, and cultural institutions significantly shape innovation outcomes. Effective policy requires integrated approaches, better donor coordination, and recognition that informal institutions hold equal weight to formal ones in developing countries.
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How innovative is your agriculture? Using innovation indicators and benchmarks to strengthen national agricultural innovation systems
This paper develops a framework for measuring agricultural innovation in developing countries by adapting the innovation systems approach. It identifies potential indicators to benchmark national agricultural performance, reviews data sources and construction methods, and provides guidance for policymakers and development partners seeking to design evidence-based policies that strengthen agricultural innovation systems.
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A new approach to stimulate rural entrepreneurship through village-owned enterprises in Indonesia
Village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) in Indonesia successfully encourage rural entrepreneurship by leveraging local resources and involving community stakeholders in exploration, empowerment, and capacity building. However, implementation faces significant obstacles: misalignment between regulations and practice, insufficient skilled managers, and weak coordination between village governments and enterprises.
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The relation between entrepreneurship and rural poverty alleviation in China
Farmer entrepreneurship significantly reduces rural poverty in China, with quality of entrepreneurship mattering more than quantity. Socio-cultural capabilities—such as social networks and cultural values—drive entrepreneurial growth more effectively than education or economic resources alone. The study surveyed 363 households across four communities in two Chinese provinces and found strong positive links between entrepreneurial development and poverty alleviation.
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Transition Management and Social Innovation in Rural Areas: Lessons from Social Farming
Social farming in Italy demonstrates how rural areas can manage transitions toward sustainability by integrating agricultural, health, and education sectors. The study shows that linking public and private actors through collective learning creates social innovation and new economic value. Extension services must be redesigned to support these cross-sector partnerships, helping rural communities adapt to welfare state challenges and build inclusive, sustainable development.
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Agricultural Innovation and the Role of Institutions: Lessons from the Game of Drones
Unmanned aerial systems (drones) offer Swedish farmers significant benefits including reduced costs, higher yields, and environmental gains. However, camera surveillance legislation unexpectedly classified drones as surveillance devices, creating institutional barriers that inhibited their agricultural adoption. The study demonstrates how legislative institutions can obstruct responsible innovation and reveals conflicts between competing ethical frameworks governing technology use.
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Making Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) Work for Development in Tropical Countries
Agricultural innovation systems in tropical low-income countries struggle because capacity development initiatives don't align with national efforts. A study of Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central America found that external programs focus on training individuals, while countries actually need institutional strengthening. The research recommends improving south-south collaboration and building institutional capacity to make national agricultural innovation systems more responsive to smallholder farmers' needs.
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Quantifying entrepreneurship and its impact on local economic performance: A spatial assessment in rural Switzerland
This study measures entrepreneurship in 1,706 Swiss rural municipalities and tests whether it drives local economic growth. Results show entrepreneurship correlates with higher business tax revenues and lower welfare dependency, but has weak effects on employment. The researchers conclude that while entrepreneurship helps rural economies, policymakers should temper expectations about its short-term impact on endogenous rural development.
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Can Social Innovation Make a Change in European and Mediterranean Marginalized Areas? Social Innovation Impact Assessment in Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, and Rural Development
Social innovation initiatives in European and Mediterranean marginalized rural areas produce measurable impacts across economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions. The study evaluated nine social innovation projects in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and rural development. Results show these initiatives generate cross-sectoral and multi-level benefits that improve societal well-being and reduce marginalization within their territories.
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Inclusive Finance, Farm Households Entrepreneurship, and Inclusive Rural Transformation in Rural Poverty-stricken Areas in China
Financial inclusion drives rural entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in China's impoverished counties. Using survey data from 988 farm households, the study shows that actually using credit—not merely accessing it—encourages entrepreneurial activities. Formal and informal credit operate through separate channels but both support entrepreneurship. Farm household entrepreneurship directly increases household income, making financial inclusion critical for inclusive rural transformation.
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Challenges hindering women entrepreneurship sustainability in rural livelihoods: Case of Manicaland province
Women entrepreneurs in rural Zimbabwe face significant barriers to business sustainability, including lack of collateral for loans, poor access to market information, and insufficient government support. The study of 30 women in vegetable vending, clothing markets, and cross-border trading identifies patriarchal social structures and role conflicts between family and business as major obstacles. Recommendations include entrepreneurship training, government schemes, and community networks to support women's economic activities.
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Measuring Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture: Innovations and evidence
This paper reviews how women's empowerment in agriculture is measured and what interventions actually work. The authors use the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index to analyze 11 agricultural development projects and livestock interventions. They find evidence linking women's empowerment to improved agricultural productivity, incomes, and food security. The paper offers recommendations for better measurement approaches and policy design.
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‘Sharing the space’ in the agricultural knowledge and innovation system: multi-actor innovation partnerships with farmers and foresters in Europe
This paper reviews 200 European agricultural and forestry partnerships involving farmers and foresters to assess how multi-actor networks foster knowledge sharing and co-innovation. The researchers found that various EU and non-EU funding instruments effectively engage users in collaborative innovation across agriculture, forestry, and value chains. The study reveals that successful co-innovation requires recognizing diverse partnership approaches—both formal and informal—and better coordination between programs to reach currently underengaged actor groups.
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Urban and rural differences in geographical accessibility to inpatient palliative and end-of-life (PEoLC) facilities and place of death: a national population-based study in England, UK
Rural patients in England live farther from hospices and palliative care facilities than urban patients, and this distance significantly affects where they die. Patients more than 10 minutes' drive from inpatient palliative care were substantially less likely to die in hospices or hospitals and more likely to die at home. The geographic barrier was stronger in rural areas than urban areas, indicating that distance to facilities shapes end-of-life outcomes and that policy must address rural-urban disparities in care access.
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Social innovation in rural governance: A comparative case study across the marginalised rural EU
Rural marginalisation across the EU intensified after 2008, as traditional state governance failed to serve remote communities. This study examines how beyond-the-state governance systems—horizontal, networked, and collaborative—address this gap. Comparing three marginalised regions in Austria, Portugal, and Greece, the authors identify key factors enabling socially innovative governance: decentralised government structures, strong interregional networks, stakeholder discourse, and institutional stability. The findings reveal conditions necessary for embedding social innovation in rural governance.
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Supporting rural entrepreneurship
This paper examines approaches to supporting entrepreneurship in rural areas. It addresses how rural development strategies can foster business creation and growth in rural communities, identifying key support mechanisms and policy frameworks that enable rural entrepreneurs to succeed.
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Frugal innovation for sustainable rural development
Frugal innovation—creating affordable, resource-efficient solutions—contributes more effectively to sustainable development goals in rural South Asia than conventional products. The study analyzed 13 frugal enterprises through interviews and found these innovations positively impact multiple SDGs, though some goals require national-level policy rather than enterprise-level action. Frugal approaches offer a practical pathway for rural sustainable development.
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Responsible Agricultural Mechanization Innovation for the Sustainable Development of Nepal’s Hillside Farming System
Nepal's 2014 Agricultural Mechanization Promotion Policy attempted to shift from industrial mechanization favoring flat farmland toward small-scale mechanization for hillside farming. The policy addressed smallholder production challenges, gender inequality, and farmer exclusion that prior mechanization efforts had ignored. However, the study finds it remains unclear whether the policy actually delivers sustainable agricultural development in Nepal's hills and mountains.
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Transforming the Roles of a Public Extension Agency to Strengthen Innovation: Lessons from the National Agricultural Extension Project in Bangladesh
Bangladesh's public agricultural extension agency attempted to transform its role from linear technology transfer to facilitating interactive communication and stakeholder collaboration. However, the agency failed to strengthen collective action because institutional barriers persisted: staff remained wedded to technology-transfer models, undervalued intermediary roles like brokering and convening, and treated extension methods as information delivery rather than interactive learning. The study identifies obstacles preventing innovation systems thinking in low-income country extension work.
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The Evolutionary Game Analysis of Multiple Stakeholders in the Low-Carbon Agricultural Innovation Diffusion
This paper uses evolutionary game theory to model interactions between agricultural enterprises, government, and farmers in adopting low-carbon farming technologies. The analysis shows that government subsidies and carbon taxes effectively incentivize enterprises and farmers to participate in low-carbon agriculture. The findings provide evidence for designing targeted policies that accelerate the diffusion of sustainable agricultural innovations.
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Place-based landscape services and potential of participatory spatial planning in multifunctional rural landscapes in Southern highlands, Tanzania
Rural communities in Tanzania's southern highlands benefit most from landscape services related to social gathering sites and cultivation. Participatory mapping methods effectively engaged 313 local residents in identifying and spatializing these services, revealing that cultural services cluster in small areas while provisioning services reflect biophysical patterns. Workshops demonstrated that maps and satellite imagery empower communities to express spatial opinions and participate in landscape planning, offering practical value for data-scarce regions.
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Conflicts of customary land tenure in rural Africa: is large-scale land acquisition a driver of ‘institutional innovation’?
Large-scale biofuel land acquisition in rural Sierra Leone creates new contractual arrangements between investors and local authorities, framing customary land tenure through formal registration. This institutional innovation formalizes existing power structures but deepens social inequalities, triggering conflicts between lineages, villages, families, and generations. These conflicts challenge traditional land-based social hierarchies and may reshape rural society.
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Female entrepreneurship in rural Vietnam: an exploratory study
Government pro-entrepreneurship policies and private sector interventions have boosted rural entrepreneurship in Vietnam, but women still face significant barriers. Female entrepreneurs in rural and remote areas struggle against societal prejudices, lack of financing, and limited access to entrepreneurship education. The study reveals that environmental factors—both supportive policies and cultural constraints—shape women's entrepreneurial outcomes in rural Vietnam.
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Farmers’ Demand and the Traits and Diffusion of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries
Agricultural innovations developed by international research often fail adoption among smallholder farmers in developing countries despite yield potential. This review examines why, analyzing technology traits and farmer constraints. Farmers frequently prioritize reducing variance, water use, or labor over maximizing yields. When external constraints ease, farmers reallocate resources in ways that don't increase yield intensity. Agronomical trial results poorly predict actual farmer demand in real conditions, requiring research and policy adjustments.
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Evaluating U.S. Rural Entrepreneurship Policy
This paper examines how entrepreneurship drives rural economic growth in the United States, distinguishing between necessity-driven and opportunity-driven entrepreneurship. The authors model knowledge accumulation through scientific investment and patents, review existing evaluations of U.S. entrepreneurship promotion programs, and identify significant data limitations that hinder rigorous assessment. They outline methodological standards for conducting ideal evaluations of rural entrepreneurship policies.
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Teachers' ICT Adoption in South African Rural Schools: A Study of Technology Readiness and Implications for the South Africa Connect Broadband Policy
Rural teachers in South African schools show strong optimism about using ICTs for teaching, indicating readiness to adopt technology despite financial and skills barriers. However, most schools ban student personal devices, creating a conflict with South Africa's Connect broadband policy goals of universal internet access and digital skills development by 2030. The study reveals a disconnect between school policies and national broadband objectives.
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Responsible Innovation for Life: Five Challenges Agriculture Offers for Responsible Innovation in Agriculture and Food, and the Necessity of an Ethics of Innovation
This paper examines how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can be applied to agriculture and food systems. The authors argue that agricultural innovation must balance economic, environmental, and social-ethical concerns, including animal welfare and food security. They identify five key challenges for implementing RRI in agriculture and call for ethical reflection on responsibility and innovation practices in the sector.
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Making Land Rights Accessible: Social Movements and Political-Legal Innovation in the Rural Philippines
Social movements in the rural Philippines overcame obstacles to land reform by combining political and legal strategies with support networks for rights advocacy. The paper shows that agrarian reform laws can be effectively implemented when rural poor claimants access mobilization support structures and pursue integrated strategies that activate state actors and resist elite opposition. However, these strategies have inherent limits.
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Innovation Systems: Implications for agricultural policy and practice
Agricultural innovation requires rethinking research as part of a dynamic system involving multiple organizations, not just policy and research bodies. The paper argues that farmers and businesses adapt through interactions across a broader ecosystem of actors. Success depends on developing institutional practices, incentives, and policy environments that encourage continuous learning and innovation to improve livelihoods and competitiveness.
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The transformative innovation potential of cellular agriculture: Political and policy stakeholders’ perceptions of cultured meat in Germany
German political and policy stakeholders recognize that conventional animal agriculture faces serious environmental and economic problems, but they doubt cultured meat will transform the food system soon. The study identifies drivers and barriers to cellular agriculture adoption, finding that while stakeholders understand change is necessary, they view large-scale transition to cell-based farming as unlikely in the near term.
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Place-Based Rural Development and Resilience: A Lesson from a Small Community
Community resilience drives rural development. This case study of a small economically disadvantaged community identifies three key factors for building resilience: rebuilding social ties and trust within the community, creating a cascade effect where initial projects spark additional initiatives, and adopting systemic approaches that connect previously disconnected sectors and areas. Place-based policies succeed when they rely on resilient actors and communities.
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Between capital investments and capacity building—Development and application of a conceptual framework towards a place-based rural development policy
This paper develops a framework for place-based rural development policy that divides investments into territorial capital (physical, human, natural) and capacity building (modernisation, restructuring, stabilisation). Using EU regional spending data from 2007–2011, the authors find that over half of European regions prioritise natural capital or stabilisation, while others combine multiple topics. Regional spending patterns vary significantly, reflecting how different authorities and local actors shape policy implementation across places.
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DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOLUTION TO RURAL POVERTY: THEORY, PRACTICE AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Digital entrepreneurship can reduce rural poverty by addressing structural barriers and improving rural entrepreneurs' financial outcomes. The paper develops a framework linking digital ecosystems to poverty reduction, examining how local government policies enable or hinder this process. Case studies reveal tensions between market forces, technology adoption, business viability, and government support in developing economies, with implications for rural development policy.
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Agriculture, seed, and innovation in Nepal: industry and policy issues for the future
Nepal's agricultural sector spans three distinct geographic regions—the Terai, Hills, and Mountains—each with different productive capacities. The Terai and inner Terai, at the lowest altitudes, generate the highest agricultural output. The paper examines seed industry development and agricultural innovation policy issues critical to Nepal's future farming productivity across these varied landscapes.
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Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Case Study of Lis Valley Irrigation District, Portugal
Portuguese agricultural innovation in the Lis Valley Irrigation District reveals a gap between policy frameworks and practical outcomes. The Rural Development Program's narrow definition of innovation fails to capture social innovation and process improvements essential to agriculture. The study shows that implementing water management innovations for sustainability requires policy reform to align agricultural priorities with environmental protection and rural development goals.
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The Community Reclaims Control? Learning Experiences from Rural Broadband Initiatives in the Netherlands
Four Dutch rural broadband initiatives reveal that communities struggle to maintain control over digital infrastructure despite participatory ideals. Local groups must navigate competing interests from commercial providers and government authorities while managing limited social, intellectual, and financial resources. Volunteer burnout threatens project sustainability. Communities succeed only when members develop professional expertise to compete in complex broadband markets, yet learning remains secondary to achieving broadband access itself.
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Understanding Adoption of Innovations and Behavior Change to Improve Agricultural Policy
Agricultural adoption research shows that farmers make adoption decisions as ongoing processes shaped by learning and diverse motivations, not just profit. The paper identifies gaps in predicting adoption and understanding how innovation characteristics influence farmer decisions. Policy opportunities include supporting women farmers in developing countries and applying marketing techniques to extension programs.
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Determinates of Women Micro-entrepreneurship Development: An Empirical Investigation in Rural Bangladesh
This study examines factors driving women's micro-entrepreneurship in rural Bangladesh by surveying 248 women micro-entrepreneurs and 132 non-entrepreneurs. Personal attributes like work freedom and desire for social status, combined with family hardship, increase women's participation in micro-entrepreneurship. Access to credit, training, development organization membership, information, and infrastructure emerge as critical external enablers. The research identifies barriers to women's entrepreneurial development and recommends policy improvements.
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Addressing the politics of mission-oriented agricultural innovation systems
Mission-oriented agricultural innovation systems are increasingly used to transform agri-food systems, but their political dimensions demand greater attention. This paper argues that MAIS must address four critical areas: directionality (how power shapes innovation direction), diversity (multiple pathways, actors, and knowledge types), distribution (just resource allocation across communities), and democracy (deliberative knowledge production). The authors contend that researchers must recognize how their work influences and is shaped by these political dynamics to ensure transformations are sustainable, equitable, and socially desirable.
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Modeling the Effects of Agricultural Innovation and Biocapacity on Carbon Dioxide Emissions in an Agrarian-Based Economy: Evidence From the Dynamic ARDL Simulations
This study examines how agricultural innovation, energy use, income, and biocapacity affect carbon dioxide emissions in Nigeria from 1981 to 2014. Agricultural innovation and energy use increase emissions, while higher income and biocapacity reduce them long-term. The research confirms the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and shows agricultural innovation accounts for nearly half of CO2 emission changes. The authors recommend prioritizing energy efficiency, clean energy adoption, and ecosystem management to address climate change.
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Women Farmers and Agricultural Innovation: Marital Status and Normative Expectations in Rural Ethiopia
Marital status significantly shapes women farmers' capacity to innovate in rural Ethiopia. Single women own more land and control production decisions, yet face legal and customary barriers to resource access. Married women innovate successfully only within collaborative spousal relationships. Gender-based violence undermines women's achievements across both groups. Customary norms consistently constrain women's effective land use and agricultural innovation regardless of household headship.
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Place-based policy and rural poverty: insights from the urban spatial mismatch literature
Rural poverty persists partly because geographic distance creates barriers to economic adjustment, similar to spatial mismatch in cities. Using US data, the authors show that remoteness correlates with higher poverty rates and that poor people don't simply choose to live in isolated areas. Labor supply responses confirm these distance-based frictions matter. The findings support place-based anti-poverty policies rather than focusing solely on helping poor individuals relocate.
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LEARNING FROM THE POSITIVE TO REDUCE RURAL POVERTY AND INCREASE SOCIAL JUSTICE: INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
This paper argues that development organizations miss opportunities to reduce rural poverty and advance social justice by failing to learn from existing success stories. Examining cases of bamboo irrigation in Bihar and agricultural policy changes in Nepal, the author identifies three key lessons: institutional innovations are context-specific, social entrepreneurs drive positive change, and observation choices shape outcomes. The paper recommends strengthening social science research, hiring staff committed to social justice, and deepening reflection within development programs rather than pursuing formulaic best practices.
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An Interactional Approach to Place-Based Rural Development
Rural America faces unprecedented economic transformation from globalization, eliminating traditional employment sources. Traditional rural development policies have become ineffective. The authors argue that place-based competitiveness strategies alone fall short and propose an interactional approach that simultaneously addresses economic, environmental, and social well-being as integrated components of rural development.
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Rural Digital Innovation Hubs as a Paradigm for Sustainable Business Models in Europe’s Rural Areas
Rural Digital Innovation Hubs improve sustainability in European rural areas by connecting local businesses, people, and authorities with digital technology and skilled support. A case study of a wine hub in Slovenia shows that DIHs reduce costs, create jobs, optimize operations, lower environmental impact, and increase digital inclusion. The authors conclude that rural DIHs should be integrated into smart rural development policies.
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Implementing SDGs to a Sustainable Rural Village Development from Community Empowerment: Linking Energy, Education, Innovation, and Research
Rural areas worldwide suffer from depopulation and lack access to modern energy services, education, and healthcare. This paper describes the ALMIA project in Almatret, Spain, which transformed a small rural municipality through community empowerment. The project created networks connecting local residents with experts and researchers to drive energy transition, involved local administration, and promoted technological and socio-community development. The authors demonstrate how these activities align with UN Sustainable Development Goals and argue that community empowerment is key to reversing rural decline.
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Organisational Innovation Systems for multi-actor co-innovation in European agriculture, forestry and related sectors: Diversity and common attributes
This study examined 200 multi-actor co-innovation partnerships across European agriculture and forestry sectors. Partnerships succeeded when they brought together actors with complementary knowledge, involved stakeholders throughout the innovation process, and fostered effective knowledge sharing. Most partnerships co-designed objectives, prioritized communication beyond their boundaries, and received external funding. The research reveals that current policy interpretations of agricultural knowledge systems may not adequately reflect regional differences in how European co-innovation partnerships actually operate.
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Does the design and implementation of proven innovations for delivering basic primary health care services in rural communities fit the urban setting: the case of Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS)
Ghana's Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system, proven effective in rural areas, was adapted for urban poor settlements. The pilot found that rural best practices could not be directly transplanted to cities due to different organizational structures and disease patterns. Urban modifications included adjusted visit schedules and expanded worker training. The authors conclude that primary health models designed for rural contexts require substantial redesign to work in urban settings.
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Appreciating the Contribution of Broadband ICT With Rural and Remote Communities: Stepping Stones Toward an Alternative Paradigm
Conventional broadband policy evaluation in rural areas focuses narrowly on measurable short-term outcomes, missing how ICT actually contributes to economic, social, and cultural wellbeing. This paper proposes an alternative approach treating broadband projects as learning experiments within sociotechnical systems. It emphasizes stakeholder engagement, adaptive policymaking, and letting communities define their own impact indicators rather than imposing predetermined measures.
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Does investment in innovation impact firm performance in emerging economies? An empirical investigation of the Indian food and agricultural manufacturing industry
R&D investment significantly boosts firm growth in India's food and agricultural manufacturing sector. Younger firms benefit most from innovation spending. The study finds that exporting firms gain competitive advantages through R&D, while those importing raw materials face headwinds. Government fiscal incentives and R&D subsidies can accelerate private innovation investment and firm expansion in this emerging economy.
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Innovation system approach to agricultural development: Policy implications for agricultural extension delivery in Nigeria
Nigeria's agricultural sector requires a shift from traditional research-extension models to an innovation systems approach. The paper argues that sustainable agricultural development demands holistic consideration of policy frameworks, human capital, infrastructure, and knowledge flows—not just R&D investment. Government should enact favorable policies, strengthen farmer and private sector innovation, and ensure extension workers integrate institutional context into technology packages delivered to farmers.
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The Institutional Limits to Multifunctional Agriculture: Subnational Governance and Regional Systems of Innovation
This paper examines how regional governance in England's East Midlands implements multifunctional agriculture policies. The author uses a regional innovation systems approach to show that while multifunctionality is promoted across Europe, translating this concept into actual policy faces significant institutional challenges. The study reveals gaps between the theoretical appeal of postproductivist agricultural strategies and the practical capacity of subnational governance to deliver them.
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Exploring the readiness of publicly funded researchers to practice responsible research and innovation in digital agriculture
Irish publicly funded researchers show alignment with responsible research and innovation principles in digital agriculture, but face challenges implementing integrated RRI approaches. Interviews with 15 scientists and funders revealed three key concerns: unintended cultural consequences of technology, ensuring farm-level usability, and clarifying scientist responsibilities. The study identifies gaps in how RRI frameworks are framed and supported within academic institutions.
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Making room for manoeuvre: addressing gender norms to strengthen the enabling environment for agricultural innovation
Gender norms significantly shape whether agricultural innovation succeeds or fails at the local level, yet development research has largely overlooked them. Drawing on the GENNOVATE research initiative, the authors show that gender norms interact with individual agency to determine agricultural outcomes. Effective agricultural development requires explicitly addressing these norms and challenging underlying inequality structures, not just focusing on policies, markets, and institutions.
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In Search of Rural Entrepreneurship: Non‐farm Household Enterprises (NFEs) as Instruments of Rural Transformation in Ethiopia
Non-farm household enterprises in rural Ethiopia significantly improve livelihoods and are driven by education, cooperative membership, socioeconomic factors, transport access, communication, credit availability, and extension services. The study of 415 households shows that policies strengthening infrastructure, credit systems, extension services, and rural cooperatives can accelerate enterprise development and rural transformation across sub-Saharan Africa.
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A New Path of Sustainable Development in Traditional Agricultural Areas from the Perspective of Open Innovation—A Coupling and Coordination Study on the Agricultural Industry and the Tourism Industry
In Henan province, China, agricultural and tourism industries show increasing coordination from 2009 to 2018, with coordination scores rising from 0.278 to 0.921. The study demonstrates that integrating these two industries effectively drives rural economic development and poverty alleviation. The authors recommend optimizing agricultural structure, extending tourism chains, and implementing supportive policies to sustain this integrated development model.
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Climate, insurance and innovation: the case of drought and innovations in drought-tolerant traits in US agriculture
Crop insurance in US agriculture reduces innovation in drought-tolerant traits by approximately 23 percent, despite farmers increasing innovation activities in response to climate variation. Subsidized insurance weakens this adaptive response, potentially undermining long-term agricultural resilience to climate change by discouraging the development of climate-adapted crops.
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Innovation for inclusive rural transformation: the role of the state
Governments in developing countries must actively support rural innovation to achieve inclusive development. Analysis of programs across Algeria, Vietnam, South Africa, Peru, India, and Argentina shows state involvement succeeds most when coupled with local community participation. The state's critical roles include promoting agricultural innovation, building rural capacity, and delivering pro-poor social innovations. Success requires governments to support local capability building and bridge knowledge gaps between innovation producers and rural communities.
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Agricultural innovation from above and from below: Confrontation and integration on Rwanda's Hills
Rwanda's smallholder banana farmers develop their own innovations alongside top-down agricultural modernization efforts promoted by the World Bank's Green Revolution agenda. The paper shows how farmers receive and adapt macro-level innovations while simultaneously creating grassroots solutions driven by their own risk-management needs. The authors argue that policymakers must prioritize farmers' capacity for bottom-up innovation when designing Rwanda's agricultural strategies.
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Bridging the urban-rural digital divide: taxonomy of the best practice and critical reflection of the EU countries’ approach
EU countries use fragmented approaches to reduce the urban-rural digital divide. This paper creates a taxonomy of European rural digitalization strategies and groups countries by their implementation patterns. The analysis reveals that digital infrastructure and virtual sphere coherence are critical challenges preventing successful bridging of the divide across EU member states.
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The Role of Actors in Social Innovation in Rural Areas
Social innovation in rural areas depends on specific types of actors playing distinct roles. This study interviewed key informants from three socially innovative initiatives in rural Spain and Scotland. Local actors and processes prove central, while facilitators and neutral intermediaries significantly impact outcomes. Social economy organizations coordinate networks effectively, and public sector involvement through LEADER programs shapes how rural communities address social needs and opportunities.
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Social Innovation in Rural Areas of the European Union Learnings from Neo-Endogenous Development Projects in Italy and Spain
Social innovation in rural EU areas, particularly in Spain and Italy, succeeds through public-private partnerships and the LEADER approach. Local leaders, social enterprises, and Local Action Groups drive participation by overcoming community resistance. Effective projects require collective learning, sustained long-term commitment, and integration of both external and internal knowledge. Network complexity influences outcomes, and intangible contributions often go undervalued in rural development practice.
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Innovation and learning in agriculture
Farmers innovate through interactive learning networks and trial-and-error processes, relying on external knowledge infrastructures. The entrepreneur acts as the central learner driving innovation. The paper examines how farmers learn and innovate in modern agriculture and identifies effective government policies to support innovation without protectionism. Innovation requires balancing uncertainty with experience—a core competence of entrepreneurial success.
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Impact of agricultural technological innovation on total-factor agricultural water usage efficiency: Evidence from 31 Chinese Provinces
Agricultural technological innovation significantly improves water usage efficiency across Chinese provinces from 2000 to 2020. The study finds that Chinese provinces achieved 13.56% growth in total-factor agricultural water usage efficiency, driven primarily by technological change rather than efficiency improvements. Sprinkler technology and water conservation practices boost efficiency, while larger farm scales reduce it. These findings guide policymakers toward sustainable water management through agricultural technology adoption.
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Intellectual Property Rights and the Ascent of Proprietary Innovation in Agriculture
Agricultural biological innovations historically lacked formal intellectual property protection, but recent decades have seen substantial strengthening of these rights. This paper documents how plant IPRs have evolved, examines economic theory on their effects, and reviews empirical evidence on innovation outcomes. The authors show how agricultural IPR experience aligns with or diverges from broader IPR literature, and discuss implications for market structure and input pricing.
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Organic agriculture: A fountain of alternative innovations for social, economic, and environmental challenges of conventional agriculture in a developing country context
Organic farming in Kenya generates multiple innovations addressing conventional agriculture's failures. Farmers adopted financial innovations, peer learning systems, and agro-tourism. They converted waste into pest control and soil fertility products, created new marketing channels like farmers' markets and delivery schemes, and established participatory certification systems. These innovations reduce information gaps, market risk, and financial service barriers. However, government policy support remains insufficient.
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A gender- and class-sensitive explanatory model for rural women entrepreneurship in Turkey
Rural women's agricultural cooperatives in Turkey have declined despite government promotion as vehicles for economic integration. This paper develops a gender- and class-sensitive framework combining macro, meso, and micro-level factors to explain why. Using intersectional theory, it identifies how policymaking, implementation, and everyday experiences create disadvantages for rural women entrepreneurs. The research calls for holistic policy reform at state and cooperative levels to address structural inequalities.
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Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development as a Rural Development Strategy
Small business development and entrepreneurship support can combat rural poverty and strengthen local economies. The authors examine the USDA 1890 Entrepreneurial Outreach Initiative as a community-based strategy to spur economic growth in rural Southern communities. They argue that locally-controlled enterprises are critical for determining whether rural communities prosper or decline, and that microenterprise programs represent an important development approach.
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Innovation policies in Uzbekistan: Path taken by ZEFa project on innovations in the sphere of agriculture
This paper examines how agricultural innovations developed by the ZEF/UNESCO project in Uzbekistan move from research into government practice. The author analyzes the bureaucratic, legal, and political barriers to adopting both technological and institutional innovations. The study finds that Uzbekistan is developing an innovation system, though currently operates more as a knowledge ecology that could support future innovation infrastructure.
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Opportunity Recognition in Rural Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries
Rural entrepreneurship can reduce poverty in developing countries, but success depends on opportunity recognition. The authors present a model showing that intellectual, human, environmental, and socio-cultural resources influence how rural entrepreneurs identify opportunities, mediated by national framework conditions. Understanding these factors helps developing countries design better policies to support rural entrepreneurship and economic growth.
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Barriers to the Adoption of Innovations for Sustainable Development in the Agricultural Sector—Systematic Literature Review (SLR)
This systematic review of 48 scientific articles identifies 51 barriers preventing agricultural innovation for sustainability. The most common obstacles are lack of supportive policies, epistemic closure, unfavorable regulations, and unskilled labor. External barriers (28) outnumber internal ones (23), with organic agriculture, genetic engineering, and precision agriculture emerging as leading innovations. The authors argue that policymakers can address 17 of the 28 external barriers through targeted regulations, incentives, and guidelines.
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Responsible to whom? Seed innovations and the corporatization of agriculture
Hybrid and genetically engineered seed innovations were developed alongside corporate and chemical industry interests, systematically disadvantaging small farmers and alternative agricultural practices. The paper traces how these technological shifts occurred with minimal public controversy because they were embedded in cultural narratives about seeds and farming that normalized corporate control. The author argues that examining seed innovation through technopolitics and cultural analysis reveals how responsibility gets built into technology design, before those choices become locked into material systems and social practice.
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What really matters? A qualitative analysis on the adoption of innovations in agriculture
Agricultural innovation adoption depends on multiple interconnected factors beyond technology alone. Research across Italy, Greece, and Turkey identified that farmers prioritize ease of use, effectiveness, usefulness, resource savings, and compatibility. Adoption accelerates through trials, demonstrations, knowledge sharing, and expert support. Public funding, agricultural policies, and market conditions significantly influence whether farmers ultimately adopt new technologies.
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Agricultural Innovation and the Protection of Traditional Rice Varieties: Kerala a Case Study
India's plant variety protection and geographical indication laws aim to promote agricultural innovation and benefit farmers growing traditional crops. A survey of 401 rice farmers in Kerala found most were unaware of these laws or misunderstood them. Farmers rarely registered their varieties or claimed benefits when their crops were used commercially. The study concludes that awareness campaigns are essential before these policies can effectively support agricultural innovation.
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Enterprise and entrepreneurship on islands and remote rural environments
Island and remote rural entrepreneurs face distinct challenges beyond typical rural business obstacles, shaped by isolation and peripheralization. The paper compares SME experiences across developing countries and Northern Europe, finding that social capital, cultural values, and local norms drive success. It argues policymakers must account for geographic differences and recognize how remoteness can become a competitive advantage as place-based distinctiveness gains market value.
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Exploring the digital divide in primary education: A comparative study of urban and rural mathematics teachers’ TPACK and attitudes towards technology integration in post-pandemic China
This study compares urban and rural primary mathematics teachers in China, finding significant disparities in technological knowledge and attitudes toward digital integration. Urban teachers demonstrated higher proficiency and more positive views due to better resource access and professional development. Rural teachers faced constraints limiting their technology adoption. Younger teachers adapted more readily than older ones. The research calls for targeted rural professional development and equitable technology access policies.
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Financial development, technological innovation and urban-rural income gap: Time series evidence from China
This study examines how technological innovation and financial development affect China's urban-rural income gap from 1985 to 2019. The researchers find that technological innovation increases income inequality between urban and rural areas, while financial development shows an inverted-U relationship with the gap. The two factors have bidirectional causal relationships with income inequality. The findings suggest policymakers should strengthen financial systems and mitigate negative distributional effects of technological advancement.
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Progress towards enhanced access and use of technology during the COVID-19 pandemic: A need to be mindful of the continued digital divide for many rural and northern communities
COVID-19 accelerated technology adoption in rural and northern areas, but widened the digital divide for many residents. Older adults increased their technology use, and organizations deployed new tools for healthcare, social engagement, and caregiver support. The paper examines strategies to bridge this divide and recommends that policymakers leverage pandemic lessons to ensure rural and northern communities gain lasting benefits from technology access and close persistent digital gaps.
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Village public innovations during COVID19 pandemic in rural areas: Phenomena in Madura, Indonesia
During the COVID-19 pandemic, village administrations in Sampang Regency, Indonesia implemented three types of public innovations to maintain their green zone status and adapt to new living habits. These included product innovations like cash assistance programs and free internet networks, process innovations using call centers and digital communication tools, and policy innovations establishing volunteer teams and social distancing protocols at the village level.
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Understanding social innovation processes in rural areas: empirical evidence from social enterprises in Germany
German rural communities increasingly rely on social enterprises called community cooperatives to address infrastructure loss and provide public goods. This study examines how these cooperatives drive social innovation through formalized collective action. The research finds that macro-level policy financing matters, but local public actors rarely initiate innovation alone—they need private incentives. Actor networks and resource patterns differ between establishing new infrastructure versus maintaining existing services, yet all successful innovations require legitimizing formal processes.
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Evaluating Innovation in European Rural Development Programmes: Application of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) Method
This paper evaluates social innovation outcomes from England's Rural Development Programme using Social Return on Investment methodology. Analysis of 196 beneficiaries found that innovation support generated £170 million in benefits through individual behavior changes, operational improvements, relational shifts, and institutional reforms. The authors argue that traditional performance measures fail to capture social innovation's full value and call for comprehensive evaluation approaches that better connect innovation outcomes to rural policy decisions.
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Scaling up research-for-development innovations in food and agricultural systems
Research-for-development innovations in food and agriculture often fail to scale despite successful pilots, particularly in poor regions. The Canadian International Food Security Research Fund supported applied research to develop and scale innovations. Key lessons show that successful scaling requires embedding innovations within local socio-ecological systems, engaging end users throughout research, enabling participatory decision-making, and ensuring innovations deliver returns for end-users.
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The Process of Policy Innovation: Prison Sitings in Rural North Carolina
This study examines why 79 rural North Carolina counties chose to site prisons between 1970 and 2000. The researchers found that demographic factors—particularly education levels and community opposition to controversial projects—were stronger predictors of prison siting decisions than economic distress or racial composition. The analysis challenges the assumption that economically struggling rural areas drive prison location choices.
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Finance, technology, and values: A configurational approach to the analysis of rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurship requires understanding how multiple factors interact, not in isolation. This study examines religious tourism development in rural areas, analyzing how combinations of financial resources, technology, and cultural values shape entrepreneurship levels. The research finds that successful rural ventures depend on interdependent relationships between these factors rather than single conditions, challenging oversimplified policy approaches.
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On the role of key players in rural social innovation processes
Rural social innovation projects succeed when led by assertive key players embedded in strong communities capable of collective action. This study of two German communities building rural infrastructure systems reveals that key players navigate internal opposition and external barriers by combining micro-, meso-, and macro-level strategies. Communities seeking independence from remote political and economic control benefit most when leaders and residents work together to overcome resistance to novel approaches.
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Innovation and Rural Development: Some Lessons from Britain and Western Europe
Rural innovation in Britain and Western Europe requires integrating economic, social, and environmental objectives rather than pursuing growth alone. Successful rural development combines local entrepreneurship with strategic infrastructure investment, particularly in broadband and services. The paper argues that innovation thrives when communities engage in planning processes that balance modernization with preserving rural character and quality of life.
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Digital Divide and Poverty Eradication in the Rural Region of Northern Peninsular Malaysia
Rural communities in northern Peninsular Malaysia face a digital divide that limits their access to information and communication technologies. Despite government initiatives to close this gap, ICT access remains significantly lower than in urban areas. The study finds that ICTs alone cannot reduce poverty without strategic central policies and practical grassroots implementation working together to address barriers to access and socio-economic growth.
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Interpretations of Innovation in Rural Development. The Cases of Leader Projects in Lecce (Italy) and Granada (Spain) in 2007–2013 Period
This study examines how the Leader initiative interprets and implements innovation in rural development across Granada, Spain and Lecce, Italy from 2007–2013. The researchers analyzed projects Local Action Groups labeled as innovative and found that while social innovation is programmatically central to Leader, local implementation faces significant obstacles. Key problems include limited local understanding of social innovation's role and weak institutional support structures in these peripheral regions.
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The “digital divide” for rural small businesses
Rural small businesses in North Carolina lag behind non-rural counterparts in adopting digital marketing practices, despite having improved broadband access. The digital divide for rural businesses stems not from lack of internet connectivity but from failure to use web and social media marketing tools effectively. Policymakers must address both infrastructure and business capacity to use it.
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Rural Entrepreneurship Strategies: Empirical Experience in the Northern Sub-Plateau of Spain
Rural entrepreneurship strategies in Spain's depopulated Northern Sub-Plateau work best when designed and evaluated by local beneficiaries from the start. The authors implemented a participatory entrepreneurship strategy in Ávila province using an adapted 'Working With People' model, finding that community-led approaches significantly strengthen rural entrepreneurship initiatives in aging, depopulated regions.
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The impact of social grant-dependency on agricultural entrepreneurship among rural households in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Social grant dependency negatively affects agricultural entrepreneurship among rural farming households in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study of 513 households found that grants create disincentive effects that inhibit entrepreneurial development. Conversely, asset ownership, government support services like extension and credit, and infrastructure access like tenure security and market access all strengthen agricultural entrepreneurship. The findings suggest policymakers should enhance household risk-bearing capacity and government support to boost smallholder farmer entrepreneurship.
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Public private partnerships for agricultural innovation: concepts and experiences from 124 cases in Latin America
Public-private partnerships for agricultural innovation in Latin America often lack clear cost-benefit planning despite forming frequently. The paper identifies four conditions for successful partnerships: no single partner can achieve goals alone, partners gain more than they invest, synergy exists, and gains distribute proportionally. Evidence shows private companies participate readily because investments are low or tax-deductible, but both parties need coherent planning to improve partnership viability.
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The contingent nature of broadband as an engine for business startups in rural areas
Ultrafast broadband deployment in rural France increased business startups, but only in municipalities with strong existing conditions like good economic climate, natural amenities, and favorable demographics. Broadband alone cannot revitalize structurally weak rural areas; it requires complementary local assets to be effective.
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Rural Measures: A Quantitative Study of The Rural Digital Divide
This study develops and tests an inexpensive methodology to accurately measure the rural-urban digital divide by combining broadband quality and availability metrics with quality-of-life measures from the consumer perspective. Two pilot studies refined the approach, demonstrating that reliable measurement is possible. The authors provide recommendations for policymakers and researchers seeking to direct public assistance more effectively.
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Testing a Framework to Co-Construct Social Innovation Actions: Insights from Seven Marginalized Rural Areas
This study tested a governance framework for developing social innovation actions across seven marginalized rural areas in Europe and the Mediterranean. The researchers found that early-stage support for social innovators and local actors is critical for addressing rural challenges. Defining social innovations requires ongoing engagement and refinement. Feasibility assessments helped identify key success factors: managing social networks, ensuring financial sustainability, and building local knowledge. The framework's lessons apply broadly across rural sectors.
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The Politics of Good Enough: Rural Broadband and Policy Failure in the United States
U.S. rural broadband policy has failed to close the digital divide despite universal service mandates and billions in deployment funding. The author identifies three policy failures—meaning, mapping, and money—rooted in a "politics of good enough" that accepts inadequate standards. Over 42 million Americans, predominantly rural residents, lack high-speed internet access, a crisis intensified by COVID-19's shift to remote work and learning.
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Factors affecting the adoption of agricultural innovations on underutilized cereals: The case of finger millet among smallholder farmers in Kenya
Smallholder finger millet farmers in Kenya adopt agricultural innovations—improved varieties, conservation tillage, pest management, and group marketing—based on specific factors. Plot size, off-farm income, household credit, and extension contact increase adoption likelihood and intensity. Technical training boosts adoption depth but sometimes discourages initial uptake. Understanding these drivers enables policymakers to design strategies that raise innovation adoption rates, improving food security and farmer incomes.
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Qualitative exploration of cultural practices inhibiting rural women entrepreneurship development in selected communities in Nigeria
Cultural practices in Nigeria significantly restrict rural women's entrepreneurship opportunities and inhibit the success of government initiatives. The study, conducted in Southeast and Southwest Nigeria using focus groups and case studies, found that traditional beliefs and customs limit which businesses women can pursue. The researchers conclude that policymakers must consider cultural factors and work toward community reorientation to effectively develop women's entrepreneurship in rural areas.
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Adoption of ICT in agricultural management in the United Kingdom: the intra-rural digital divide
UK farming businesses adopting information and communication technology gain significant benefits, but a digital divide is emerging within the agricultural sector. Farmers who fail to adopt ICT face severe competitive disadvantages. The paper argues that Central and Eastern European countries will experience similar divides, warranting policy intervention and further research to address technology adoption gaps.
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What innovations impact agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa?
This study analyzes which agricultural innovations boost productivity across 22 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1996 to 2014. Pesticides and irrigation increase productivity, while fertilizer shows mixed results. Crop diversification improves profits and output. Labor-saving machinery like tractors and harvesters significantly raise productivity. The findings inform policy recommendations for agricultural development in the region.
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Exploring social innovation through co-creation in rural India using action research
Co-creation workshops in rural Indian villages successfully generated socially innovative solutions to development challenges. The study used action research and co-design techniques to involve citizens in identifying innovative ideas. The authors developed a framework showing how facilitated co-creation effectively produces social innovation, offering practitioners a replicable method for designing more impactful public policies in disadvantaged rural communities.
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Social Innovation in Rural Areas? The Case of Andalusian Olive Oil Co-Operatives
Andalusian olive oil cooperatives function as social innovations that address rural development challenges by helping farmers compete internationally while preserving rural livelihoods. The study finds that these cooperatives are slowly adopting organizational and management innovations with broader social benefits. Despite historical market competition difficulties, cooperatives maintain rural populations and improve quality of life, warranting government support as public goods.
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Rural entrepreneurship and rural development in Nigeria
Rural entrepreneurs in Nigeria can drive development by leveraging local resources, increasing output, and creating employment while reducing urban migration. However, they face significant barriers including insufficient funding and lack of government support. The study surveyed 200 rural entrepreneurs and recommends that governments create enabling policies and assistance to make rural areas more attractive for entrepreneurial activity.
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The Importance of Broadband for Socio-Economic Development: A Perspective from Rural Australia
Rural Australian communities lack reliable broadband access despite national infrastructure plans, creating significant disadvantages. Residents in New South Wales report that slow, unreliable connections harm business development, education, emergency services, and healthcare. The study finds that rural-urban digital disparities worsen when urban infrastructure advances without addressing remote areas. Current broadband policy fails to account for rural geographic and socio-economic contexts, requiring strategic reforms prioritizing underserved regions.
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Microfinance and the business of poverty reduction: Critical perspectives from rural Bangladesh
An ethnographic study of three Bangladeshi villages reveals that microfinance programs, despite promises to reduce poverty and empower women, actually increased indebtedness and worsened economic, social, and environmental vulnerabilities. The research shows that market-based poverty reduction approaches can undermine social capital rather than strengthen entrepreneurial capabilities in poor communities.
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‘Freedom from Poverty is Not for Free’: Rural Development and the Microfinance Crisis in Andhra Pradesh, India
The 2010 microfinance crisis in Andhra Pradesh reveals fundamental failures in neoliberal development narratives. Microfinance institutions exploited rural vulnerability caused by trade liberalization, drought, and agrarian collapse, encouraging poor farmers to take loans for consumption and debt management. The crisis demonstrates that integrating the poor into formal financial systems without addressing underlying agrarian dislocations creates instability rather than poverty reduction.
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Renewable energy for sustainable rural development: Synergies and mismatches
Renewable energy development in rural areas is promoted as an economic opportunity, but this potential remains largely unfulfilled because the link between energy transition and rural development has been assumed rather than actively cultivated. This review examines experiences in Denmark and Scotland, revealing policy mismatches that prevent renewable energy from effectively supporting rural development. The authors argue that rural communities and their needs must be central to energy transition planning for genuine synergies to emerge.
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Rural and micro finance regulation in Ghana: implications for development and performance of the industry
Ghana's regulatory framework for rural and microfinance institutions shaped the development of diverse formal, semi-formal, and informal providers serving different market segments. The study finds that overly permissive early entry policies created weak institutions using untested methodologies, damaging credibility and straining supervision resources. Effective regulation requires balancing market access for broader outreach against prudential standards and adequate supervisory capacity.
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Innovation in Management Plans for Community Conserved Areas: Experiences from Australian Indigenous Protected Areas
Australian Indigenous Protected Areas demonstrate innovative management approaches that integrate traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary conservation practices. These community-conserved areas develop adaptive management plans that balance environmental protection with Indigenous land rights and economic development. The study documents how Indigenous communities innovate in governance structures and planning processes to achieve conservation outcomes while maintaining cultural and livelihood benefits.
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Community-owned renewable energy (CRE): Opportunities for rural Australia
Community-owned renewable energy projects offer rural Australia opportunities to address climate change, support community development, and strengthen rural economies. A STEEP analysis of case studies reveals significant potential, but realizing these benefits at scale requires supportive government policy at both state and federal levels.
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Techno-economic analysis of off-grid PV-Diesel power generation system for rural electrification: A case study of Chilubi district in Zambia
A techno-economic analysis of hybrid power systems for rural electrification in Chilubi district, Zambia shows that standalone diesel generators are economically unsustainable due to high fuel costs and maintenance. Pure photovoltaic systems with battery storage deliver the lowest levelized cost of energy, despite higher upfront capital costs. Declining solar installation costs make PV systems increasingly attractive for off-grid rural electrification compared to diesel alternatives.
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Development of Renewable Energy Technologies in rural areas of Pakistan
Pakistan has significant renewable energy potential in solar, wind, biomass, and hydroelectricity, yet few companies develop these technologies in rural areas. This study examines renewable energy technology development and policy implementation for rural Pakistan. Rural households consume less electricity than urban ones despite agriculture being the primary income source. The authors recommend governments expand renewable energy projects in rural areas to create employment, improve living standards, and boost the economy, while adopting policies similar to China and the US.
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The “Moral Hazards” of Microfinance: Restructuring Rural Credit in India
Microfinance has spread globally as a development tool since the 1970s, but this paper examines how these practices and ideas operate differently in specific places. Using fieldwork in coastal Andhra Pradesh, India, the author traces microfinance expansion across the region and analyzes a recent protest against commercial microfinance institutions, showing how economic ideas are produced, travel, and face local contestation.
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Microfinance and Household Poverty Reduction: Empirical Evidence from Rural Pakistan
Microfinance access in rural Pakistan reduces household poverty, according to analysis of 1,132 households. Borrowers showed improvements across multiple indicators: higher spending on healthcare and clothing, increased household income, and better housing conditions including water supply and roof and wall quality. The study controlled for selection bias using propensity score matching.
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Barriers and Drivers of Renewable Energy Penetration in Rural Areas
Rural communities face significant barriers to adopting renewable energy despite government climate policies and technological advances like smart grids and microgeneration. The paper identifies obstacles and enablers for renewable energy penetration in rural areas, where energy cooperatives and citizen prosumers can drive low-carbon transitions. It offers policy recommendations to accelerate renewable energy adoption in rural communities.
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The Role of Microfinance in Contemporary Rural Development Finance Policy and Practice: Imposing Neoliberalism as ‘Best Practice’
Microcredit emerged in the 1970s as a poverty-reduction tool based on individual entrepreneurship, gaining strong support from neoliberal policymakers and international development institutions. However, evidence now shows microcredit has failed to reduce poverty or support rural development. Rural communities exposed to microcredit have suffered damage through boom-and-bust cycles. Despite this failure, major development institutions and Western governments continue supporting microfinance for ideological reasons.
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THE FINANCIAL EXCLUSION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL FINANCE — A STUDY BASED ON SURVEY DATA IN THE JINGJINJI RURAL AREA
Rural residents in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei face significant financial exclusion from digital finance services. The study identifies key barriers: personal characteristics like age and education, lack of understanding of digital finance, weak digital infrastructure, limited digital finance development, and unfavorable social environments. Policymakers should target interventions toward excluded groups based on demographic and economic factors to improve financial inclusion.
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Associations Between Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment and Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From a Microfinance Plus Program in Rural North West Province, South Africa
A microfinance program in rural South Africa shows that women's economic empowerment reduces physical and sexual intimate partner violence, but the relationship between specific economic indicators and different abuse types remains inconsistent. Economic stress and traditional gender roles within marriages influence violence risk. The study finds that complementary programming addressing multiple empowerment dimensions is needed, as different aspects of women's economic situation affect different forms of abuse differently.
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Process evaluation of the Intervention with Microfinance for AIDS and Gender Equity (IMAGE) in rural South Africa
The IMAGE program combines microfinance with gender and HIV training in rural South Africa. While the intervention reduced intimate partner violence among clients, it showed limited effects on sexual behavior in households and communities. Process evaluation found microfinance and training were feasible and acceptable, but community mobilization faced barriers to collective action. Neither delivery model proved sustainable long-term, suggesting partnerships between microfinance institutions and non-academic agencies warrant further investigation.
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Mobile phones, household welfare, and women’s empowerment: evidence from rural off-grid regions of Bangladesh
Mobile phone access in rural off-grid Bangladesh increases household income by 3–10 percent through small businesses and remittances, improves women's empowerment, and helps households manage consumption during economic shocks. The study recommends policies supporting mobile technology investment, affordable tariffs, and mobile financial services to reduce digital divides and enable balanced regional development.
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Bridging the rural efficiency gap: expanding access to energy efficiency upgrades in remote and high energy cost communities
Rural communities in the USA, particularly in Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, face a "rural energy efficiency gap" where residents pay 33% higher energy burdens than urban areas but struggle to access efficiency upgrades. Geographic isolation, financial constraints, and lack of awareness create barriers that prevent those most needing efficiency improvements from obtaining them. The paper identifies these barriers and documents strategies that help rural residents access home energy upgrades, reduce bills, and improve comfort.
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"Fostering Indigenous Innovation Capacities": The Development of Biotechnology in Shanghai's Zhangjiang High-Tech Park
China's government strategy to build indigenous innovation capacity shaped biotechnology development in Shanghai's Zhangjiang High-Tech Park. Municipal authorities drove initial biotech clustering, then shifted focus toward integrating the park into global knowledge networks. The park exemplifies a hybrid governance model blending state direction with entrepreneurial market mechanisms at the science park level.
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Microfinance as a Development and Poverty Alleviation Tool in Rural Bangladesh: A Critical Assessment
Microfinance programs in rural Bangladesh fail to reduce poverty effectively due to high interest rates, small loan amounts, and staff corruption. Beneficiaries face weekly repayment demands and harassment. Broader structural problems—lack of jobs, education, healthcare, natural disasters, and rising living costs—perpetuate poverty despite microfinance access. The study concludes microfinance alone cannot address multidimensional poverty without complementary development interventions.
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Enabling equitable access to rural electrification: Current thinking on energy, poverty, and gender
Rural electrification programs must address the interconnected challenges of energy access, poverty reduction, and gender equity. The paper identifies critical gaps in current energy projects, particularly regarding women's specific needs, health impacts from cooking fuels, access to credit for microenterprises, and lack of gender-disaggregated data. It calls for renewable energy approaches that prioritize poor rural women and emphasizes the need for documented case studies and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve outcomes.
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China's pursuits of indigenous innovations in information technology developments: hopes, follies and uncertainties
China pursues indigenous innovation in information technology to reduce dependence on American dominance, mobilizing national resources to develop core hardware and software capabilities and lead in next-generation networks. However, domestic political-economic constraints and China's deep integration into global capitalist markets complicate these efforts, creating tensions between the state's technological sovereignty goals and the transnational nature of modern IT development.
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AGRICULTURAL FINANCING POLICIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
Nigeria's government has created agricultural financing policies, schemes, and institutions aimed at rural development, but inadequate budget allocation and corruption undermine their effectiveness. The study recommends that Nigeria increase strategic agricultural investment, upgrade rural infrastructure, boost farm productivity, enhance competitiveness, and combat corruption to achieve rural development goals.
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Operational guidance for World Bank Group staff : designing sustainable off-grid rural electrification projects - principles and practices
This operational guide helps World Bank staff design sustainable off-grid rural electrification projects. It explains why off-grid solutions complement grid expansion, then details critical design factors including technology selection, environmental safeguards, productivity applications, affordability, business models, regulation, and financing options. The guide provides practical recommendations for project designers implementing rural electrification.
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Challenges for off-grid electrification in rural areas. Assessment of the situation in Namibia using the examples of Gam and Tsumkwe
Rural electrification in Namibia faces significant barriers despite the country's exceptional solar potential. The paper examines off-grid solar systems in Gam and Tsumkwe, revealing that current approaches fail due to one-sided legislation and inadequate community education. Namibia's reliance on coal imports and inability to connect dispersed populations to the main grid make off-grid solar solutions essential for achieving sustainability goals and supporting rural development.
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Indigenous-led responsible innovation: lessons from co-developed protocols to guide the use of drones to monitor a biocultural landscape in Kakadu National Park, Australia
Indigenous communities in Kakadu National Park, Australia co-developed protocols to responsibly introduce drone technology for monitoring their biocultural landscape. The protocols center Indigenous governance, ethical research relationships, and Indigenous-led innovation. They enable Indigenous cultural responsibilities for knowledge stewardship to guide and authorize how new technologies are designed and applied for adaptive management of Indigenous lands.
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The Importance of Local Investments Co-Financed by the European Union in the Field of Renewable Energy Sources in Rural Areas of Poland
Polish rural municipalities invested heavily in renewable energy projects between 2014 and 2020 using EU co-financing. The study of 1,117 projects found that agricultural municipalities in Eastern Poland showed the highest investment activity. Less developed municipalities pursued these projects most aggressively, viewing renewable energy as a path to economic growth. Municipal income and investment capacity were key factors determining success in securing EU funds.
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Indigenous innovation vs. teng-long huan-niao: policy conflicts in the development of China's flat panel industry
China's central government pursued indigenous innovation policy to develop locally owned flat panel technologies through import substitution and trade protection. Meanwhile, local governments pursued teng-long huan-niao, an export-promotion policy encouraging competition and market entry. These conflicting approaches undermined each other: the top-down indigenous innovation policy forced local governments away from their incremental industrial development strategies, while misaligned incentives between upstream and downstream industries prevented technology leapfrogging goals from succeeding.
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Indigenous Technologies and Innovation in Nigeria: Opportunities for SMEs
Nigeria's indigenous technologies offer substantial opportunities for small and medium enterprises to drive local economic growth and compete globally. The study examined three major indigenous technology clusters in Nigeria and reviewed successful cases from other countries to identify structural and policy directions. The findings highlight the need for systematic mapping of indigenous knowledge and technology systems to unlock their economic potential.
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Rural Electrification Efforts Based on Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems in the Andean Region: Comparative Assessment of Their Sustainability
Off-grid solar electrification projects in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru fail to achieve sustainability across institutional, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions. Ecuador and Chile lack maintenance mechanisms, while Peru struggles with community engagement despite having funding schemes. All three countries neglect strong, decentralized institutions needed to support rural electrification, leading to project failures and abandonment.
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The pursuit of indigenous innovation amid the Tech Cold War: The case of a Chinese high-tech firm
A Chinese high-tech firm pursued indigenous innovation during geopolitical tensions by leveraging organizational cultural attributes including patriotism, elitism, and endurance of hardship. The study shows how emerging market firms develop advanced capabilities to reduce dependence on international knowledge sources when facing techno-nationalist restrictions. Organizational culture and state policies significantly shape innovation strategies for firms operating under geopolitical constraints.
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Building an innovation system and indigenous knowledge in Namibia
Namibia is building an innovation system with support from international development aid, but faces challenges implementing science-technology-innovation approaches due to limited analytical capacity. The study finds that indigenous knowledge and learning-by-doing modes create real advantages for local communities and enable positive change. However, innovations based on indigenous knowledge produce limited practical outcomes. Indigenous knowledge remains valuable for innovation policy by enabling community participation in establishing innovation systems.
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Sustainability Issues of Interest-Free Micro-Finance Institutions in Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation. the Bangladesh Perspective
This study evaluates the sustainability of interest-free microfinance institutions in Bangladesh, focusing on the Rural Development Scheme of Islamic Bank Bangladesh Limited. The research examines institutional, financial, and economic sustainability indicators and finds that the scheme operates sustainably while serving rural development and poverty alleviation. The author recommends policy guidelines to support interest-free microfinance expansion in similar regions.
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Analysing citizens’ perceptions of renewable energies in rural areas: A case study on wind farms in Spain
Wind energy installations in rural Spain create mixed socio-economic effects that vary significantly by location and stakeholder group. A survey of residents in Campo de Belchite found heterogeneous perceptions of wind farms' impacts on employment, demographics, and local economies. The study shows that management models critically influence social acceptance, and recommends more decentralized, participatory, and transparent governance approaches to maximize rural development benefits.
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Agricultural Financing in Nigeria: An Empirical Study of Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB): 1990-2010
Agricultural credit significantly drives economic growth in Nigeria, but loan repayment failures have hampered development. The study of Nigeria's Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank from 1990-2010 reveals a strong relationship between agricultural financing and economic growth. The research recommends increasing loan availability and reducing interest rates to boost rural agricultural development and national economic expansion.
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Feasibility analysis of off-grid hybrid energy system for rural electrification in Northern Ghana
A hybrid energy system combining solar panels, diesel generators, and battery storage offers the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for electrifying off-grid rural areas in northern Ghana. Simulation analysis shows the system produces energy at $0.399 per kilowatt-hour, roughly three times current Ghana rates. However, policy support through fuel cost management and capital subsidies could make this approach economically viable for rural electrification.
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Drivers and Barriers to Rural Electrification in Tanzania and Mozambique - Grid Extension, Off-Grid and Renewable Energy Sources
Rural electrification rates in Tanzania and Mozambique remain below 5%, with grid extension too slow for remote areas. Off-grid systems using diesel generators are unreliable and expensive. Renewable energy alternatives like solar, micro-hydro, wind, and biofuels exist but face significant adoption barriers. This study identifies country-specific institutional, financial, and poverty-related drivers and barriers to both grid and off-grid electrification through interviews with ten national energy sector stakeholders.
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Challenges of Managing Indigenous Knowledge with other Knowledge Systems for Agricultural Growth in sub-Saharan Africa
Tanzanian smallholder farmers struggle to manage indigenous agricultural knowledge and access external information due to personal, social, and environmental barriers including weak infrastructure, poor extension service linkages, and ICT adoption challenges. The study recommends governments improve rural infrastructure and extension services, knowledge providers foster knowledge-sharing cultures, and farmers receive training to document and disseminate knowledge through participatory approaches that integrate indigenous and external systems.
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Policy Pathways for Mapping Clean Energy Access for Cooking in the Global South—A Case for Rural Communities
Rural communities in the Global South lack access to modern cooking energy, affecting 1.5 billion people. This study maps clean cooking technologies and policies for three countries—Fiji, Ghana, and Nigeria—by surveying end-users, energy suppliers, and interest groups. The research proposes policy pathways that coordinate governments, NGOs, energy developers, and businesses, with a business model progressing from government-driven to incentive-driven to private-sector-driven as technology adoption increases.
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Assessment the role of renewable energy in socio-economic development of rural and Arctic regions
Renewable energy can drive socio-economic development in rural and Arctic regions by replacing depleting traditional energy sources. The study examines Russian and international renewable energy policies, assesses market growth potential in Russia's Northwestern region, and identifies applications for energy-deficient peripheral areas lacking electrical grids. Effective energy policy must balance environmental and economic goals while prioritizing renewable deployment in remote regions.
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Energy Saving, Implementation of Solar Energy and Other Renewable Energy Sources for Energy Supply in Rural Areas of Russia
This paper presents a staged implementation plan for solar and renewable energy systems in Russian rural settlements. The research analyzes regional climate, social, economic, and technical factors to develop a comprehensive energy supply strategy. The work identifies priorities, implementation sequences, and performance targets for deploying renewable energy and energy-saving measures across sparsely populated rural territories.
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Sport development programmes for Indigenous Australians: innovation, inclusion and development, or a product of 'white guilt'?
This paper examines government-funded sport development programmes for Indigenous Australians, questioning whether they genuinely reduce health and educational disparities or simply reflect 'white guilt' and foster dependency. The authors analyze the tension between state provision and community independence, evaluating sport participation initiatives as either counterproductive welfare or legitimate investments in closing gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians across health, education, and employment outcomes.
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Understanding the Antecedents of Entrepreneurship and Renewable Energies to Promote the Development of Community Renewable Energy in Rural Areas
Community renewable energy projects in rural areas depend on entrepreneurship and renewable energy technology adoption. This systematic review identifies five interconnected capital factors—economic, human, social, physical, and natural—that enable or constrain these projects in developed countries. Northern Europe leads in community renewable energy development while Southern Europe lags. The study maps causal relationships between these factors to guide policymakers in designing strategies that strengthen rural renewable energy initiatives.
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Management ownership and the performance of Islamic microfinance institutions: a panel data analysis of Indonesian Islamic rural banks
This study examines how management ownership affects the performance of Islamic microfinance institutions in Indonesia, specifically rural Islamic banks (BPRS). Using quarterly data from 2011 to 2016, researchers found that ownership by sharia supervisory boards significantly improves profitability and efficiency, while board of directors ownership reduces financing risk. Board of commissioners ownership increases financing risk. These findings highlight the importance of sharia board involvement in improving Islamic microfinance institution performance.
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Renewable energy communities in rural areas: A comprehensive overview of current development, challenges, and emerging trends
This review of 86 articles examines renewable energy communities in rural areas across 2004–2024. Rural energy development, community engagement, and agricultural integration drive growth. Systems are shifting from localized solutions to integrated hybrid systems and smart grids. Key challenges include financial constraints, infrastructure gaps, regulatory barriers, and low participation rates. Environmental benefits matter most in China, Thailand, and Italy, while economic gains dominate in the U.S., Poland, and India. Success requires resilience, scalability, innovation, supportive policies, and strong community involvement.
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The impact of microfinance on Indonesian rural households' welfare
Microfinance significantly improves welfare for rural Indonesian households, with loan purpose, income, expenditure, interest rates, loan amount, education, and marital status all influencing borrowers' welfare gains. The study surveyed rural households in Yogyakarta Province and used logistic modeling to measure microcredit impacts, providing evidence to guide Indonesian policymakers in strengthening microfinance programs.
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The Dynamism of Nations: Toward a Theory of Indigenous Innovation
Phelps argues that standard economic models fail to explain modern economies because they ignore indigenous innovation—genuinely new ideas driven by human creativity, not just technological parameter shifts. Western nations have lost dynamism because corporatist values, regulation, and social protection have replaced the modern values of individualism and visionary thinking that historically fueled mass innovation and prosperity. Restoring economic vitality requires cultural change, not just policy reform.
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Sustainability of rural electrification programs based on off-grid photovoltaic (PV) systems in Chile
Chile's off-grid photovoltaic programs for rural electrification face significant sustainability challenges across institutional, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions. Despite Chile's solar potential and successful pilot projects, deployment lags due to poor technology choices, inadequate system reliability, and lack of maintenance standards. Indigenous communities remain underserved because the government's approach requires communities to request electrification first, disadvantaging the poorest populations. The paper calls for improved cultural justice, equity, and environmental awareness to ensure sustainable rural electrification.
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Challenges of sustaining off-grid power generation in Nigeria rural communities
Nigeria's off-grid power projects fail at high rates due to poor planning, technology gaps, and operational challenges. The paper identifies why state governments and international donors struggle to sustain remote electricity systems where grid extension is impractical. It recommends improved planning before installation and stronger government involvement to prevent project abandonment and deliver reliable power to rural communities.
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Promoting Renewable Energy Technologies for Rural Development in Africa: Experiences of Zambia
Zambia has introduced renewable energy technologies to meet growing electricity demand and electrify rural households. Solar energy dominates adoption, but remains limited to employed elites. Wind energy remains largely unexploited. Key barriers include weak policy implementation, low rural awareness of renewable benefits, high technology costs, and underdeveloped renewable energy markets.
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Energy justice, renewable energy, and the rural-urban divide: Insights from the Southwest U.S.
This study examines energy justice in rural and urban Arizona communities near a large-scale solar-wind park. Researchers found that small-scale renewable energy projects better served low-income populations than large-scale installations. Urban areas received more government and nonprofit support for renewable initiatives than rural areas. Large-scale projects created adverse community and wildlife impacts without adequate benefit-sharing. The authors recommend expanding small-scale solar capacity, increasing funding for local energy efficiency programs, and supporting low-income housing and community facilities.
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Women, equality, and energy access: Emerging lessons for last-mile rural electrification in Brazil
Rural electrification in Brazil's semi-arid Bahia region fails to benefit women equally because installed capacity is too low for household appliances and community services where women work. The study of 19 communities shows that gender inequality persists despite energy access. Solutions include higher capacity systems, affordable pricing for women, and ongoing gender-sensitive local services to ensure electrification reduces rather than reinforces gender gaps.
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Investments in Renewable Energy Sources in Basic Units of Local Government in Rural Areas
Rural local governments in Poland's Świętokrzyskie region invested minimally in renewable energy between 2016–2019, with only 28% of communes participating. EU funding proved essential for these investments to occur. Budget size and property expenditures correlated with renewable energy spending only in mixed urban-rural communes. The study reveals that without external EU support, local governments lack sufficient resources to transition away from coal dependence.
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THE RURAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY. THE CASE OF ROMANIA
Romania possesses substantial renewable energy resources—solar, wind, and water—that remain underutilized in rural areas. The study finds a strong correlation between renewable energy adoption and reduced import dependency from 2004–2014. Developing rural renewable energy projects would create jobs, decrease energy imports, lower emissions, and boost rural economies. The authors argue Romania must adopt supportive policies to unlock this potential.
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The impact of microfinance on rural poor households’ income and vulnerability to poverty: Case Study Of Makueni District, Kenya
Microfinance programs in Kenya's Makueni District significantly improved household incomes and reduced poverty vulnerability among rural participants compared to non-participants. The study confirms that access to credit enables poor households to start micro-enterprises and increase earnings. However, the research warns that microfinance alone cannot guarantee poverty escape without complementary policies supporting broader rural economic growth, agricultural productivity, and employment creation through public-private partnerships.
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Indigenous versus foreign innovation and ecological footprint: Dynamic threshold effect of corruption
Indigenous and foreign innovation affect ecological footprint differently across developed and developing countries. In developed nations, both types of innovation reduce environmental impact, but this benefit reverses when corruption rises above a threshold. In developing countries, innovation increases ecological footprint, with corruption further worsening this effect. Economic growth and urbanization drive higher footprints globally.
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Building on the strengths of African indigenous knowledge and innovation (AIK&I) for sustainable development in Africa
African indigenous knowledge and innovation practices offer proven solutions for sustainable development across the continent, yet remain underutilized in policy frameworks like the SDGs. This paper documents successful AIK&I applications in resource management and conservation across African economies, demonstrating their capacity to address development challenges. The authors argue for integrating indigenous perspectives into sustainability agendas and call for research on making these practices more scientific and widely adopted.
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The Indigenous primary health care and policy research network: Guiding innovation within primary health care with Indigenous peoples in Alberta
Alberta stakeholders convened in 2019 to address fragmented health initiatives following Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls for reform. They established the Indigenous Primary Health Care and Policy Research Network to coordinate efforts across the province. The network aims to transform primary health care delivery and achieve health equity for Indigenous peoples by aligning initiatives with reconciliation principles and implementing the Commission's health-related recommendations.
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Integration of Renewable Energy Project: A Technical Proposal for Rural Electrification to Local Communities
Pakistan faces severe electricity shortages of 8-12 hours daily. This paper evaluates wind energy potential along Pakistan's 1600 km coastal belt in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces to power rural communities. Using real-time wind data and optimal probability functions, the authors identify the best locations for wind turbines and propose a technical framework for integrating wind farms into rural electrification projects, aiming to attract energy sector investment.
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Evaluating renewable energy choices among rural communities in Nigeria. An insight for energy policy
Rural communities in North-Central Nigeria show strong demand for renewable energy, particularly solar photovoltaic systems. Awareness, income, and availability significantly influence adoption rates. High installation and maintenance costs, combined with reliability concerns and weak policy incentives, remain major barriers. The study recommends government funding partnerships and subsidies to reduce costs, increase awareness, and enable private firms to supply affordable renewable energy to rural households currently dependent on firewood.
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Local action groups and the LEADER co-financing of rural development projects in Slovenia
This study examines how Local Action Groups in Slovenia evaluate rural development projects for LEADER funding. Researchers surveyed 103 LAG board members and analyzed projects funded in 2008-2009. They found that informal systems of board performance—such as personal relationships and trust—significantly influenced members' judgments about project suitability, while formal procedures had minimal impact on these decisions.
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When cosmology meets property: indigenous people’s innovation and intellectual property
Indigenous innovation systems in Australia operate within a cosmological framework where innovation maintains the health of interconnected systems. The paper argues that commodity-based intellectual property systems poorly fit indigenous innovation needs. Land property rights matter far more than patents. Distinguishing-based intellectual property forms and voluntary certification systems offer better tools for indigenous businesses than traditional patent regimes.
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Factors influencing technology and innovation capability in the Nigerian indigenous oil firms
Nigerian indigenous oil and gas firms develop stronger technology and innovation capabilities when they invest in in-house research and development, allocate dedicated R&D funding, hire experienced and qualified staff, and acquire advanced machinery. Firm size, age, and employee training also matter significantly. The study recommends that government and industry jointly prioritize workforce training, R&D investment, and education to build local technical capacity in oil and gas operations.
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Success factors for the effective implementation of renewable energy options for rural electrification in India-Potentials of the CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM
Rural electrification in India faces persistent obstacles despite decades of renewable energy promotion. This study examines how the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol can facilitate renewable energy investment for rural areas. Analysis of CDM biomass projects across four Indian states reveals that socio-political and historical framework conditions significantly determine whether renewable energy initiatives succeed in providing affordable, stable energy supply to combat rural energy poverty.
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Does regional innovation policy encourage firm indigenous innovation? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of the pilot project of innovative cities in China
China's innovative cities pilot program significantly boosted firms' indigenous innovation, measured by patent filings. The policy worked especially well in capital-intensive industries and among large companies and non-state enterprises. Government subsidies and market competition drove these gains. The findings show regional innovation policy can effectively stimulate firm-level innovation, though effects vary by industry and firm type.
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Absorptive Capacity in Rural Schools: Bending Not Breaking During Disruptive Innovation Implementation
Rural schools successfully implemented disruptive education policy innovations by developing absorptive capacity through specific leadership strategies and organizational processes. School leaders used buffering, bridging, and brokering tactics alongside shared goal-setting, curriculum revision, and teacher collaboration to maintain student performance while selectively adopting external reforms. These mechanisms enabled educators to assimilate and transform new knowledge without abandoning existing strengths.
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Enabling Indigenous innovations to re-centre social licence to operate in the Blue Economy
The paper argues that sustainable Blue Economy development requires centering Indigenous perspectives on social licence to operate. It calls for shifting governance practices so Indigenous groups grant consent based on their own values at every project stage, not just initial approval. The authors propose collaborative arrangements and Indigenous-led platforms that respect historical, social, cultural, and economic contexts, enabling Indigenous peoples to participate equitably in ocean-based industries and business agreements.
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Construction Management Challenges and Best Practices for Rural Transit Projects
Rural transit projects face distinct construction management challenges due to limited resources, geographic dispersion, and lack of expertise. This study surveyed 33 U.S. state transportation departments and two Canadian provinces, then validated findings through seven case studies. Key challenges include documentation gaps, staffing shortages, remote location difficulties, small contractor limitations, communication problems, and local environmental issues. The research identifies targeted best practices to address these rural-specific challenges and distinguishes construction management approaches needed for small rural projects versus large urban ones.
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Facing Societal Challenges: The Need for New Paradigms in Rural Transit Service
Rural transit operators must adopt new service paradigms to address changing societal needs. The paper identifies five new organizational and delivery models that rural transit systems can implement to better serve evolving rural populations and meet contemporary transportation challenges across diverse rural settings.
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Equal goods, but inequitable capabilities? A gender-differentiated study of off-grid solar energy in rural Tanzania
Off-grid solar systems in rural Tanzania provide equal access to energy goods but create unequal capabilities, particularly for women and low-income households. The poorest households cannot afford solar home systems, while wealthier households use them as backup power. Solar energy remains underutilized for income generation. The study recommends policy reforms and tracking frameworks to ensure women and low-income groups gain equitable capability benefits from off-grid solar expansion.
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Renewable Minigrid Electrification in Off-Grid Rural Ghana: Exploring Households Willingness to Pay
Rural households in Ghana's five pilot renewable minigrid communities are willing to pay an average of 30 GHC per month (about 5 USD) for reliable renewable electricity—double current tariffs. Using contingent valuation surveys, researchers found households would dedicate 9-11% of discretionary income to access clean power. These findings inform tariff regulation and business model design for scaling renewable minigrids across Ghana's 600+ off-grid communities.
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Renewable Energy: The Key to Achieving Sustainable Development of Rural Bangladesh
Renewable energy technologies can address rural Bangladesh's energy shortage, poverty, and environmental degradation caused by over-reliance on biomass. The country possesses sufficient renewable resources to solve its energy crisis. The paper examines Bangladesh's renewable energy policies, implementation, research, and market development, noting that modern technologies remain in demonstration phases with emerging private sector and NGO involvement.
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Making the right to health a reality for Brazil's indigenous peoples: innovation, decentralization and equity
Brazil's public health system has expanded coverage and improved health indicators since 1988, but indigenous peoples remain marginalized with unequal access to services. The paper examines governance innovations and decentralization efforts designed to address these persistent inequities and extend universal health coverage to indigenous populations across Brazil's vast territory.
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MODELING TRANSIT ISSUES UNIQUE TO HURRICANE EVACUATIONS: NORTH CAROLINA'S SMALL URBAN AND RURAL AREAS
This paper develops a traffic operations model to plan hurricane evacuations in North Carolina's small urban and rural areas. The researchers identify evacuation timelines, traffic bottlenecks, and congestion-reduction strategies. They also create a methodology for scheduling buses to evacuate elderly and disabled residents who cannot leave by private vehicle, demonstrated through case studies of specific North Carolina communities.
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Addressing rural energy poverty and rural-urban energy access gap in developing countries: does international remittances matter?
International remittances significantly reduce rural energy poverty and narrow the rural-urban energy access gap in developing countries, particularly where financial development and GDP per capita are higher. The study analyzed 135 developing nations from 2000–2020 and found that remittance inflows enable households to afford energy access. Effects vary by income group, suggesting that credit availability and economic development amplify remittances' impact on rural energy inequality.
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Policy pathways for renewable and sustainable energy utilisation in rural coastline communities in the Niger Delta zone of Nigeria
Rural coastal communities in Nigeria's Niger Delta face multiple barriers to renewable energy adoption, including policy gaps, technical challenges, financial constraints, and inadequate information systems. The paper identifies policy pathways to overcome these obstacles, emphasizing the need for coordinated action among government, oil companies, and local stakeholders. Federal renewable energy policies combined with corporate support can drive widespread adoption of renewable technologies to improve energy access and affordability in the region.
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Sustainability of Renewable Off-Grid Technology for Rural Electrification: A Comparative Study Using the IAD Framework
This study examines why renewable off-grid electricity projects in rural Indonesia often fail despite technical success. Researchers compared micro-hydropower and solar projects in Bogor Regency using sustainability indicators and institutional analysis. They found that government preference for grid connections undermines off-grid projects, leaving communities with temporary electricity access while waiting for central grid expansion, regardless of how well the standalone systems perform.
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Financing as a key factor of the strategy of sustainable rural tourism development in the Republic of Serbia
Rural tourism in Serbia remains underdeveloped due to unclear strategic direction and insufficient financial investment. The authors argue that Serbia needs an adopted strategy for sustainable rural tourism development with defined priorities and financing mechanisms across all tourism segments. New and innovative funding sources are essential, as current options are limited. This strategy would support rural economic development, reduce regional inequality, and reverse rural depopulation.
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Disseminating Renewable Energy Products in Bangladesh: Implications of Solar Home System Adoption in Rural Households
Bangladesh faces severe electricity shortages and lacks rural distribution infrastructure. This study examines Solar Home System adoption in rural households, primarily financed through government and non-government microfinance schemes. While the SHS program proves commercially viable and socially acceptable, technical and managerial constraints limit its effectiveness. The research identifies barriers that policymakers and stakeholders must address to expand rural electrification through solar technology.
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How to Decolonize Democracy: Indigenous Governance Innovation in Bolivia and Nunavut, Canada
Bolivia and Nunavut, Canada have pioneered large-scale Indigenous governance experiments where marginalized Indigenous majorities gained democratic power. Bolivia integrated direct, participatory, and communitarian elements into its democratic system, significantly improving Indigenous representation. Nunavut's Inuit government incorporated Inuit values into Canada's governmental framework. Despite ongoing social and economic challenges, both cases achieved democratic gains by creating new participation mechanisms that expand liberal democracy beyond traditional conceptions.
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Public Good Provision in Indian Rural Areas: The Returns to Collective Action by Microfinance Groups
Self-help groups of women in rural India collectively contribute to public goods provision, which incentivizes local officials to expand their efforts across more issues. The study combines theoretical modeling with field data to show that when citizens coordinate voluntary contributions, elected officials increase their public goods provision to improve re-election prospects. This demonstrates how grassroots collective action shapes rural governance outcomes.
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Foreign and Indigenous Innovation in China: Some Evidence from Shanghai
China's policy push for indigenous innovation aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology and move beyond low-cost manufacturing. This paper examines multinational R&D centers in Shanghai to assess their innovation contributions and potential unintended consequences. The authors investigate whether policies using market access and procurement to capture global R&D activity within China will achieve their goals or create unexpected problems.
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Renewable Energy For Rural Development : The
Renewable energy technologies offer viable alternatives to expensive grid extensions in rural Nigeria. The paper argues that solar, hydropower, wind, and biomass resources can deliver essential energy services—lighting, refrigeration, cooking, transportation—to remote areas where conventional power infrastructure costs prohibit deployment. Policy measures promoting renewable energy adoption are necessary to enable rural development in Nigeria and other developing nations facing energy access challenges.
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Land acquisition, renewable energy development, and livelihood transformation in rural Kenya: The case of the Kipeto wind energy project
Kenya's Kipeto wind energy project demonstrates that large-scale renewable energy development can proceed without dispossessing rural communities when developers fairly compensate affected populations with housing, jobs, and money while preserving land access for livelihoods. The project's success relied on strategic community consultation and negotiation, though some landowners remain dissatisfied with compensation mechanisms. Long-term monitoring is needed to verify whether promises are kept.
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Governance and Finance: Availability of Community and Social Development Infrastructures in Rural China
This study examines why rural Chinese communities have unequal access to infrastructure. Using data from 307 villages, the researchers found that funding sources and village governance structures significantly affect availability of public transportation, sanitation, healthcare, and aged care services. The impact of these factors varies by infrastructure type. The findings highlight how finance and governance decisions shape rural development outcomes.
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Policy Window or Hazy Dream? Policy and Practice Innovations for Creating Effective Learning Environments in Rural Schools.
Rural schools in Manitoba face tensions between local priorities and urbanizing policy agendas that undermine educational quality. A provincial survey and four case studies identified three central priorities for effective rural learning environments: improving student outcomes, ensuring quality teachers and administrators, and securing adequate educational finance. School divisions, superintendent and trustee associations, and provincial education officials are collaborating to address these challenges through policy innovations.
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Sustainable energy transition and circular economy: The heterogeneity of potential investors in rural community renewable energy projects
Rural communities show diverse attitudes toward investing in local renewable energy projects. A survey of a Galician village identified four investor profiles—skeptics, financial illiterates, enthusiasts, and yield investors—each with different risk perceptions and financial concerns. Project developers and policymakers must tailor incentive strategies to these distinct groups to successfully promote community renewable energy and rural sustainable development.
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Mainstreaming Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices in Climate-Sensitive Policies for Resilient Agricultural Systems in Ghana
Ghana's climate and agricultural policies inadequately incorporate indigenous and local knowledge systems, despite their proven effectiveness in adaptation. The study found that while climate adaptation is mentioned in national policies, indigenous knowledge receives minimal priority and faces barriers including lack of dedicated policy, weak government commitment, under-resourced institutions, and poor coordination. Mainstreaming indigenous knowledge into climate policy could strengthen agricultural resilience and rural development.
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Acceptance and Potential of Renewable Energy Sources Based on Biomass in Rural Areas of Hungary
This study surveyed 310 residents in a rural Hungarian microregion to understand public acceptance of biomass-based renewable energy. The researchers found that trust in local authorities, knowledge about biomass technology, and education level significantly influence whether rural residents support biomass energy projects. The analysis identified distinct acceptance groups that local development strategies should consider when planning renewable energy initiatives in economically disadvantaged rural areas.
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Beyond Access and Inclusion: Dalit Experiences of Participation in Higher Education in Rural Punjab
This study examines how Dalit students experience higher education in rural Punjab, India, beyond mere access. Through interviews and focus groups at a government institute, researchers found that despite enrollment policies, Dalit students face persistent social exclusion, financial hardship, and discrimination in classrooms and peer interactions. Caste, class, and gender intersect to undermine genuine inclusion, making affirmative action policies ineffective without addressing daily lived experiences.
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Renewable Energy Perception by Rural Residents of a Peripheral EU Region
Rural residents in eastern Poland were surveyed to understand their attitudes toward renewable energy. The study found that residents are more likely to support renewable energy if they already practice energy-saving behaviors, have specific demographic characteristics, and recognize health risks from coal pollution. These findings can guide future programs to build rural support for renewable energy installations.
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Roadmapping 5.0 Technologies in Agriculture: A Technological Proposal for Developing the Coffee Plant Centered on Indigenous Producers’ Requirements from Mexico, via Knowledge Management
This study develops a technology roadmap for Mexican indigenous coffee producers to adopt Industry 5.0 technologies. Researchers analyzed needs across five Mexican localities and identified key practices—monitoring, soil analysis, organic fertilizer production, and experimentation—that should be supported by mobile apps, sensors, virtual platforms, greenhouses, and spectrophotometric tools. The proposal prioritizes producer requirements and local contexts to address pest-related production losses affecting global coffee economies.
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Factors Influencing the Coupling of the Development of Rural Urbanization and Rural Finance: Evidence from Rural China
This study analyzes how rural urbanization and rural finance develop together in China using data from 31 provinces between 2010 and 2019. The research finds that coupling between these two areas remains low across most regions, indicating uncoordinated development. Urban population density reduces coupling effectiveness, while per capita GDP, fiscal spending, and built-up area strengthen it. Financial development's impact varies by region: in less-developed areas it boosts coordination, but in more-developed areas it weakens it.
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Implications of China's innovation policy shift: Does “indigenous” mean closed?
China's indigenous innovation policy encourages firms to develop new technologies domestically, but companies adopt different strategies. Firms using closed innovation collaborate locally through personal networks and learning-by-doing, while open innovation firms partner across distances using science and technology-based learning. This reveals that indigenous innovation in China is not uniform—some firms remain geographically isolated while others engage globally.
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PV-Hybrid Off-Grid and Mini-Grid Systems for Rural Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant barriers to rural electrification, which limits development. This paper reviews technologies and policies adopted to expand electricity access in rural areas, emphasizing renewable energy methods. Researchers propose photovoltaic hybrid off-grid and mini-grid systems as cost-effective alternatives to diesel generation, offering viable solutions for remote electrification.
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Facilitating greater energy access in rural and remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa: Small hydropower
Small hydropower offers sub-Saharan Africa a viable path to electrify rural and remote areas using abundant untapped water resources. The study identifies major barriers: insufficient funding, weak manufacturing infrastructure, inadequate policies, poor hydrological data, and limited local capacity in design and production. The authors argue that sustainable energy access requires public-private partnerships, domestication of small hydropower technology, and reduced dependence on foreign solutions.
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Descriptive analysis of building indigenous low-carbon innovation capability in Nigeria
Nigeria faces challenges transitioning to low-carbon energy systems while pursuing economic development. The paper argues that building indigenous innovation capability, rather than importing technology from developed countries, is essential for sustainable low-carbon energy. Using survey data from academics and the public, the study recommends government policy-driven models to overcome market failures and develop Nigeria's own low-carbon energy innovation capacity.
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Tracing the Paths to Sustainable Production and Consumption Through Indigenous Directors, Environmental Innovation, and Sustainability Committees
Indigenous directors significantly drive sustainable production and consumption in Latin American and Caribbean energy firms, with environmental innovation and sustainability committees amplifying this effect. Analysis of 378 firms from 2012–2023 shows indigenous leadership promotes sustainable practices across all performance levels, with stronger impacts at higher quantiles when environmental innovation and committees are present. Regional, policy, and industry factors create substantial variation in outcomes.
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Global urbanization and ruralization lessons of clean energy access gap
This study examines clean energy access inequality between urban and rural areas across high, low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income economies from 2010 to 2021. Economic growth and gender literacy parity worsen the urban-rural clean energy gap, while innovation significantly reduces it. The findings offer policy guidance for achieving sustainable development goals related to energy access and inequality reduction.
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Energy access investment, agricultural profitability, and rural development: time for an integrated approach
Rural sub-Saharan Africa faces severe electricity poverty, blocking development despite smallholder farmers driving 80% of agricultural output. High infrastructure costs and low payment security deter private investment and overwhelm governments. This paper argues that rural electrification must integrate with agricultural productivity improvements, generating local income that attracts private energy investment across residential and productive sectors. Data modelling and policy research are essential to enable this synergistic approach.
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The potential of performance targets (<i>imihigo</i>) as drivers of energy planning and extending access to off‐grid energy in rural Rwanda
Rwanda's imihigo performance contracts framework can drive rural electrification by increasing household awareness and participation in off-grid energy planning. Survey data from 218 Solar Home System users and focus groups show that village-level energy targets influence household prioritization of energy access. Including off-grid options in imihigo materials and using community meetings for feedback sharing enables private sector providers to target underserved areas and design business models matching local needs.
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Cost–Benefit Analysis of Rural and Small Urban Transit in the United States
This study measures the economic value of public transit in rural and small urban areas across the United States, which had been largely unmeasured. Using national transit database data, researchers calculated that rural transit generated $1.6 billion in benefits and small urban transit generated $3.7 billion in 2011. Benefit-cost ratios were 1.20 for rural transit and 2.16 for small urban transit, demonstrating that these systems deliver measurable returns on investment, particularly for transportation-disadvantaged populations.
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Economic feasibility analysis of a renewable energy project in the rural China
This paper analyzes the economic feasibility of a wind farm project in rural China using cost-benefit analysis under three scenarios: current conditions, government subsidies, and Clean Development Mechanism credits. The findings show wind power generation reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions compared to alternative power systems and offers attractive returns for investors. The authors recommend government subsidies and CDM programs as effective mechanisms to accelerate wind power development.
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Impact of Microfinance on Alleviating Rural Poverty in Uzbekistan
Microfinance effectively alleviates rural poverty in Uzbekistan by improving living standards and enabling regional development. The paper analyzes demand for microfinance services across Uzbek regions and evaluates regional programs' impact on area-based development. Using econometric modeling, the authors demonstrate how regional socioeconomic factors drive demand for microfinance services.
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The Power of Electricity: How Effective Is It in Promoting Sustainable Development in Rural Off-Grid Islands in the Philippines?
Electrification significantly impacts rural sustainable development, but effectiveness depends on access duration. The authors tested a framework measuring economic, technical, social, and environmental dimensions across two Philippine islands. Islands with 24-hour electricity access showed improvements across most indicators, while limited-access islands continued using conventional fuels and saw minimal socioeconomic gains. The framework helps policymakers assess electrification projects in off-grid rural communities.
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Analysis of the causal effects of imports and foreign direct investments on indigenous innovation in developing countries
Imports and foreign direct investment drive domestic research and development spending in developing countries, with combined effects on innovation output and economic growth. The study of 20 middle-income countries from 1994 to 2018 shows that foreign technologies enhance indigenous innovation when countries absorb and apply them to produce novel products. Policy should encourage technology absorption to strengthen the innovation pipeline from R&D to commercial output.
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The Experience, Dilemma, and Solutions of Sustainable Development of Inclusive Finance in Rural China: Based on the Perspective of Synergy
This paper examines inclusive finance development in rural China from 2011 to 2017, identifying barriers to sustainable growth caused by resistance among financial institutions, regulators, and other stakeholders. The authors analyze cooperative dynamics between these parties and propose solutions through numerical simulations to overcome obstacles preventing inclusive finance from reaching rural populations effectively.
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Rural Women Subsistence Farmers, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Agricultural Research in South Africa
Rural women farmers in South Africa rely on indigenous knowledge systems to sustain agriculture and livelihoods, yet agricultural research and policy systematically marginalize their contributions and exclude them from resource access. The study argues that policymakers and researchers must prioritize understanding how gender and indigenous knowledge shape agricultural sustainability, as current approaches undervalue women's expertise and limit their control over farming resources.
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Financial literacy and sustainability of rural microfinance: The mediating effect of governance
Financial literacy significantly improves the sustainability of rural microfinance institutions, but this effect works primarily through better governance structures. The study of a women farmers group in Indonesia found that financial literacy—shaped by age, gender, education, and employment—strengthens how microfinance organizations are managed, which then drives institutional sustainability. Policymakers should prioritize financial literacy programs and governance improvements to support rural microfinance.
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Adoption of renewable energy innovations in the Portuguese rural tourist accommodation sector
Portuguese rural tourism accommodation owners hold positive views toward renewable energy but rarely adopt it. The study identifies a significant gap between perception and action, driven by unfavorable market conditions and institutional barriers including legal and regulatory obstacles. Geographic location influenced adoption, but unit characteristics and owner demographics did not.
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Chronic disease stigma, skepticism of the health system, and socio-economic fragility: Qualitative assessment of factors impacting receptiveness to group medical visits and microfinance for non-communicable disease care in rural Kenya
Rural Kenyan communities face three major barriers to non-communicable disease care: chronic disease stigma, distrust of health systems, and economic fragility. This qualitative study of 367 participants—including patients, clinicians, and community health workers—identifies these obstacles but also reveals opportunities for group medical visits and microfinance programs to overcome them. The findings provide actionable insights for implementing NCD care innovations in low-resource settings.
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Towards understanding the influence of rurality on students’ access to and participation in higher education
Rural students in South African higher education face systemic inequalities that limit their access and success. The study reveals that universities fail to recognize or value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge these students bring. Using spatial justice theory, the research demonstrates how historical, social, and spatial factors combine to create barriers. The findings point toward needed policy and practice changes to achieve more equitable higher education participation.
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Design and Simulation of Off-Grid Solar/Mini-Hydro Renewable Energy System using Homer Pro Software: Case of Muyuka Rural Community
Rural electrification in Cameroon faces barriers including dispersed populations, terrain challenges, and low revenues that deter investment. This paper designs a hybrid solar and mini-hydropower system for Muyuka using HOMER Pro simulation software. The off-grid renewable energy approach replaces costly, polluting diesel generators and offers a decentralized solution to provide reliable electricity to remote communities, potentially reducing rural-to-urban migration.
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Informing Canadian Innovation Policy Through a Decolonizing Lens on Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Indigenous entrepreneurship remains invisible in Canadian policy despite its economic potential. This paper examines how government frames Indigenous entrepreneurial activities and argues such framing risks exploiting Indigenous lands and knowledge. Drawing on interviews with 13 Manitoba Indigenous entrepreneurs and an ecosystem approach, the author identifies three core concerns: land and community relationships, education relevance, and cultural survival. The paper calls for systemic decolonizing change in how Canadian government policy and higher education institutions approach Indigenous innovation.
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Funding Indigenous organisations: improving governance performance through innovations in public finance management in remote Australia
Government funding structures shape how Indigenous organisations perform in remote Australia. The research found that Australian funding systems impose performance indicators rather than negotiating them, rarely reward actual performance, and don't require organisations to answer to their communities. These design flaws waste resources and weaken accountability compared to international public finance management practices.
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Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation in Rural Villages
This paper examines renewable energy and distributed generation systems for rural villages in developing nations like Sri Lanka, where conventional energy infrastructure is absent or insufficient. It presents renewable energy technologies and their applications in accessible language for policymakers and community members, connecting technical solutions to local socio-economic conditions. The paper proposes viable renewable energy approaches to reduce economic disparities in underdeveloped rural areas.
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Renewable Energy Adoption and Its Effect on Rural Development in United States
Renewable energy projects like wind and solar farms in rural United States communities create jobs, increase local tax revenues, and diversify economies. Landowners earn additional income by leasing land for energy production. The study recommends using diffusion of innovations theory and technology acceptance models to guide future research, and calls for stronger policy frameworks and practical interventions to expand renewable energy adoption in rural areas.
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Indigenous people's perception of indigenous agricultural knowledge for climate change adaptation in Khumbu, Nepal
Indigenous farmers in Nepal's Khumbu region perceive their traditional agricultural knowledge as effective for adapting to climate change, including observed shifts in seasons, reduced snowfall, and increased rainfall. The study finds this knowledge remains dynamic and relevant despite climate pressures. However, government authorities do not formally recognize indigenous practices. The research recommends integrating indigenous knowledge into local climate policies to support both knowledge transmission across generations and cost-effective adaptation strategies.
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Off-grid households’ preferences for electricity services: Policy implications for mini-grid deployment in rural Tanzania
Mini-grid electricity projects in rural Tanzania face revenue challenges that limit expansion. This study surveyed off-grid households to understand their preferences for electricity services. Households showed diverse preferences linked to gender, income, and energy behaviors. The researchers recommend tiered tariff structures tailored to different customer segments, competition with solar home systems, and targeted support for female-led households to improve mini-grid financial viability and deployment.
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The impact of supply structure on solar home system installations in rural off-grid areas
Market concentration in rural off-grid energy markets reduces solar home system installations in Bangladesh. Using data from 4.11 million systems installed across 503 markets over 15 years, the study shows that higher market concentration decreases both the number and capacity of installed systems. The negative effect intensifies at higher concentration levels and varies by system size and customer type. Policymakers should consider supply structure when designing rural electrification programs.
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The UK Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs ("Defra") publishes the final report of the Cave review of competition and innovation in water markets
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published the final Cave review report examining competition and innovation in water markets. The review analyzes how competitive market structures affect innovation in England and Wales's water sector, providing policy recommendations for enhancing efficiency and technological advancement in water service delivery.
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How Social Media Can Foster Social Innovation in Disadvantaged Rural Communities
Social media, particularly Facebook, has limited adoption in disadvantaged rural Japanese communities despite its potential to foster social innovation through remote networking. Most communities that adopted Facebook failed to expand their social networks. External supporters and migrants proved essential for successful networking outcomes. The findings suggest that policy interventions must address barriers to social media adoption and network expansion in peripheral rural areas.
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Social Innovation: The Promise and the Reality in Marginalised Rural Areas in Europe
Social innovation offers a practical approach to addressing challenges in marginal rural European areas, but the concept lacks clear theoretical grounding and suffers from definitional confusion. Three European case studies demonstrate that when committed local actors, enabling institutions, and supportive policies align, social innovation delivers positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes in specific places. However, the concept faces competition from established frameworks like community-led local development and emerging approaches like smart villages.
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Innovation and technology for achieving resilient and inclusive rural transformation
This paper identifies five key levers for achieving resilient and inclusive rural transformation through innovation and technology. The authors call for increased investment in participatory agricultural research and development, amplifying marginalized voices in innovation processes, ensuring equitable technology access, limiting corporate dominance while supporting small enterprises, and prioritizing rural employment as automation reshapes value chains. These changes aim to generate rural employment, improve smallholder livelihoods, reduce malnutrition, and address climate impacts.
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Transformative Social Innovation in Rural Areas: Insights from a Rural Development Initiative in the Portuguese Region of Baixo Alentejo
A rural development initiative in Portugal's Baixo Alentejo region demonstrates transformative social innovation by acting as a knowledge broker, resource broker, and network enabler that bridges stakeholders and promotes cooperation. The initiative triggered bottom-linked governance and knowledge exchange, though it faced implementation challenges. The study refines an analytical framework for assessing how social innovation creates broader systemic change beyond meeting immediate service gaps.
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Social Entrepreneurship in Marginalised Rural Europe: Towards Evidence-Based Policy for Enhanced Social Innovation
Social entrepreneurs in marginalised rural European regions drive innovation by addressing local social and economic challenges. The paper calls for evidence-based policymaking to support these entrepreneurs, arguing that targeted policies can strengthen social innovation capacity in disadvantaged rural areas and improve outcomes for communities facing decline and limited opportunities.
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Social innovations in rural communities in Africa's Great Lakes region. A social work perspective
Rural communities in Africa's Great Lakes region face poverty, poor infrastructure, and weak services, yet develop innovative local solutions. This study examines two social innovations: Uganda's akabondo household clusters for rural development and Rwanda's umugoroba w'ababyeyi family strengthening program. The authors analyze whether these community-led approaches qualify as social innovations, identify key implementers, assess their impact on rural communities, and discuss challenges they face.
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Risks Identification and Management Related to Rural Innovation Projects through Social Networks Analysis: A Case Study in Spain
This study identifies and maps risks in rural innovation projects by analyzing stakeholder networks. Using a Spanish irrigation optimization project as a case study, researchers conducted interviews and applied social network analysis to uncover risk factors. The analysis revealed that technical, economic, and time-related risks were most significant, concentrated among irrigation communities and project developers. The approach provides a visual framework for rural innovation managers to better assess and mitigate project risks.
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Local Development Initiatives as Promoters of Social Innovation: Evidence from Two European Rural Regions
Local Action Groups and Local Development Associations in rural Austria and Portugal actively promote social innovation to address regional problems. These organizations drive rural development through community-led initiatives, though they face significant operational challenges. The study fills a gap in rural innovation research by demonstrating how local institutions catalyze social change in peripheral areas.
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Social Innovations for the Disadvantaged Rural Regions: Hungarian Experiences of the New Type Social Cooperatives
Social cooperatives in disadvantaged Hungarian rural regions have successfully created long-term local employment and met social objectives, but failed to significantly develop local economies or reintegrate workers into broader labor markets. Capital shortages and limited creditworthiness prevent expansion. The study recommends developing marketing strategies targeting county and national markets to enable sustainable growth.
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Asset‐based policy in rural China: an innovation in the retirement social insurance programme1
China implemented an innovative retirement insurance programme in Hutubi, Xinjiang that allows rural account holders to use their accounts as collateral for small loans to invest in productive assets, education, and businesses. This asset-based policy approach combines social protection with social investment to address rural-urban inequality. The programme successfully encouraged asset building in the rural community, offering lessons for scaling asset-based policy across rural China.
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A roadmap to becoming a smart village: Experiences from living labs in rural Bavaria
Rural communities in Bavaria, Germany implemented digital solutions through the government-funded 'Digitales Dorf' project since 2016 to achieve living conditions equivalent to urban areas. The paper documents measures taken in pilot communities, identifies requirements for digital transformation, and extracts best practices for promoting digitalization in traditional rural areas. It emphasizes the transformation process itself rather than individual technological solutions.
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How can rural China achieve sustainable development through inclusive innovation? A tripartite evolutionary game analysis
This study uses evolutionary game theory to analyze how government, enterprises, and low-income customers interact to drive inclusive innovation in rural China. The research finds that government support must evolve across innovation stages—advocating initially, promoting during growth, then stepping back as markets mature. Low subsidies and high supervision costs both undermine innovation adoption. The findings suggest tailored policy mechanisms for different innovation lifecycle stages can accelerate sustainable rural development.
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Hacking Hekla: Exploring the dynamics of digital innovation in rural areas
This study examines a hackathon called Hacking Hekla in rural Iceland to understand how digital innovation actually works in practice. The researchers found a significant gap between regional policies promoting digitalization and what actually happens in rural communities. Digital innovation in rural areas proves far more complex than policymakers assume, requiring long-term commitment rather than quick fixes to produce meaningful results.
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Key Drivers of the Engagement of Farmers in Social Innovation for Marginalised Rural Areas
Farmers in marginalised rural areas engage in social innovation initiatives when two key conditions exist: unmet social needs and the presence of a local agency that facilitates relationships. This study tested that framework using Vàzapp', a rural hub in Southern Italy that connects farmers to revitalise their communities. The findings confirm that both factors drive farmer participation, offering policymakers and social innovators concrete guidance for designing similar projects elsewhere.
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An Evolutionary Game Study of Collaborative Innovation across the Whole Industry Chain of Rural E-Commerce under Digital Empowerment
This paper uses evolutionary game theory to analyze collaborative innovation across rural e-commerce supply chains under digital transformation. The study finds that digital technology empowerment, absorptive capacity, and shared knowledge positively drive collaboration, while risk losses and free-rider behavior inhibit it. Government subsidies and penalties effectively encourage cooperation when market mechanisms alone prove insufficient.
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Application of a Comprehensive Methodology for the Evaluation of Social Innovations in Rural Communities
This paper applies a comprehensive evaluation framework based on OECD criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability) to assess a social innovation initiative in rural Southern Italy. The evaluation methodology successfully identifies strengths and weaknesses across multiple dimensions, with 48% of indicators rated high and 36% medium. The results support communication strategies, help project managers address gaps, and provide evidence for policymakers designing cost-effective rural development policies.
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Internet of Things innovation in rural water supply in sub-Saharan Africa: a critical assessment of emerging ICT
IoT and digital technologies are transforming rural water supply in sub-Saharan Africa, but their sustainability and integration into existing systems remain under-researched. This paper contextualizes rural water challenges in Tanzania as a complex problem, evaluates emerging ICT and IoT solutions, and argues that practitioners and policymakers must adopt a service delivery approach supported by better data collection and information flows to improve sustainability.
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The Value of Digital Innovation for Tourism Entrepreneurs in Rural Iceland
Rural tourism entrepreneurs in Iceland don't necessarily view digital innovation and digitalization as connected, despite global policy emphasis on smart tourism. Through interviews with 34 entrepreneurs and support system members, the study reveals a gap between policy expectations and ground-level practice. Rural Icelandic tourism businesses show limited engagement with digital innovation, suggesting that policy-driven digital transformation agendas don't automatically translate into meaningful adoption or perceived value among rural entrepreneurs.
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Towards a path-transformative heuristic in inclusive innovation initiatives: an exploratory case in rural communities in Colombia
This study develops a framework to understand how inclusive innovation initiatives transform rural communities. Using a case study in Cumbal, Colombia, the authors identify institutional entrepreneurs as key change agents who drive innovation supported by national entities. The framework successfully explains the transformation process in local communities by combining insights from inclusive innovation, institutional entrepreneurship, and path dependence theories.
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From technological to social innovation: objectives, actors, and projects of the European rural development program (2007-2013) in the Puglia region
This paper examines how the European LEADER program interpreted innovation in Puglia's rural development strategy from 2007-2013. The analysis shows that innovation shifted from purely technological focus to include social and cultural dimensions. Local action groups implemented governance-centered strategies that emphasized knowledge and territorial development, particularly in economically disadvantaged rural areas, reflecting a broader European shift toward socially-oriented rural innovation.
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Public Institutions and Ngos Cooperation for Social Innovations in Post-Socialist Rural Poland
Public institutions in rural Poland implement social innovations to address community problems, often partnering with NGOs. A survey of 330 public institutions and 400 NGOs found that cooperation with NGOs does not distinguish institutions that successfully implemented social innovations from those that did not. The financial and human resources available to NGOs also had no significant effect on whether public institutions chose to collaborate with them.
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How Social Innovation can be Supported in Structurally Weak Rural Regions
Social innovation initiatives flourish across rural Europe, driven by residents and entrepreneurs addressing societal challenges. This paper analyzes conditions enabling rural social innovation to emerge and identifies critical factors supporting or hindering its success. The research reconstructs actor constellations and innovation phases, pinpoints obstacles that derail initiatives, and determines which support strategies help social innovation develop in structurally weak rural regions.
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Women economic empowerment leads towards social innovation in rural setting of Saudi Arabia
Women's economic empowerment significantly drives social innovation in rural Saudi Arabia. The study measured five empowerment dimensions: family decision-making, mobility freedom, political participation, progressive attitudes, and parental background. All dimensions showed positive effects on social innovation, with mobility freedom having the strongest impact. The findings demonstrate that supporting women's autonomy, political engagement, and progressive thinking fosters community innovation and sustainable change.
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State-driven social innovation: Can neo-exogenous development address rural marginalization? A tale of two villages in China
China's Rural Revitalization Strategy represents state-driven social innovation that can reduce rural marginalization, but outcomes depend heavily on how social capital is built. Two Sichuan villages showed different results: one remained dependent on external actors despite infrastructure improvements, while the other leveraged bonding social capital and local leadership to create inclusive partnerships with government. Effective sequencing of state initiatives regenerates all forms of social capital and enables adaptive governance.
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Unveiling the Resources of Digital Pioneers: an Agency Perspective on Digital Social Innovation in Rural Germany
Digital pioneers in rural Germany access resources through three pathways: personal motivation, social networks, and regional conditions. The study of 40 interviews reveals these key actors can serve as intermediaries in regional governance, but need policy support to strengthen network and regional resource access. Success depends on combining individual agency with structural conditions, not infrastructure alone.
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Municipal Social Innovation in a Rural Region
Swedish rural municipalities in Norrbotten recognize social innovation as essential for improving public services, but adoption varies significantly. Resource constraints from declining populations, aging demographics, shrinking tax bases, and labor shortages limit their capacity to implement social innovation despite national and international promotion efforts.
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Women-Led Social Innovation Initiatives Contribute to Gender Equality in Rural Areas: Grounded Theory on Five Initiatives From Three Continents
Women-led social innovation initiatives in rural Canada, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, and Serbia advance gender equality by strengthening women's collective agency. The study identifies three structural features—gendered identity, women's independence, and control over rules—that enable or constrain these initiatives. Key enabling factors include women's self-confidence, peer networks, and capacity building. These initiatives increase economic independence, reduce cultural skepticism about women's roles, and shift political dynamics, demonstrating that women's collective action effectively overcomes structures that marginalize rural women.
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Social commerce in rural Jordan: analyzing adoption factors through the lens of innovation diffusion and perceived risks
Small businesses in rural Jordan adopt social commerce when they perceive relative advantage, compatibility, and trialability benefits. Complexity and perceived risks—particularly economic and security concerns—block adoption. Visibility of benefits has minimal impact. The study recommends simplified, secure, cost-effective solutions to accelerate digital transformation among rural enterprises.
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Financial technology (Fintech) innovation and financial inclusion: comparative study of urban and rural consumers post-Covid-19 pandemic
This study examines how rural and urban consumers in Indonesia adopted financial technology after Covid-19, using survey data from 654 respondents. The research found that preference for the status quo most strongly drives Fintech adoption, while personal innovativeness has minimal impact. Actual use of Fintech significantly improves financial inclusion. Rural and urban populations differ in how digital literacy and government support influence their adoption decisions, suggesting providers should tailor digital finance strategies by location.
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Integrating Local Food Policies and Spatial Planning to Enhance Food Systems and Rural–Urban Links: A Living Lab Experiment
This study examines how spatial planning and food policy integration strengthen local food systems in peri-urban areas. Using a Living Lab experiment in Lucca, Italy, researchers worked with stakeholders to reclaim abandoned land and identify rural-urban connections. The research reveals weak recognition of rural-urban linkages and insufficient dialogue between rural stakeholders and urban planners. The authors recommend formalizing public-private partnerships and cross-sectoral projects connecting agriculture with education, tourism, and landscape management.
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Leveraging Digital Innovation to Enhance MGNREGA’s Impact on Rural Empowerment
Digital innovations including Aadhaar-linked payments and Direct Benefit Transfers have improved India's rural employment guarantee scheme by streamlining wage disbursement, reducing delays, and enhancing transparency. GIS mapping and data analytics enabled better resource allocation and asset tracking. However, the study identifies critical gaps: digital literacy remains low, infrastructure is inadequate, and data security needs strengthening. These findings show how digital governance can strengthen rural employment programs and poverty reduction.
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Improving the lives of rural Indians through social innovation
Rural India faces interconnected challenges requiring participatory development approaches. Current innovation policy emphasizes economic and technological gains while overlooking local community strengths and social capital. The paper argues that sustainable rural development depends on leveraging local resources, stakeholder participation, and social capital. It recommends state support for affordable agriculture, ICT access, vocational training, self-help groups, and microfinance to enable rural communities.
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Frugal innovation and sustainable development: a holy grail for rural transformation
Frugal innovation—affordable, accessible, and sustainable solutions—offers rural communities a pathway to development. Multinational companies can drive positive change by aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals, establishing local partnerships, and empowering local entrepreneurs. This approach addresses rural poverty, healthcare, education, and energy access while creating social impact, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
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Digital Economy Transformation and Sustainable Development of Agricultural Enterprises: A Study on Supply Chain Finance Innovation and Environmental Governance in Rural Areas
Digital supply chain finance innovations significantly strengthen environmental governance in agricultural enterprises, with smart farming technologies mediating about one-third of this effect. Institutional support through subsidies and rural financial policies amplifies these benefits. Large-scale farms, cooperatives, and enterprises in developed agricultural regions see the strongest improvements in sustainability outcomes.
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Digital Economy, Green Innovation and Urban-Rural Income Gap—Analysis Based on Prefecture-Level City Panel Data of China
Using panel data from 273 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2019, this study finds that digital economy development drives green innovation, which in turn widens the urban-rural income gap in the short term. However, long-term analysis reveals a positive feedback loop where all three factors reinforce each other. The authors recommend governments balance digital and green innovation promotion with policies that control income inequality to achieve sustainable development.
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Local Particularities in Regional Social Innovation: A Case Study of Rural Stay Program in Mungyeong, South Korea
South Korea's Youth Village program aims to revitalize rural areas and reduce youth unemployment by attracting young people to establish businesses in declining towns. A case study of Mungyeong's rural stay program identifies its strengths, weaknesses, and success factors through cultural and regional analysis. The research reveals how local cultural differences shape social innovation outcomes and provides lessons applicable to other regional revitalization efforts.
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Therapy Farms as Social Innovations Shaping Social Transformations in Rural Areas: Case Study Analysis
Therapy farms in rural Lithuania provide real benefits for mental health and social inclusion, helping young people reconnect with education and employment. However, these farms operate within structural constraints that limit their broader impact. The study finds therapy farms create localized positive change but struggle to transform wider systems due to project-based funding and fragmented policies. Sustainable impact requires long-term funding and cross-sector collaboration.
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Social Innovation in Rural Areas: Evidence from Italian Community Cooperatives
Community cooperatives in rural Italy generate social innovation that addresses depopulation and economic decline. These organizations create positive community impacts through sustainable development initiatives, though their effects remain limited in many cases. The study finds that supportive policies and dedicated resources are essential to strengthen these cooperatives' capacity to drive rural growth.
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Relevant drivers and barriers for transforming Heritage Communities into stakeholders of social innovations in rural an marginal areas: a vademecum
Heritage Communities in rural and marginal areas can drive social innovation by collectively organizing preservation of local natural, cultural, and social resources. This vademecum identifies drivers and barriers for integrating Heritage Communities into public policy to support territorial resilience. It examines legal, economic, and organizational mechanisms these communities can use, emphasizing tourism's role in sustainability and economic benefit, while documenting structural obstacles to implementing heritage principles and commons approaches.
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Social Innovation and Sustainable Rural Development in India: Challenges and Opportunities
Social enterprises in rural India integrate business principles with social objectives to address persistent challenges like unemployment, low income, and poor infrastructure. The study finds that social innovation, skill development, and financial inclusion are central to empowering rural communities. Government initiatives support these enterprises, but barriers to growth remain, requiring policy attention to achieve inclusive rural development.
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Social Protection, Agro-Environmental Innovation, And Carbon Sequestration Management as Pathways to Climate-Resilient Development: Empirical Evidence from Rural Kogi State, Nigeria
Rural households in Kogi State, Nigeria that integrated carbon sequestration, agro-environmental innovations, and social protection systems achieved significantly higher climate resilience scores than those using single interventions or none. Only 17% of households achieved full integration, with governance failures, weak extension systems, and exclusion of women as primary barriers. The study proposes the Kogi Integrated Resilience Strategy Model to align local climate adaptation with national policy frameworks.
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Rural Social and Inclusive Marketing Innovation for Sustainable Development
Innovative marketing strategies designed for rural markets in emerging economies can improve livelihoods, promote financial inclusion, and drive sustainable development. The paper shows that inclusive marketing approaches—emphasizing community engagement, digital integration, and women empowerment—address structural barriers that leave rural populations underserved. These strategies create value for rural consumers, businesses, and society simultaneously.
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Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector: A Conceptual Synthesis of Contributions to Sustainable Local and Rural Development
Social and solidarity economy initiatives drive transformation in agri-food systems by reconfiguring governance, deepening producer-consumer relationships through proximity and transparency, and redistributing value more equitably across territories. The paper synthesizes evidence that these place-based models address biodiversity loss, rural inequality, and farm livelihoods while advancing sustainable local development. Policy coordination among public, private, and social stakeholders can scale these innovations effectively.
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Sustained precariousness in the grey space: self-organized care homes for older adults as frugal aging-in-place innovations in rural China
Self-organized care homes in rural China operate informally in farmhouses to provide affordable elder care where government services are absent. These grassroots facilities succeed through creative use of space, kinship trust, and resourcefulness, enabling older adults to age in place with dignity and autonomy. However, their legal ambiguity creates ongoing vulnerability. The study argues policymakers should regulate these innovations carefully to protect residents while preserving the flexibility that makes them work.
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A Living Lab-inspired Double Diamond approach to co-creating cross-border rural digital policy
Researchers used a Living Lab-inspired Double Diamond design approach to co-create digital policy for rural border regions in Sweden and Finland. Through participatory workshops, field visits, and stakeholder engagement, they identified that trust-based facilitation, informal communication, and institutional learning are critical for rural policy development. The study produced a draft policy framework with a prioritization matrix aligned to sustainable development goals and demonstrated a transferable methodology for inclusive digital policy in underrepresented rural areas.
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The Role of Digital Innovations in Localized News Reporting on Rural Development Awareness
Digital innovations including mobile technology, social media, and citizen journalism significantly increase rural development awareness in India by bridging information gaps and empowering marginalized populations. Vernacular digital storytelling through video, audio, and interactive systems proves especially effective for low-literacy audiences, boosting awareness of government schemes, health, education, and agricultural programs. However, infrastructure deficits, uneven digital literacy, affordability, and misinformation risks remain barriers requiring policy intervention and capacity-building investment.
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Innovation Mechanisms of Rural Tourism Under the Digital Economy: Platform–Scenario Synergy and County-Level Governance Resilience an Empirical Study in the Policy Context of China’s “Digital Commerce Empowering Agriculture” Initiative
Digital platforms transform rural tourism in China by reducing transaction costs and enabling long-tail demand, while scenario-based innovation converts fragmented resources into immersive lifestyle experiences. County-level governance resilience acts as an institutional anchor, mediating multi-actor interests and preventing digital erosion. Development outcomes depend on positive coupling between platforms, scenario innovation, and governance—without this alignment, regions face traffic booms followed by homogenization and disorder.
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Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion: Sustainable Finance Innovations in Rural Pune
Digital payment innovations including UPI, mobile banking, and Aadhaar-enabled services are expanding financial inclusion in rural Pune, India. Young adults and those with mobile internet access adopt these tools most readily, with village shops increasingly accepting QR code payments. Digital finance reduces transaction costs, improves transparency, and enables credit access for traditionally excluded populations. However, low digital literacy, weak infrastructure, and social barriers persist in rural areas, requiring targeted literacy programs and locally-relevant financial products.
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Advancing Equitable Rural Transformation: How Digital Innovation Affects Urban–Rural Income Inequality
Digital innovation reshapes urban-rural income inequality through three mechanisms: digital technology affects earnings differently for skilled and unskilled workers via productivity gains, job displacement, and industrial change; digital infrastructure narrows information gaps and builds rural human capital; digital financial services extend formal banking to excluded rural populations. The paper reviews how these factors influence income distribution and offers policy recommendations for using digital economy benefits to reduce disparities.
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The rural in democratic innovations: a comparative proposal between Latin America and Europe
Democratic innovations in rural Europe focus on development, environment, and local economics within existing political structures, emphasizing institutional strengthening and sustainability. Rural Latin America uses democratic innovations differently—as tools for emancipatory struggles including indigenous rights defense and food sovereignty. The paper argues these innovations challenge fundamental notions of development and rights in Latin America, whereas European innovations primarily improve public policies without questioning the political model.
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Empowering Rural Communities on Rural Pact Implementation: A Human–Ecological Perspective on Social Innovation and Rural Young Entrepreneurship
This study examines how rural communities can implement the European Rural Pact through social innovation and youth entrepreneurship. Using human ecology principles, the researchers analyzed interviews to identify six key dimensions for reducing rural-urban disparities. They found that local experimentation, higher education partnerships, national-level monitoring, and youth engagement—particularly among young people and women—drive transformative change in rural areas.
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Social Innovation in Rural Development Policy: Strengthening Participation, Representation and Accountability
European rural development policies increasingly use community-led approaches like LEADER to build on local strengths, but these programs face criticism for being overly technical and constrained by national priorities. This paper examines two methods for improving participation and accountability in place-based rural innovation: Northern Ireland's Community-led Local Development program and the Social Value Engine tool. Both approaches aim to strengthen community inclusion, accountability, and representation in rural development processes.
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Challenges of smart solutions for rural ageing: Critical reflections illustrated by social innovation directed to older rural women in southeastern Poland
Social innovation projects addressing rural ageing in southeastern Poland face significant barriers to sustainability and scaling. A study of an NGO-led initiative for older rural women found limited visibility, weak collaboration between organizations, and funding challenges caused the project to end despite participant appreciation. The research reveals that NGOs and local action groups view social innovation as risky and business-focused, making them reluctant leaders. The authors recommend blended financing, micro-grants, and training to strengthen rural innovation capacity.
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A Study on the Theoretical Evolution, Practical Dilemmas, and Policy Innovations in Enhancing Rural Social Welfare
China's rural social welfare system lags significantly behind urban provision, creating institutional gaps in social security and public services. This paper examines theoretical foundations and policy pathways for reform under the Rural Revitalization Strategy. It identifies three core problems: low overall welfare levels, homogeneous provider structures focused on relief, and narrow economic subsidies lacking comprehensive support. The study compares two reform approaches—rural-to-urban integration versus strengthening local rural welfare—and recommends targeted policies to achieve urban-rural welfare equality and common prosperity.
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Social Innovation and Sustainability in Rural Organizations in Southern Sonora
Rural organizations in southern Sonora show limited social innovation implementation due to small size and low technological capacity. A survey of 200 members reveals that social innovation dimensions—particularly social impact, innovation type, economic viability, and replicability—positively influence organizational sustainability. Intersectoral collaboration showed no significant effect. The findings demonstrate how social innovation strengthens rural organizations and inform policy design for local development.
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Sustainable entrepreneurship and business performance among rural women entrepreneurs: investigating the influence of entrepreneurial intention, social innovation and government support
Rural women entrepreneurs in Bihar, India show stronger business performance when they have entrepreneurial intention, engage in social innovation, and receive government support. These three factors drive sustainable entrepreneurship practices, which in turn improves business outcomes. The study recommends governments invest in training programs teaching rural women sustainable business practices and develop policies supporting female entrepreneurs in rural areas.
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Innovación Social en Áreas Rurales: El proyecto ESIRA (Social innovation in rural areas. The ESIRA Project)
ESIRA is a four-year European project (2024–2027) funded by Horizon Europe that promotes social innovation in rural areas across eight countries. It establishes community-led Innovation Spaces where local actors conduct self-diagnosis and identify opportunities in social economy, entrepreneurship, culture, digitalization, and green transition. Through participatory multi-actor platforms, rural communities lead initiatives to build resilient, prosperous regions with inclusive policies and collaborative social returns.
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GRASSROOTS INNOVATION AND RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA: A PATHWAY TO INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
Grassroots innovation and rural entrepreneurship address poverty and underemployment in India's rural economy by leveraging indigenous knowledge and local enterprise. The paper analyzes the conceptual foundations, policy environment, and practical outcomes of these approaches through literature review, statistics, and case studies. It demonstrates how grassroots innovation drives inclusive and sustainable growth, then recommends strengthening institutional frameworks to scale successful initiatives across diverse rural regions.
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Public-Sector Innovation To Narrow The Urban–Rural Digital Divide For Inclusive Smart Tourism In Indonesia: A Systematic Review
Indonesia's government-led digital innovations—including smart-tourism apps, cashless payment systems, and broadband expansion programs—improve rural tourism access and market reach for small businesses. These initiatives help narrow the urban-rural digital divide and attract younger travelers. However, connectivity gaps, low digital literacy, and limited local capacity continue to hinder progress. The review recommends policy priorities focused on digital inclusion and regional equity.
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Innovation and knowledge-based inclusive transformation of rural areas in Algeria: examining the PPDRI programme
Algeria's PPDRI rural development programme successfully implemented innovation-driven knowledge-based economy policy in agriculture through training, capability building, and ICT adoption across five prefectures. The study finds that farmer participation and bottom-up governance approaches were essential to programme effectiveness, offering new insights for rural and agricultural policy implementation in developing contexts.
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Co-creating rural digital policy across borders: A Living Lab-based double diamond approach
Researchers used Living Lab methodology and design thinking to co-create rural digital policy with communities in Sweden and Finland. They engaged diverse stakeholders through workshops, interviews, and design activities to develop a draft policy prototype and action plan aligned with sustainable development goals. The approach demonstrates how participatory methods can produce context-sensitive policies for underrepresented rural regions.
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How Does Digital Governance Drive Rural E-Commerce Innovation?—Research Based on the Theory of Digital Governance
Rural e-commerce drives innovation and rural revitalization by leveraging policy guidance, technology, platform support, and ecosystem coordination to upgrade agricultural industries and increase farmer incomes. The paper argues that strengthening legal frameworks, increasing digital infrastructure investment, building multi-stakeholder collaboration mechanisms, and developing e-commerce talent training systems are essential for sustainable rural e-commerce growth.
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Research on the Mechanism of Digital Technology Empowering Rural Financial Service Innovation for Farmers' Income Growth
Digital financial technologies boost farmer income in rural China through three main mechanisms: information processing optimization (36.4% of effect), transaction cost reduction (28.7%), and improved resource allocation (21.3%). The study analyzed data from 2020-2024 using structural equation modeling and found that digital financial inclusion significantly increases agricultural income, with effectiveness varying by region and infrastructure development level.
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Bridging the Divide: Digital Innovation as a Catalyst for Healthcare Equity between Urban and Rural Populations
Digital health innovations including telehealth, electronic prescribing, and AI clinical decision support reduce healthcare disparities between rural and urban populations by improving appointment completion, medication access, and specialist care availability. However, technology alone fails—successful implementation requires supportive policies, infrastructure investment, and community engagement to create sustainable systems that maintain quality standards across geographic boundaries.
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Revolutionizing Rural Credit Banks: A Narrative Review of Sustainable Financial Futures through ESG Integration and Digital Innovation
Rural Credit Banks transform through integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance principles with digital technology to achieve sustainable finance and financial inclusion. The study identifies three transformation pillars: ESG governance integration, digital technology adoption, and improved financial performance. Combined ESG and digital strategies enable Rural Credit Banks to strengthen local economies and support economic development.
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Integrating Digital Innovation and Sustainability to Build Resilient NGOs and NPOs in Global Rural Contexts: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Digital innovation and sustainability frameworks together strengthen NGOs and NPOs in rural areas by improving operational efficiency, transparency, and organizational resilience. The study across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America shows that digital tools like blockchain and cloud systems, combined with sustainability goals, enhance governance and community trust. However, digital illiteracy, infrastructure gaps, and data privacy concerns remain significant barriers that require culturally adapted solutions.
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External Support, Innovation, and Digital Transformation in Village-Owned Enterprises for Sustainable Rural Development Amid the COVID-19 Crisis
Innovation significantly improves Village-Owned Enterprise performance in Indonesia, particularly through product, service, process, and organizational changes that build resilience during crises. However, digital transformation and online marketing show weak links to performance, revealing adaptation challenges. External support from government and institutions fails to meaningfully strengthen these relationships, suggesting that support mechanisms need better alignment with digital strategies for sustainable rural enterprise growth.
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The Mediating Effects of Governance, Financial Literacy, and Technological Innovation on Digital Finance in North Sumatra’s Rural Banks
Financial inclusion and taxation policies significantly drive digital finance adoption in North Sumatra's rural banks. Corporate governance, financial literacy, and technological innovation mediate these effects, together explaining 85.4% of adoption variance. The study of 91 rural banks shows rural banks must prioritize financial literacy programs and digital tax systems to improve efficiency and promote inclusive growth, particularly in less-developed districts.
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Comparing digital public service innovation in urban and rural space: evidence from Indonesia public service innovation competition 2014-2023
Indonesian local and district governments show distinct patterns in digital public service innovation from 2014 to 2023. Local governments emphasize interactive services over static ones, while district governments gradually shift toward interactive solutions. Most innovations are externally focused and independently developed rather than collaborative. The findings reveal weak cross-sector collaboration and internal digital capacity, highlighting the need for balanced approaches integrating interactivity with accessibility and encouraging collaborative innovation.
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Internet of Things innovation in rural water supply in sub-Saharan Africa: a critical assessment of emerging ICT
IoT and ICT technologies are emerging in rural water supply across sub-Saharan Africa, but their sustainability and integration into existing systems remain poorly understood. This paper frames rural water supply as a complex problem, assesses specific challenges in Tanzania through expert interviews, and evaluates existing IoT innovations. The authors argue that moving toward a service delivery approach—supported by better data collection and integrated information systems—can improve sustainability and outcomes for rural communities.
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Fintech Innovations and the Transformation of Rural Financial Ecosystems in India
Fintech companies in India are expanding financial inclusion by providing digital banking, micro-lending, mobile wallets, and UPI platforms to unbanked and underbanked populations, particularly in rural areas. The study finds that fintech innovations combined with strong regulatory frameworks and digital infrastructure drive inclusive growth more effectively in developing economies than in wealthy nations. Success requires coordinated improvements in cybersecurity, digital literacy, rural connectivity, and public-private partnerships.
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Path and Model Innovation of Social Work Driving Effective Rural Social Governance in the Internet Era
Social work drives effective rural governance by strengthening villagers' participation capacity, self-governance awareness, and village autonomy. The study identifies eight key factors—including performance expectations, role consistency, village identity, and government support—that influence how social work improves rural social governance. Strengthening party leadership, village self-governance systems, and cultural quality of villagers enhances overall rural governance effectiveness.
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The Social Economy Network in Rural Areas Functioning as a Community Field and a Locus of Social Innovation
Social economy networks in rural South Korea function as coordination mechanisms that mediate resources across market, public, and informal sectors. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of networks in three regions, the study shows these networks create community spaces where residents set shared agendas and enable social innovation. Networks with dedicated solidarity organizations at their center operate more effectively and can integrate diverse policy resources to address rural development challenges.
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Research on the Assessment of the Driving Effect of Digital Technological Innovation on the Income Increasing Efficiency Of Urban and Rural Residents in the Yellow River Basin
Digital technological innovation has not yet effectively increased incomes for urban and rural residents across the Yellow River Basin. The study of nine provinces from 2012–2022 reveals regional disparities: areas with better geography, higher per capita income, and larger populations see greater income gains from digital innovation. The paper recommends strengthening infrastructure, supporting industrial upgrading, expanding digital technology adoption in traditional industries, and tailoring policies to regional conditions.
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Strengthen Connection between Family and Community: Social Protection of Covert Unattended Children in Context of Rural Governance Innovation
This paper examines social protection systems for unattended children in rural areas, including both visible cases like abandoned infants and hidden cases where living parents cannot provide care due to family breakdown or migration for work. The authors analyze rural governance innovations that strengthen family and community connections to support these vulnerable children.
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Social innovation and governance in the context of a rural third sector organization in Zumpahuacán, State of Mexico
A rural third-sector organization in Mexico's State of Mexico drives social innovation and governance through collective action, community identity, and actor relationships. The study identifies intercommunity organization linked with external actors as the key mechanism enabling social innovation to address poverty, marginalization, and inequality at the local level.
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THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CAPITAL AND INNOVATIONS FOR TRANSFORMATION OF RURAL AREAS IN BULGARIA
Social capital—built through trust, cooperation, and civic engagement—drives rural transformation in Bulgaria. The paper examines how social networks and collective voluntary action revive depopulated settlements and restore community identity after economic transition. Local action groups and social innovations enable community-led development by strengthening social bonds and fostering cooperation among rural residents, particularly during crises.
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THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL INNOVATION IN RURAL AREAS
Social innovation projects in Russian rural regions directly improve quality of life and activate local communities. The study finds that relying solely on local sources for innovation is insufficient; diversifying funding to include business investment is essential, since businesses benefit from increased rural purchasing power. These findings provide guidance for federal and regional authorities planning rural development policies.
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Developing a framework for responsible innovation
This paper presents a framework for responsible innovation governance in emerging science and technology. The authors identify four key dimensions—anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness—developed through a UK geoengineering research project. They argue this framework helps democracies manage controversial innovations and has broad applicability beyond the UK research context.
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Regional Innovation Systems, Clusters, and the Knowledge Economy
This paper defines regional innovation systems and establishes criteria for identifying them in practice. It argues that Europe lags behind the United States in innovation because European governments over-rely on public intervention, indicating market failure. The paper calls for European public innovation support systems to evolve while private sector institutions strengthen their organizational capacity.
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Responsible research and innovation: From science in society to science for society, with society
This paper defines responsible research and innovation as an emerging EU policy framework emphasizing democratic governance of research purposes, integration of anticipation and deliberation into innovation processes, and collective responsibility for uncertain outcomes. The authors trace the concept's development and identify three core features: steering innovation toward beneficial impacts, institutionalizing reflection and responsiveness, and recognizing innovation's unpredictable consequences as shared responsibility.
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National Innovation Systems—Analytical Concept and Development Tool
This paper develops the national innovation systems concept as a framework for understanding how knowledge and learning drive innovation within specific national contexts. The author argues that innovation systems perform better when their core institutions align with their wider economic and social settings. The framework requires understanding both individual actor behavior and systemic conditions, and the author emphasizes that developing countries need stronger institutions supporting learning, more equitable power distribution, and more open innovation systems.
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Open Innovation: Research, Practices, and Policies
Open innovation has become central to academic research, business practice, and policy decisions. This article surveys the current state of open innovation across these domains, examining key trends like digital transformation and challenges such as uncertainty. The authors discuss potential solutions including EU funding programs and introduce selected papers from the World Open Innovation Conference that address these issues.
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Regional Innovation Systems: Theory, Empirics and Policy
This paper synthesizes theory and evidence on regional innovation systems, examining how regions develop competitive advantage through innovation networks. The authors identify three core questions: the nature of regional systems themselves, the boundaries between industrial clusters and knowledge transfer mechanisms, and the role of labor markets in facilitating learning. The work reveals gaps in current understanding and proposes directions for future research on how regions can address inequality through innovation policy.
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To recover faster from Covid-19, open up: Managerial implications from an open innovation perspective
The paper argues that open innovation approaches are essential for economic recovery from Covid-19. It examines how organizations have responded to the pandemic and extracts lessons about managing innovation during recovery. The author contends that opening innovation processes—collaborating across organizational boundaries—enables faster adaptation and problem-solving in crisis situations.
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Innovation, Openness, and Platform Control
This paper develops a mathematical model to determine optimal platform openness and intellectual property duration for business ecosystems. The authors show that closing platforms increases sponsor revenue but limits developer innovation, while longer IP protection increases developer earnings but delays public access to innovations. The model identifies trade-offs between these competing interests and provides guidance for platform strategy, organizational design, and regulatory policy.
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The ecosystem as helix: an exploratory theory‐building study of regional co‐opetitive entrepreneurial ecosystems as Quadruple/Quintuple Helix Innovation Models
This paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding regional innovation ecosystems using the Quadruple/Quintuple Helix model, which integrates government, universities, industry, civil society, and environmental actors. The authors argue that regions function as complex, multi-level systems where organizations pursue both competitive and cooperative goals through entrepreneurial activities. They conceptualize these ecosystems as fractal structures with dynamic assets and propose that innovation systems can be organized by geographical and research-based properties.
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Green innovation to respond to environmental regulation: How external knowledge adoption and green absorptive capacity matter?
Environmental regulations drive green innovation in manufacturing firms, but the mechanism depends on how firms adopt external knowledge. Using survey data from 237 Chinese manufacturers, the study finds that both command-and-control and market-based regulations increase external knowledge adoption, which then drives green product and process innovation. A firm's capacity to absorb and use green knowledge strengthens the effect of market-based regulations specifically.
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Corporate social responsibility and innovation: a resource‐based theory
This paper examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) and innovation relate to each other using resource-based theory. Analyzing companies with R&D investments from 2003-2007, the authors find a negative bidirectional relationship: CSR practices reduce innovation efforts, and innovation reduces CSR practices. The effect varies by industry sector. Results show CSR investments take three years to demonstrate value and that companies rarely implement innovations linked to sustainability, revealing incompatibility between R&D spending and sustainable corporate behavior.
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Socially and Environmentally Responsible Value Chain Innovations: New Operations Management Research Opportunities
This paper identifies new research opportunities in operations management focused on socially and environmentally responsible value chains. The authors argue that OM research should expand beyond traditional economic objectives to address environmental and social responsibility across emerging and developing economies, engaging diverse stakeholders including producers, consumers, governments, and nonprofits. The paper proposes this broader approach will advance both economic development and social well-being globally.
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Absorptive capacity, knowledge management and innovation in entrepreneurial small firms
Small firms with 15 or more employees, younger founders, and higher education levels absorb and implement new knowledge most effectively. Absorptive capacity—the ability to acquire, assimilate, and use knowledge—depends significantly on firm size, founder age, and educational background. Policy should target graduate-founded SMEs and develop innovation management programs for these firms to build knowledge-based economies.
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Global production networks and the changing geography of innovation systems. Implications for developing countries
Globalization reshapes where innovation happens, creating opportunities for developing countries to access international knowledge through global production networks. The paper argues that developing nations can strengthen weak innovation systems by combining diverse knowledge sources and participating in global networks. This participation enables reverse knowledge outsourcing and industrial upgrading, but requires supportive public policies and institutions to capture these benefits effectively.
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Economic Growth, Increasing Productivity of SMEs, and Open Innovation
Economic growth driven by technological innovation significantly boosts small and medium enterprise productivity and welfare. Government policies, capital support, and human resource development together explain 97.6% of SME development outcomes. The study recommends that governments adopt innovation-based economic growth strategies to increase productivity of community enterprises.
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INNOVATION TYPE AND DIFFUSION: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
This study tests how five different types of innovations spread through English local government. Using data from 120 authorities, the research finds that different factors drive adoption of different innovation types. The results show that innovation adoption is complex and context-dependent, meaning policymakers cannot use one-size-fits-all approaches to encourage local government innovation.
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Foreign Direct Investment, Absorptive Capacity and Regional Innovation Capabilities: Evidence from China
Foreign direct investment significantly boosts regional innovation capacity in China, but the effect depends critically on local absorptive capacity and complementary assets. FDI intensity improves innovation efficiency, and these gains drive economic growth in coastal regions. Inland regions show weaker results, indicating that FDI quality and local institutional strength determine whether foreign investment translates into knowledge-based development.
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Non-invasive prenatal testing for aneuploidy and beyond: challenges of responsible innovation in prenatal screening
This position document from European and American genetics societies provides recommendations for responsible innovation in prenatal screening using non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). The authors argue that while NIPT improves accuracy and safety for detecting common chromosomal abnormalities, expanding screening scope requires rigorous validation and ethical evaluation. They call for governments to regulate prenatal screening as public health programs, ensuring quality counseling, professional education, and equitable access rather than allowing commercial expansion without oversight.
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Innovative clusters: drivers of national innovation systems
Industrial clusters function as localized innovation systems that drive national economic growth by creating, diffusing, and using knowledge. The paper argues that both market-based and informal knowledge flows concentrate within these clusters. Policymakers and researchers demonstrate how national and local innovation policies can leverage and strengthen cluster dynamics across different countries.
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Ethics and Privacy in AI and Big Data: Implementing Responsible Research and Innovation
This paper argues that responsible research and innovation (RRI) provides a framework for addressing ethical and privacy concerns in AI and big data technologies. The authors contend that stakeholder engagement, including civil society participation, is essential to ensure these technologies deliver social benefits while remaining acceptable and sustainable. They illustrate RRI implementation through the Human Brain Project.
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Absorptive Capacity and the Growth and Investment Effects of Regional Transfers: A Regression Discontinuity Design with Heterogeneous Treatment Effects
EU regional transfer programs only benefit regions with sufficient human capital and strong institutions. The study finds that just 30 percent of recipient regions convert transfers into faster income growth, and 21 percent into increased investment. A region's absorptive capacity—its ability to effectively use funds—matters far more than the average program effect, with treatment outcomes varying dramatically across regions.
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LOOKING AT NATIONAL SYSTEMS OF INNOVATION FROM THE SOUTH
The paper applies national innovation systems theory to El Salvador's agro-food industry, a low-technology sector in a middle-low income country. The authors argue that El Salvador's emerging sectoral innovation system can effectively contribute to sustainable development goals, but only with sustained public support and proper use of available policy instruments.
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Social innovation, an answer to contemporary societal challenges? Locating the concept in theory and practice
Social innovation is promoted as a solution to societal challenges through inclusive practices and grassroots initiatives, but the concept has been stretched across so many different academic and policy contexts that it risks losing coherence. The authors argue that for social innovation to become a useful policy tool, researchers and policymakers need clearer theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence about what political and economic changes are necessary to support it effectively.
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Implementing Open Innovation in the Public Sector: The Case of Challenge.gov
The Obama administration launched Challenge.gov to bring open innovation practices from the private sector into federal government. The platform crowdsources solutions to complex public problems by tapping external problem solvers and collective intelligence. The paper examines how the General Services Administration implemented this crowdsourcing approach, documenting the change management process and lessons learned for designing open innovation in government agencies.
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Corporate Governance for Responsible Innovation: Approaches to Corporate Governance and Their Implications for Sustainable Development
This paper argues that addressing global challenges like poverty, climate change, and pandemics requires responsible innovation supported by new corporate governance models. The authors examine how participative and reflexive governance approaches can enable businesses to generate innovations that create social and environmental benefits while avoiding harm. They demonstrate governance challenges through examples including the COVID-19 pandemic response.
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Managing Socio-Ethical Challenges in the Development of Smart Farming: From a Fragmented to a Comprehensive Approach for Responsible Research and Innovation
Smart farming development in New Zealand has prioritized productivity and efficiency while neglecting socio-ethical challenges and excluding citizens and consumers from decision-making. The authors apply responsible research and innovation (RRI) principles to smart dairying and find that current R&D lacks adequate consideration of broader social impacts. They recommend government leadership to embed RRI principles in project design and call for sector-specific approaches to build RRI capacity across smart farming innovation systems.
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Interstate Professional Associations and the Diffusion of Policy Innovations
Interstate professional associations accelerate policy innovation adoption across states. The author examines how state insurance commissioners participating in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' committee on health insurance were significantly more likely to adopt the HMO Model Act. The study demonstrates that professional associations, particularly through their committee structures, create institutional pathways that facilitate state officials' adoption of policy innovations.
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Disentangling Diffusion: The Effects of Social Learning and Economic Competition on State Policy Innovation and Expansion
This paper examines how states adopt and expand Indian gaming policies, distinguishing between two diffusion mechanisms: social learning and economic competition. The authors find that social learning drives initial policy adoption while economic competition influences both adoption and subsequent policy expansion. They develop new statistical methods to track policy extent over time rather than just first adoption timing, demonstrating that different diffusion processes operate differently across policy areas.
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Green Process Innovation and Financial Performance in Emerging Economies: Moderating Effects of Absorptive Capacity and Green Subsidies
Green process innovation improves financial performance in manufacturing industries, particularly in emerging economies. Using ten years of Chinese industrial data, the study finds that both clean and end-of-pipe technologies boost profitability. Absorptive capacity—a firm's ability to learn and apply knowledge—strengthens this benefit, while government subsidies surprisingly weaken it. Industries gain more from leveraging internal capabilities than relying on external government support.
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Open innovation in the public sector of leading countries
The study examines how leading governments adopt open innovation practices. The USA, Australia, and Singapore developed national open innovation policies that created positive climates for innovation projects, particularly online platforms. While outside-in approaches dominate, governments increasingly explore inside-out strategies to leverage public data. Most governments remain in early adoption stages and need strategic plans to integrate open innovation into workplace practices.
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Leveraging complexity for ecosystemic innovation
This paper analyzes innovation ecosystems through complexity science, treating them as open non-linear networks where multiple actors collaborate and adapt to uncertainty. The authors distinguish innovation ecosystems from other business networks by their internal interaction complexity, review four research streams studying them, and apply complex adaptive systems theory to understand how innovation clusters function. They argue that ecosystem-based thinking better supports innovation-led economic growth than traditional industrial-era approaches.
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Metagoverning Collaborative Innovation in Governance Networks
Western governments increasingly use governance networks to drive public sector innovation through collaboration between public and private actors. This shift from competitive entrepreneurship to collaborative approaches requires new metagovernance strategies. The authors argue that managing networks for innovation demands different leadership approaches than traditional public management, and illustrate this through a Danish elderly care case study showing how collaborative innovation networks can improve efficiency, effectiveness, and democratic legitimacy.
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Responsible Innovation: Managing the Responsible Emergence of Science and Innovation in Society
This book review examines a collection of essays on responsible innovation that develops frameworks for managing science and technology emergence in society. The authors define responsible innovation as a pluralistic process balancing diverse viewpoints while anticipating future impacts, operating within market-driven systems, and representing collective commitment to stewardship. The collection combines philosophical perspectives with practical approaches, addressing ethical issues in emerging fields like nanotechnology and geo-engineering through global perspectives including European normative standards for sustainability and social desirability.
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Collingridge and the dilemma of control: Towards responsible and accountable innovation
This paper examines David Collingridge's theories on controlling technology and his 'dilemma of control' concept, arguing that responsible innovation literature frequently cites but rarely deeply engages with his work. The authors reveal how Collingridge's substantive, methodological, and philosophical insights illuminate governance challenges in innovation, particularly regarding anticipatory decision-making, public participation, and institutional structures that shape technology's relationship with society.
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Innovations in climate policy: the politics of invention, diffusion, and evaluation
This paper argues that climate policy innovation at national and sub-national levels deserves greater scholarly attention. The authors propose a comprehensive framework for understanding policy innovation across three stages: invention of new policy elements, diffusion into wider use, and evaluation of effects. They identify analytical and methodological challenges in integrating these perspectives and present a framework applied throughout the volume to examine climate mitigation and adaptation policies.
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The Role of Policy Attributes in the Diffusion of Innovations
Policy characteristics significantly influence how quickly innovations spread across U.S. states. Analyzing 27 criminal justice policies adopted between 1973 and 2002, the authors found that attributes like relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility with existing practices determine adoption likelihood. These same attributes also shape whether policies spread through geographic proximity or through learning from other states' experiences.
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Artificial intelligence in health care: laying the Foundation for Responsible, sustainable, and inclusive innovation in low- and middle-income countries
AI technology offers potential to reduce health inequalities in low- and middle-income countries, but most applications are developed in wealthy nations without local evaluation. The authors propose five building blocks to guide responsible, sustainable, and inclusive AI healthcare development and implementation in resource-limited settings, addressing both benefits and risks.
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Network Capital, Social Capital and Knowledge Flow: How the Nature of Inter-organizational Networks Impacts on Innovation
Inter-organizational networks drive innovation through network capital and strategic knowledge alliances. The study examined firms across three regions and found that innovation performance correlates strongly with how firms invest in dynamically configured networks. Firms with higher network capital—built through deliberate, strategic partnerships—innovate more effectively. The findings suggest policymakers should actively support and orchestrate networks with clear strategic purpose when developing clusters and innovation systems.
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The Diffusion of Innovations
This paper examines why Natural Environments (NE) approaches in early intervention (EI) services have spread slowly despite being mandated in law since 1991. The authors identify barriers including lack of public awareness, clinical and vendor system incentives against adoption, and insufficient family knowledge. They argue that successful diffusion requires engaging families as key stakeholders through clear communication about NE programs and valuing family involvement in intervention.
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Where are the politics in responsible innovation? European governance, technology assessments, and beyond
Responsible innovation frameworks aim to make science and technology development more socially responsive by incorporating public input. However, this paper finds that both European Union policy and Flemish technology assessment approaches to responsible innovation largely ignore political dimensions—specifically how power is constituted, contested, and allocated through deliberation. The author argues these frameworks must explicitly address political questions to be genuinely responsive to societal needs.
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Open Innovation 4.0 as an Enhancer of Sustainable Innovation Ecosystems
Open innovation frameworks strengthen sustainable innovation ecosystems by connecting universities, industry, government, and communities through knowledge flows and collaborative networks. The study demonstrates that public policy supporting open innovation environments—including legal frameworks, innovation procurement, and shared R&D risk—drives regional digitalization, startup emergence, and digital transition. Universities play a central role in promoting smart, responsible innovation cycles that benefit entire ecosystems.
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The smart city: A nexus for open innovation?
European smart city initiatives increasingly adopt open innovation approaches that connect technology, people, urban spaces, and other cities to design services and policies. The analysis of EU programmes and international projects shows this integrated method is effective and sustainable, but success requires consistent frameworks, principles, and strategic alignment across initiatives.
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Ethics of healthcare robotics: Towards responsible research and innovation
This paper argues that addressing ethical issues in healthcare robotics requires more than traditional ethics analysis. The authors propose embedded ethical reflection directly within innovation practices and development contexts. They identify internal and external forms of dialogue between ethicists and technologists, discuss limitations of these approaches, and recommend policy support at national and supranational levels to integrate responsible innovation into healthcare robotics research.
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Responsible Urban Innovation with Local Government Artificial Intelligence (AI): A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda
This paper examines how local governments can responsibly adopt artificial intelligence systems to address urban challenges. The authors develop a conceptual framework for responsible urban innovation with AI, arguing that technology deployment must balance costs, benefits, risks, and impacts to avoid creating new problems. They review existing literature and applications, then propose a research agenda to help policymakers understand how to implement local government AI systems responsibly.
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Mandate Versus Championship: Vertical government intervention and diffusion of innovation in public services in authoritarian China
In authoritarian China, vertical government intervention drives public service innovation through two distinct mechanisms. Administrative mandates create rapid, uniform policy diffusion across regions, while competition in performance-based personnel systems encourages local governments to diverge and customize policies. The study challenges conventional theories about how geography, competition, and hierarchical control shape innovation spread.
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Innovating innovation policy: the emergence of ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’
The paper traces how the European Union developed 'Responsible Research and Innovation' (RRI) as a policy framework, starting from a 2011 European Commission workshop. Through analysis of EU documents, the author shows how RRI became embedded in Horizon 2020 to direct technological innovation toward social benefits. The paper identifies tensions between RRI and other EU policies that may undermine its effectiveness.
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An unfinished journey? Reflections on a decade of responsible research and innovation
This paper reviews ten years of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as a policy framework developed by the European Commission. The authors trace RRI's evolution from its initial conception through the Seventh Framework Programme to Horizon 2020, examining how it became organized around five key pillars: gender equality, open access, science communication, ethics, and public engagement. They assess RRI's impact on discussions about science, innovation, and society, and consider its future role within the EC's Open Science agenda and Horizon Europe programme.
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Ethics of smart farming: Current questions and directions for responsible innovation towards the future
Smart farming technologies like sensors, drones, and robots raise three major ethical challenges: data ownership and access, power distribution, and impacts on human life and society. The paper finds that current discussions lack resolution because stakeholders hold conflicting views about digital farming's purpose. The authors recommend future research prioritize clarifying societal and commercial goals, then use those goals to determine data sharing practices, build stakeholder trust, and establish guidelines for responsible farm digitalization.
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Knowledge transfer in university quadruple helix ecosystems: an absorptive capacity perspective
Universities transfer knowledge to regional innovation ecosystems through interactions with multiple stakeholders. This study identifies five key factors—human elements, organizational structures, knowledge types, power dynamics, and network characteristics—that determine how effectively stakeholders engage in knowledge transfer and apply it. The findings show that policymakers and practitioners need targeted interventions to strengthen knowledge exchange within regional innovation networks.
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Building Regional Innovation Systems: Is Endogenous Industrial Development Possible in the Global Economy?
Economic globalization concentrates power in transnational corporations that coordinate production networks across regions through direct investment and subcontracting. This shift threatens regional autonomy as firms become integrated into global commodity chains controlled by corporate headquarters, raising questions about whether regions can still pursue independent industrial development strategies in an increasingly interconnected world economy.
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Mission impossible? Entrepreneurial universities and peripheral regional innovation systems
Universities are expected to drive regional innovation and entrepreneurship as part of their third mission, but this paper finds their actual economic spillovers are overstated, particularly in peripheral regions. The disconnect between universities and local entrepreneurial ecosystems explains their weak performance. Policy entrepreneurs reinforce universities' dominant role through institutional capture and policy lock-in, despite marginal economic contribution. The paper challenges this policy emphasis and outlines implications for public policy reform.
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Responsible research and innovation: The role of privacy in an emerging framework
This paper defines responsible research and innovation (RRI) as a meta-responsibility framework that coordinates researchers, industry, policymakers, and civil society to ensure desirable research outcomes. It examines privacy's critical role within RRI, discusses current framework dimensions and weaknesses, and proposes directions for integrating privacy and data protection into RRI governance.
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Investigating the structure of regional innovation system research through keyword co-occurrence and social network analysis
This paper analyzes 432 research papers on regional innovation systems from 36 countries using social network analysis and bibliometrics. The authors map keyword co-occurrence and author networks to visualize how RIS research has evolved and identify publication trends. The analysis reveals knowledge development patterns across countries, institutions, and researchers, providing insights into how the RIS framework has developed as a foundation for innovation policy.
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Grand Societal Challenges and Responsible Innovation
Grand societal challenges require innovation from businesses, governments, and nonprofits working together. The paper argues that responsible innovation—a framework evaluating innovations for harmful consequences and societal benefits—offers a better approach than traditional corporate social responsibility. The authors call for research linking responsible innovation governance to addressing complex, multi-level societal problems.
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Digital Government, Open Architecture, and Innovation: Why Public Sector IT Will Never Be the Same Again
Open digital platforms and standards will transform public sector technology by reducing vendor lock-in and enabling cheaper, more innovative government services. The shift from proprietary systems to open architectures allows governments to separate core business logic from applications, creating a competitive marketplace where niche innovations and standard services coexist. This reorganization around citizen needs rather than departmental structures will fundamentally change how governments procure and deploy technology.
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Citizensourcing : Applying the Concept of Open Innovation to the Public Sector
Open innovation principles from the private sector can transform public administration by engaging citizens as external collaborators. Using internet technology, governments can integrate citizen knowledge into service development and policy decisions, creating public value and strengthening democratic participation beyond traditional e-government approaches.
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Open innovation in the public sector: drivers and barriers for the adoption of Challenge.gov
Federal agencies use Challenge.gov to crowdsource citizen ideas for solving public sector problems. Analysis of contest data and interviews with thirty-six managers across fourteen departments reveals that organizational barriers limit adoption of this open innovation approach. However, when innovation mandates align with an agency's core mission, organizations successfully change their procedures and how they acquire innovations.
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Stakeholder Governance for Responsible Innovation: A Theory of Value Creation, Appropriation, and Distribution
Organizations pursuing responsible innovation to address societal challenges lack clear governance mechanisms for distributing created value among stakeholders. This paper proposes a three-stage model of value allocation based on stakeholder governance: deciding what value to create and for whom, protecting against unintended value appropriation, and distributing value among intended stakeholders. Four novel governance mechanisms enable participative processes that align value distribution with responsible innovation intent.
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Multi-niche analysis of dynamics and policies in Dutch renewable energy innovation journeys (1970–2006): hype-cycles, closed networks and technology-focused learning
This study examines forty years of renewable energy innovation policy in the Netherlands across wind, biomass, fuel cells, and photovoltaics. The research identifies recurring problems: innovation efforts rely too heavily on technology-focused R&D rather than broader learning, social networks remain narrow and supply-side oriented, and expectations follow hype-disappointment cycles that undermine sustained development. These structural weaknesses explain why all four technologies experienced costly failures and setbacks despite policy support.
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Responsible innovation across borders: tensions, paradoxes and possibilities
Researchers from Brazil and the UK convened to examine responsible innovation and governance of controversial technologies across cultural contexts. The workshop revealed significant tensions and paradoxes in how responsible innovation is understood and applied differently across regions, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for cross-cultural innovation governance frameworks.
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Of Mice and Academics: Examining the Effect of Openness on Innovation
Reduced access costs to research materials boost innovation by encouraging new researchers to enter fields and explore diverse research directions. Using NIH agreements that lowered costs for accessing genetically engineered mice in the late 1990s, the authors find that openness increased both researcher entry and research diversity without reducing the creation of new research tools. Strong intellectual property restrictions impose hidden costs by limiting exploration and reducing research output diversity.
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Towards a deliberative framework for responsible innovation in artificial intelligence
The paper proposes a deliberative framework for responsible AI innovation that addresses opacity challenges through discourse principles. It examines how organizations developing AI, civil society actors, and investigative media can collaborate to enable informed public engagement and better governance of AI innovation, ensuring human autonomy, fairness, and justice are protected.
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Introducing responsible innovation in health: a policy-oriented framework
This paper develops a framework for responsible innovation in health that aligns new health technologies with societal values through early stakeholder engagement. The framework identifies nine dimensions organized across five value domains: population health, health system, economic, organizational, and environmental. The authors provide policymakers with a tool to assess whether health innovations address system-level challenges like sustainability and equity.
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A vision of Responsible Innovation
The paper presents a framework for responsible innovation and proposes how governments and institutions should implement it through public policy. Von Schomberg defines what responsible innovation means and offers concrete strategies for putting this vision into practice across sectors and organizations.
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Universities as key knowledge infrastructures in regional innovation systems
Universities drive regional innovation through multiple mechanisms: transferring commodified knowledge, developing human capital, and building social capital. The paper examines how national higher education systems and regional innovation programs shape university engagement differently across Europe. It argues that policymakers must integrate and coordinate regional-scale policies to maximize universities' role as knowledge infrastructure.
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Responsible Development and Application of Surgical Innovations: A Position Statement of the Society of University Surgeons
This position statement from the Society of University Surgeons addresses the responsible development and application of surgical innovations. The authors establish principles and guidelines for how surgical innovations should be developed, tested, and implemented in clinical practice to ensure patient safety and ethical standards while advancing surgical care.
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The limits to open innovation and its impact on innovation performance
This study examines how open innovation affects UK firm performance across sectors and regions. Using data from nearly 20,000 firm observations, the researchers find that limits to open knowledge collaboration vary significantly by industry and geography. Creative sectors face the greatest barriers to collaborating on knowledge both domestically and internationally. The findings reveal that transaction costs and knowledge protection concerns constrain open innovation differently depending on sector type and location.
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Smart specialisation, innovation policy and regional innovation systems: what about new path development in less innovative regions?
Smart specialisation strategies work best when grounded in regional innovation systems that support learning and competitiveness. The paper argues that less innovative regions should pursue transformative new path development through unrelated knowledge combinations and radical path creation, not just incremental diversification. These high-risk strategies can generate structural transformation opportunities and should be included in policy design, even though they carry greater uncertainty than safer alternatives.
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Responsible innovation as an endorsement of public values: the need for interdisciplinary research
Responsible innovation requires systematically including public values in technological development. The authors argue that understanding this process demands interdisciplinary research combining ethics, institutional theory, and science-technology-society studies to examine how institutions and stakeholders shape innovation. They propose using public debate as a method to identify emerging public values and address questions about whose opinions matter and how competing values should be balanced.
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How innovation drivers, networking and leadership shape public sector innovation capacity
Leadership quality has a stronger impact on public sector innovation capacity than innovation drivers or external networking, according to a survey of senior administrators in Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Rotterdam. The study found that transformational and network governance leadership styles most effectively boost innovation in Barcelona and Copenhagen, while entrepreneurial leadership proved most effective in Rotterdam. Organizational structures, processes, and external contacts matter less than strong leadership for building innovation capacity.
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Exploring the Role of Islamic Fintech in Combating the Aftershocks of COVID-19: The Open Social Innovation of the Islamic Financial System
Islamic financial technology can help economies recover from COVID-19 by combining ethical Islamic finance principles with fintech innovation. The study argues that Islamic finance's emphasis on corporate social responsibility and financial stability makes it well-suited to address pandemic-related economic disruption. Open innovation approaches in Islamic fintech enable faster, more reliable solutions than conventional finance, offering governments and policymakers a sustainable tool for economic recovery.
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Externalities of openness in innovation
Open innovation practices generate positive externalities that benefit firms beyond their direct participants, improving knowledge diffusion and innovation performance across industries. Using Irish manufacturing data from 1994–2008, the authors find that these externalities significantly boost firms' innovation outputs through increased knowledge spread and competition, not through adoption of open practices alone. The gap between private and social returns to openness suggests firms adopt it suboptimally, justifying public policies that encourage open innovation.
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Knowledge Networks in an Uncompetitive Region: SME Innovation and Growth
SMEs in Yorkshire and Humberside rely heavily on knowledge networks outside their region, but the most innovative firms balance both local and external connections. While networking activity sometimes correlates negatively with growth—suggesting struggling firms seek public support—the research shows regional innovation systems approaches work better than cluster policies. Policymakers should help SMEs build and maintain diverse knowledge networks spanning both regional and global scales.
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Promoting innovation and excellence to face the rapid diffusion of Novel Psychoactive Substances in the EU: the outcomes of the ReDNet project
The ReDNet project monitored online drug markets across eight European countries to identify novel psychoactive substances and combat their rapid spread. Researchers tracked over 650 NPS products through websites and forums, then developed prevention messages delivered via websites, SMS, social media, and smartphone apps. The project demonstrated that web-monitoring combined with technology-based interventions effectively reaches young people and informs policymakers about emerging drug threats.
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Regional Innovation Systems: How to Assess Performance
This paper uses Data Envelopment Analysis to evaluate regional innovation system performance across European regions using 2002-2003 data. High-technology regions rank differently under DEA than traditional scorecards, revealing that advanced regions need stronger system coordination to maintain efficiency. The authors propose combining quantitative and qualitative analysis to improve policy decisions for regional innovation systems.
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A Quadruple and Quintuple Helix Approach to Regional Innovation Systems in the Transformation to a Forestry-Based Bioeconomy
This study examines how a Swedish forestry region can transform its innovation system by including more actors—particularly civil society—to develop a sustainable bioeconomy. Researchers interviewed stakeholders and found that a quintuple helix model, which adds environmental and civil society perspectives to traditional innovation systems, could drive broader societal change in consumer behavior, production, technology, and values. However, civil society involvement remains largely aspirational in current regional policy.
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Rational Learning and Bounded Learning in the Diffusion of Policy Innovations
Countries adopt policy innovations by learning from neighbors and successful examples, not through purely rational analysis. The paper shows that bounded learning and rational learning produce identical results when information gathering carries real costs. This reconciles two competing theories and explains how policy innovations spread across developing nations, particularly regarding trade liberalization decisions.
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Quality criteria and indicators for responsible research and innovation: learning from transdisciplinarity
This paper develops quality criteria and performance indicators for responsible research and innovation (RRI) to make the concept more concrete and actionable. Drawing on transdisciplinary research experience and stakeholder deliberation around nanoremediation, the authors create an evaluative rubric with specific criteria and indicators. While developed for nanoparticle environmental remediation, they argue this framework can guide how other fields develop their own RRI evaluation approaches.
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Open Government Data as an Innovation Process: Lessons from a Living Lab Experiment
A living lab experiment in the Netherlands tested open government data as an innovation process over two years. While interventions successfully increased data use and government awareness, scaling remained blocked by organizational barriers. The research finds that realizing open data's potential requires strong management commitment and systemic changes to rules, technology, and practices—not just making data available.
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The Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Maturity Model: Linking Theory and Practice
This paper develops a maturity model for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) that helps companies integrate ethical and sustainable practices into their R&D processes. The authors tested the model across three industrial settings and found it practical and effective for corporate innovation management. The model bridges RRI theory with real-world business implementation, offering companies a structured framework to ensure their research is acceptable, sustainable, and socially desirable.
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Power in Firm Networks: What it Means for Regional Innovation Systems
Transnational corporations dominate regional firm networks and use their power to monopolize critical innovation resources like university research and skilled labor, undermining small and medium-sized firms' capacity to innovate. The paper argues that network functioning is inherently conflictual, with powerful firms advancing their competitive advantage while creating uneven resource distribution across regions, with significant consequences for regional policy.
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Innovation, diffusion and adoption of total quality management (TQM)
This paper examines whether Total Quality Management (TQM) remains a viable management philosophy or has become a passing fad. Through literature review, the authors trace TQM's innovation, diffusion, and adoption across organizations globally. They find that despite declining media coverage, TQM continues gaining academic attention and organizational adoption worldwide. The authors argue TQM remains relevant but warn against treating it as a generic technique—organizations must adapt it to their specific cultural contexts, leadership styles, and employee needs to prevent it from becoming a fad.
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To Construct Regional Advantage from Innovation Systems First Build Policy Platforms
Regional economic development requires building endogenous advantage by integrating economic strengths, knowledge assets, governance, and creativity. The paper argues that policy platforms mixing diverse instruments can promote related variety among industries, enabling innovations to diffuse across technology platforms where absorptive capacity is high. This approach addresses regional imbalances more effectively than relying on regional learning alone.
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The diffusion of financial technology-enabled innovation in GCC-listed banks and its relationship with profitability and market value
This study examines how financial technology adoption affects profitability and market value in banks across Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Using a 73-item diffusion index, researchers found that higher FinTech implementation correlates with better market performance. UAE banks led adoption at 79.7%, followed by Bahrain at 76.7%. The findings support policies encouraging technology integration in banking operations.
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Transformative innovation policy to meet the challenge of climate change: sociotechnical networks aligned with consumption and end-use as new transition arenas for a low-carbon society or green economy
The paper argues that climate policy must shift from incremental innovation to transformative change through sociotechnical transitions. Rather than focusing on technology supply or macroeconomic approaches, innovation policy should target consumption and end-use patterns organized around fundamental societal functions. The author shows that current policy mixes new demand-driven systemic initiatives with outdated supply-side approaches, and proposes that energy system visualization reveals consumption categories offering better frameworks for designing sociotechnical experiments toward a low-carbon society.
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Responsible Innovation: A Pilot Study with the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council piloted a risk register requirement for research funding applicants, asking them to identify potential impacts and risks of proposed innovations in nanoscience. Most applicants identified only immediate occupational health risks, while few anticipated broader environmental or societal impacts. Proposals that succeeded in addressing wider impacts included multidisciplinary teams, life cycle assessments, and public engagement, enabling continuous reflexivity and real-time adjustment of research direction.
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Organisational institutionalisation of responsible innovation
This paper examines how responsible innovation became institutionalized at the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and its funded universities between 2010 and 2020. The authors find that while the EPSRC successfully embedded responsible innovation practices before publishing its 2013 policy, universities struggled to adopt it due to competing institutional priorities and different research cultures. The process remains incomplete and contested.
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Traditional ecological knowledge in innovation governance: a framework for responsible and just innovation
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is often eroded by Western innovation focused on economic growth and technological modernization. This paper argues that innovation governance must shift away from growth-oriented definitions toward frameworks emphasizing societal goals. The authors contend that responsible innovation approaches alone cannot address TEK integration without confronting underlying decolonization and social justice issues that shape how traditional communities experience and control change.
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Political Mobility and Dynamic Diffusion of Innovation: The Spread of Municipal Pro-Business Administrative Reform in China
Local officials' career ambitions drive innovation adoption in Chinese cities more than economic logic or geographic proximity. When central government mandated administrative reform, officials adopted pro-business licensing reforms to advance their political careers. Before this mandate, cities copied neighboring regions' reforms based on economic conditions. The study reveals how political mobility of officials fundamentally shapes how innovations spread across decentralized authoritarian systems.
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Stakeholder engagement for responsible innovation in the private sector: critical issues and management practices
Dutch food companies pursuing responsible innovation fall short of genuine stakeholder engagement despite policy emphasis on it. Interviews with innovative food firms and non-economic stakeholders reveal a significant gap between the ideal of mutual responsiveness promoted in responsible innovation literature and actual practices. The study identifies critical barriers to stakeholder engagement specific to private-sector innovation and proposes management practices to address these obstacles.
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The Diffusion and Adoption of Public Sector Innovations: A Meta-Synthesis of the Literature
This meta-synthesis examines how public sector innovations spread and get adopted across three research areas: public management, public policy, and e-government. The authors find these fields operate independently with different models and rarely define key terms clearly. They identify that macro-institutional factors dominate public management and policy research, while e-government scholars focus more on individual-level factors. The paper proposes an integrated framework of adoption drivers and recommends future research combine multiple organizational levels, distinguish between innovation generation and adoption, and incorporate collaborative innovation approaches.
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Responsible Aquaculture in 2050: Valuing Local Conditions and Human Innovations Will Be Key to Success
Aquaculture must expand sustainably by 2050 by improving management practices, emphasizing local decision-making and human capacity development, implementing risk management to prevent disease and contamination, and creating market systems that identify and promote sustainable products. The paper argues that respecting local conditions and human innovation will be essential to avoid the intensification mistakes made in agriculture.
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Living Labs and user engagement for innovation and sustainability
Living Labs engage stakeholders and users in co-creating sustainable innovations through a Quadruple Helix Model approach. Research across multiple case studies shows that Living Labs successfully involve firms, businesses, and communities in developing solutions that benefit the economy, society, and environment. The study identifies best practices and policy recommendations for establishing Living Labs that advance local sustainable development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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Challenges to open innovation in traditional SMEs: an analysis of pre-competitive projects in university-industry-government collaboration
Small and medium-sized enterprises in traditional, low-tech sectors struggle to participate effectively in university-industry-government collaborations focused on pre-competitive research and development. This study tracked three such projects across four phases—initiation, execution, closing, and monitoring—and identified specific firm-level and project-level obstacles that prevent these collaborations from meeting their innovation goals.
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Between local innovation and global impact: cities, networks, and the governance of climate change
Cities and city networks like the C40 Climate Leadership Group drive climate innovation outside formal international agreements, which have failed to reduce emissions. These non-state actors challenge traditional governance norms and generate coordinated responses through networks. The paper examines C40's history and network dynamics, then recommends Canada update federal climate policy to support city-network initiatives, fill policy gaps, and connect climate action to urban priorities.
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Introducing the dilemma of societal alignment for inclusive and responsible research and innovation
This paper identifies a critical governance challenge in research and innovation: the 'dilemma of societal alignment.' The authors argue that while inclusive and responsible innovation requires alignment between research goals and societal values, this alignment remains scattered and overlooked in science and technology policy. They build on Collingridge's technology control dilemma to propose a framework for addressing how governance can better integrate social considerations into innovation development and uptake.
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Open innovation and public administration: transformational typologies and business model impacts
Swedish municipalities collaborating through open innovation networks transform public service delivery and organizational structures by co-creating services with external partners and each other. The study identifies four typologies of governmental transformation enabled by open innovation, demonstrating how these practices fundamentally reshape how public authorities create and deliver value to citizens, moving beyond incremental e-Government improvements to radical organizational change.
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The Innovation Delusion: How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work That Matters Most
This paper critiques the widespread adoption of 'innovation-speak'—a Silicon Valley ideology that prioritizes disruptive change over maintenance and care. The authors argue that this rhetoric has infected cultural institutions like archives and libraries, creating a false hierarchy that devalues essential maintenance work. They demonstrate how this ideology damages organizations by neglecting the unglamorous but critical labor that keeps systems functioning, and call for institutions to adopt a 'maintenance mindset' instead.
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From Open Data to Open Innovation Strategies: Creating E-Services Using Open Government Data
This case study examines Singapore's open government data initiative and demonstrates how open innovation strategies can encourage businesses and citizens to create e-services using publicly available datasets. The research identifies key considerations for transforming a government data portal into an open innovation platform and for motivating participation in data reuse. The findings contribute to understanding how open data initiatives can drive collaborative innovation and service development.
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Responsible innovation: bringing together technology assessment, applied ethics, and STS research
Responsible innovation integrates technology assessment, applied ethics, and science-technology-society studies to embed ethical reflection into research and development processes. The framework brings together established practices in assessing technology impacts, involving stakeholders, and evaluating outcomes with explicit ethical responsibility. Research institutions and funding agencies increasingly adopt this integrative approach to shape how innovation develops, creating opportunities for broader actor participation and reflection in R&D governance.
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Bureaucratic Job Mobility and The Diffusion of Innovations
Bureaucratic job mobility drives policy innovation adoption across U.S. local governments. Agency leaders hired from outside organizations are significantly more likely to introduce professionally fashionable innovations than those promoted internally. The study of municipal police and water utility managers shows that government innovation depends on both demand for new policies and the supply of mobile administrators who bring professional priorities into their agencies.
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The evolution of Norway's national innovation system
This paper examines how Norway's science, technology, and innovation policies evolved alongside its industrial structure over time. It develops a historical approach to studying innovation policy development and focuses on resource-based industries rather than high-tech sectors. The analysis reveals how institutions and politics shaped Norway's national innovation system, offering insights often missing from snapshot studies of innovation systems.
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A systematic literature review of open innovation in the public sector: comparing barriers and governance strategies of digital and non-digital open innovation
This systematic review examines how barriers and governance strategies differ between digital and non-digital open innovation in the public sector. Relational barriers dominate non-digital initiatives, while capacity and technical barriers challenge digital ones. Political commitment and intermediaries work universally, but coercive strategies only suit inter-governmental contexts. Offline participation requires persuasive, relationship-focused governance; online participation demands technical capacity building.
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Constructing Regional Advantage: Towards State-of-the-Art Regional Innovation System Policies in Europe?
This paper examines how regional innovation system policies work across Europe, analyzing the challenges of applying national-level cluster concepts to regional contexts. The authors use ideal types as a conceptual framework to understand how regional advantage develops, showing that while individual elements of these ideal types exist in reality, the complete configurations themselves do not naturally occur.
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Measuring perceptions of innovation adoption: the diffusion of a federal drug prevention policy
Researchers developed and tested a 17-item scale measuring how school coordinators perceive a federal drug prevention policy across 12 states. The scale identified three key factors influencing adoption: relative advantage and compatibility with existing practices, complexity, and observability. Schools viewing the policy as advantageous and compatible were more likely to adopt it. The scale reliably measures these perceptions and can be adapted to assess adoption of other health education programs.
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The Impact of the Regulatory Sandbox on the Fintech Industry, with a Discussion on the Relation between Regulatory Sandboxes and Open Innovation
Regulatory sandboxes—controlled environments allowing fintech companies to test innovations with regulatory flexibility—significantly boost venture capital investment in fintech ecosystems. Analysis of nine countries that adopted sandboxes first shows these frameworks reduce regulatory uncertainty and attract venture funding. The study provides empirical evidence that sandboxes effectively stimulate fintech industry growth and ecosystem development.
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The Role of Public and Private Protection in Disruptive Innovation: The Automotive Industry and the Emergence of Low‐Emission Vehicles
Car manufacturers pursuing low-emission vehicles face challenges making disruptive technology attractive to mainstream customers. This study examines how public protection levers—regulation, tax incentives, and public-private partnerships—and private levers—resource allocation, niche occupation, and collaboration—shape manufacturer strategies. Analysis of Daimler, General Motors, and Toyota across European, Japanese, and U.S. markets reveals two distinct trajectories: public protection initially drove commercialization but stalled due to systemic barriers, while private protection strategies subsequently gained momentum.
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Managing research and innovation networks: Evidence from a government sponsored cross-industry program
This paper examines how a Swedish government program called ProcessIT Innovations managed cross-industry collaboration between traditional process industries and emerging IT firms. The researchers identified specific challenges in configuring the network, orchestrating partnerships, and facilitating innovation projects. They developed a model for managing research and innovation networks that bring together different industries and connect firms with research institutions.
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Who Are Your Neighbors? The Role of Ideology and Decline of Geographic Proximity in the Diffusion of Policy Innovations
This study examines how U.S. states adopt policy innovations between 1960 and 2014, analyzing 556 policies to understand what drives adoption decisions. The research finds that ideological similarity between states remains a stable predictor of policy adoption, while geographic proximity to neighboring states has become less influential over time. Political polarization strengthens the role of ideology in shaping which states copy each other's policies.
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Innovation, Networking and Proximity: Lessons from Small High Technology Firms in the UK
Small high-tech electronics and software firms in South East England innovate more effectively when they network with suppliers and service providers who offer complementary capabilities. Geographical proximity matters for these relationships. The regional science base successfully nurtured new ventures, but science parks did not. Policy efforts to build regional networks among similar firms and close customers showed no innovation benefit.
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Innovation in food firms: contribution of regional networks within the international business context
Food firms in Belgium that participate in regional networks develop stronger innovation capabilities, especially when operating internationally. The study shows that regional networking and global market orientation reinforce each other rather than conflict. Firms gain competitive advantage by accessing external knowledge across multiple geographic scales. Regional network support emerges as an effective policy tool for enhancing firm innovation.
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Innovation Ecosystems vs. Innovation Systems in Terms of Collaboration and Co-creation of Value
This paper distinguishes innovation ecosystems from traditional innovation systems, emphasizing how collaborative networks create value together. The authors survey ecosystem research to identify key features and show how regional clusters, global value chains, and platforms operate as innovation ecosystems. They provide policy recommendations for governments seeking to foster innovation-conducive environments through ecosystem approaches.
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From Regional Systems of Innovation to Regions as Innovation Policy Spaces
Regional innovation systems have become widely used in policy-making, but this approach overstates some regional roles while underemphasizing others. The authors argue that treating regions primarily as innovation systems obscures their actual function as spaces where innovation policy gets made and implemented. They illustrate these problems using England's North West region.
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Advancing regional innovation systems: What does evolutionary economic geography bring to the policy table?
Evolutionary economic geography offers valuable insights for regional innovation policy by explaining how firms' knowledge bases and co-location drive long-term regional development. The authors argue this approach strengthens regional innovation system frameworks, particularly for designing policies that support new economic paths and regional resilience. However, they caution that evolutionary frameworks risk downplaying institutions and agency without explicit attention to social factors.
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Responsible innovation ecosystems: Ethical implications of the application of the ecosystem concept to artificial intelligence
This paper argues that innovation ecosystem frameworks lack ethical guidance and proposes integrating responsible research and innovation principles to create responsible innovation systems. Using artificial intelligence as a case study, the author demonstrates how ethical and social concerns can be embedded into innovation ecosystems to ensure technology development aligns with human values and rights.
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Responsible innovation in business: a critical reflection on deliberative engagement as a central governance mechanism
This paper examines whether deliberative engagement with stakeholders can effectively govern responsible innovation in business settings. The authors identify tensions between the responsible innovation framework's ideals and competitive market realities. They conclude that responsible innovation in business requires either fundamental market changes, modified engagement approaches, or a pragmatic balance between these options.
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Towards Responsible and Sustainable Supply Chains – Innovation, Multi-stakeholder Approach and Governance
Supply chains create significant societal and environmental burdens. This paper argues that companies must implement responsibility and sustainability across supply chains through three mechanisms: research and innovation support, multi-stakeholder collaboration involving industry and government, and shared responsibility across organizations rather than individual companies. The author uses Sedex, a collaborative platform, as a case study demonstrating how technological, political, and ethical solutions with sound governance models can balance economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
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Limits to responsible innovation
Responsible Innovation (RI) is widely promoted but has significant blind spots. A case study of biofuel innovation in South India reveals major barriers to implementing RI principles: material constraints, power imbalances, unclear responsibilities, strategic behavior, and conflicting interests. These factors can make responsible innovation impossible, suggesting RI frameworks must either address these obstacles or accept that some innovations cannot proceed responsibly.
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ANTECEDENTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL INNOVATION: THE DIFFUSION OF NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT INTO DANISH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
This study examines why Danish local governments adopted New Public Management innovations. Leadership attitudes toward change, management's rejection of traditional bureaucracy, and the electorate's ability to set clear goals all influenced adoption. Organizational size emerged as the strongest predictor. The research distinguishes between marketization-focused and generic managerial innovations, finding different factors drove adoption of each type.
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Managing diversity in a system of multi-level governance: the open method of co-ordination in innovation policy
Open method of coordination has made limited progress in innovation policy because multi-level governance structures and diverse national innovation systems create barriers to vertical coordination and horizontal learning across countries. The authors argue that effective application requires acknowledging national and regional differences, involving actors at all territorial levels, and developing qualitative benchmarks that account for system diversity rather than imposing uniform standards.
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Financial Inclusion, Technological Innovations, and Environmental Quality: Analyzing the Role of Green Openness
Financial inclusion in BRICS countries increases CO2 emissions and environmental degradation, but technological innovation and green openness reduce emissions. Economic growth and energy consumption also drive environmental harm. The study finds that financial inclusion, technological innovation, and green openness influence each other and collectively affect emissions. BRICS nations should combine financial inclusion with environmental policies while promoting green technology and openness to meet climate goals.
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Regional Innovation Systems in the Lisbon strategy
Regional innovation systems matter for economic development, but they are not one-dimensional. The authors analyze how European policy frames regional innovation within the Lisbon strategy and find that national contexts ultimately drive economic development more than regional innovative capabilities alone.
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The rise of a triple helix culture: Innovation in Brazilian economic and social development
Brazil is shifting from top-down government-controlled innovation to a collaborative triple helix model involving universities, industry, and government. Local and regional initiatives drive national policy while national frameworks support regional development. This interactive, non-linear approach is reshaping Brazil's sectoral and national innovation systems.
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Central Banks Digital Currency: Detection of Optimal Countries for the Implementation of a CBDC and the Implication for Payment Industry Open Innovation
This paper identifies which countries are best positioned to implement Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) by analyzing correlations with pioneer nations like the Bahamas, China, and Uruguay. Using statistical methods, the authors find that Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland in Europe; Brazil and Uruguay in South America; Malaysia in Asia; and South Africa in Africa show the strongest alignment with successful CBDC implementation conditions.
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Tourism Specialization, Absorptive Capacity, and Economic Growth
Tourism specialization boosts economic growth, but only when countries have sufficient financial system development to absorb tourism revenues effectively. The study of 129 countries from 1995–2011 shows that excessive tourism dependence eventually harms growth, even in developed economies. Financial capacity and economic development level determine whether tourism specialization benefits or damages long-term growth.
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Exploring The Diffusion Of Innovation Among High And Low Innovative Localities
This study tests Berry and Berry's framework for policy innovation diffusion across English local governments over four years. The researchers find that learning, competition, public pressure, and mandates do drive total innovation adoption. However, high-innovating and low-innovating localities operate differently, and the framework poorly explains management innovation specifically. The findings suggest existing diffusion theory works for overall innovation but needs refinement for specific innovation types.
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Road Map For Diffusion Of Innovation In Health Care
Healthcare providers either adopt innovations too slowly or too quickly without proper testing, causing harm. This paper examines clinical failures from premature adoption and proposes an integrated roadmap for safely diffusing medical innovations. The framework emphasizes translating knowledge into practice, assessing changes systematically, standardizing intervention descriptions, and using technology to manage knowledge sharing across institutions.
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Policy Diffusion and the Pro-innovation Bias
This paper examines policy diffusion across U.S. states using interstate compacts as a case study. The authors find that existing diffusion research focuses only on widely adopted policies, creating a bias that distorts findings. By analyzing all interstate compacts with variable adoption rates, they show this bias leads researchers to overestimate geographic and policy factors while underestimating professional networks and learning from prior adoptions.
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Implementation of green innovations – The impact of stakeholders and their network relations
Stakeholder relationships significantly influence whether green innovations succeed or fail. This case study of an offshore wind farm in Germany shows that networks among stakeholders—including companies, government bodies, and communities—can either support or hinder green innovation implementation. The researchers argue that understanding these stakeholder interactions is essential for successfully deploying environmentally sustainable technologies.
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Responsible innovation: motivations for a new journal
This paper introduces the concept of responsible innovation as a framework for understanding technology's role in shaping society. The authors argue that technology is not a neutral tool but an active force that reshapes the world, requiring deliberate governance and stakeholder engagement to ensure innovation serves broader social values and addresses potential harms.
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Absorptive Capacity and the Effects of Foreign Direct Investment and Equity Foreign Portfolio Investment on Economic Growth
This study analyzes 80 countries from 1979 to 1998 and finds that foreign direct investment and equity foreign portfolio investment do not automatically boost economic growth. Instead, their positive effects depend on a country's absorptive capacity—particularly its financial and institutional development. Stronger institutions enable countries to effectively use foreign investment for growth.
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Citizen participation in public administration: investigating open government for social innovation
Local governments increasingly adopt open innovation platforms to engage citizens in generating social innovations. This study examines what motivates citizens to participate in a government ideation platform. The researchers find that intrinsic motivation drives content creation and consumption, while external pressures discourage active contributions. However, external regulation does encourage citizens to evaluate others' ideas, showing that different motivations drive different participation behaviors.
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Kindred spirits or intergovernmental competition? The innovation and diffusion of energy policies in the American states (1990–2008)
States adopt energy and climate policies primarily through learning within peer groups sharing similar political cultures, rather than through geographic proximity. Using event history analysis of U.S. state policies from 1990–2008, the authors find that political ideology and culture drive policy adoption far more than environmental conditions or economic resources. Geographic diffusion models that ignore political culture produce biased results.
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Making a Reality of Evidence-Based Practice: Some Lessons from the Diffusion of Innovations
Evidence-based practice in the public sector requires more than simply sharing research findings. The authors examine diffusion of innovations literature to identify strategies that encourage organizations to actually adopt and use evidence. They outline lessons for how public sector organizations can learn and implement research-informed practices effectively.
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Company Strategies for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): A Conceptual Model
Companies rarely integrate responsible research and innovation (RRI) into their business strategies despite growing academic and policy interest. This paper presents a conceptual model showing how companies can embed RRI into corporate social responsibility and business strategy. It provides a framework linking RRI strategy to organizational context and practical activities, plus a process for developing company-specific performance indicators to measure RRI outcomes.
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Values in responsible research and innovation: from entities to practices
This paper critiques how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) frameworks understand values. The authors argue that mainstream RRI approaches treat values as fixed entities available for direct reflection, missing the interpretive work required to identify them. They propose instead viewing values as dynamic outcomes of ongoing valuing processes, lived and interactive. This practice-based approach better captures the complexity of how values actually function in research and innovation contexts.
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Unpacking the social innovation ecosystem: an empirically grounded typology of empowering network constellations
Social innovation networks require three key elements to empower initiatives addressing societal challenges: local embedding, transnational connectivity, and discursive resonance. This study analyzed 20 transnational social innovation networks across countries and developed a typology identifying five ecosystem types, ranging from locally focused co-creation hubs to globally connected political movements. The findings show that effective social innovation ecosystems vary significantly in structure and scope.
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A multi-platform collaboration innovation ecosystem: the case of China
This paper analyzes Insigma Group's multi-platform innovation ecosystem in China using a triple-layer core-periphery framework. The ecosystem integrates four platforms—ideation, entrepreneurship, financing, and innovation—that collaborate toward shared goals. The study reveals how these platforms interact and function together, and examines government policy's role in shaping enterprise-level innovation ecosystems. The framework offers a tool for analyzing heterogeneity within similar ecosystems.
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National Innovation System - Scientific Concept or Political Rhetoric
This paper examines whether the national innovation system is a genuine scientific concept or primarily political rhetoric. The author analyzes how the term functions in academic and policy discourse, questioning whether it provides meaningful analytical value or serves mainly as a rhetorical device for justifying innovation policy decisions.
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How Artificial Intelligence Drives Sustainable Frugal Innovation: A Multitheoretical Perspective
This paper examines how artificial intelligence can drive sustainable frugal innovation—doing more with fewer resources while considering environmental and social impacts. Using grey DEMATEL analysis and a Danish case study, the authors identify critical success factors for integrating AI with frugal innovation. Understanding AI concepts and investment levels emerge as most influential. The findings help industries adopt AI-enabled frugal practices to maintain competitiveness during disruptions while advancing sustainability.
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Bridging Scales in Innovation Policies: How to Link Regional, National and International Innovation Systems
This paper examines how innovation systems operating at different geographic scales—international, national, and regional—can be effectively linked and coordinated through policy. The author identifies which innovation system functions work best at each scale and proposes a policy framework that integrates support across all three levels to strengthen technology-based economic development.
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Responsible Research and Innovation in Industry—Challenges, Insights and Perspectives
This editorial examines Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as a framework for balancing industry's competitive pressures with social and environmental accountability. The collection of papers explores why companies adopt RRI practices, how they implement them, stakeholder involvement in innovation processes, and obstacles to wider adoption. The findings show RRI applies across different firm sizes and sectors, offering practical guidance for managers, policymakers, and researchers integrating responsibility into innovation strategies.
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Open Data as a Foundation for Innovation: The Enabling Effect of Free Public Sector Information for Entrepreneurs
Swedish IT entrepreneurs report that open public sector data is critical for their business success. Forty-three percent consider it essential for their plans, and 82% say access would strengthen their operations. Companies value open data not just for direct commercialization but as a foundation for testing and supporting diverse business models. The findings suggest open data's innovation-enabling role extends far beyond government transparency and e-government applications, indicating its societal value has been significantly underestimated.
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Diffusion of Safety Innovations in the Construction Industry
Construction firms have widely adopted traditional safety innovations like worksite inspections and safety training, but adoption rates plateau for newer strategies like substance abuse programs and site safety manager positions. Internal organizational factors drive adoption more than external influences. The industry has saturated with conventional injury prevention approaches and needs novel safety innovations to continue improving performance.
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Regional innovation systems in an era of grand societal challenges: reorientation versus transformation
Regional innovation systems must adapt to address major societal challenges through either reorientation or transformation strategies. Reorientation leverages existing regional assets and institutions to tackle challenge-related problems. Transformation goes further, requiring new actors, institutional changes, and disrupted network linkages to create entirely new regional innovation elements. The choice between strategies depends on regional conditions and specific challenges.
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Dynamic ARDL Simulations Effects of Fiscal Decentralization, Green Technological Innovation, Trade Openness, and Institutional Quality on Environmental Sustainability: Evidence from South Africa
This study examines how fiscal decentralization, green technological innovation, trade openness, and institutional quality affect carbon emissions in South Africa from 1960 to 2020. Fiscal decentralization, green innovation, and institutional quality reduce emissions in both short and long term. Trade openness worsens environmental quality long-term. Population and energy consumption increase emissions. The findings support an environmental Kuznets curve and suggest that clear government responsibility allocation across governance tiers is essential for achieving low-carbon objectives.
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Adopting open innovation for SMEs and industrial revolution 4.0
Indonesia's small and medium enterprises can adopt open innovation strategies to succeed in Industry 4.0, but face significant barriers. Digital ecosystem readiness and knowledge management are critical enablers. The main obstacle is insufficient digital equipment, which widens gaps between large and small businesses and between urban and rural areas. Government should protect fair competition while the private sector drives most Industry 4.0 initiatives.
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Triple Helix Twins: A Framework for Achieving Innovation and UN Sustainable Development Goals
This paper proposes a 'Triple Helix Twins' framework combining two models: one linking university-industry-government for innovation, and another linking university-public-government for sustainable development. The framework addresses environmental protection, resource management, and social equality by enabling cross-border collaborations. The authors suggest solar photovoltaics development as an example of how this integrated approach can help achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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Innovation Ecosystem framework directed to Sustainable Development Goal #17 partnerships implementation
This paper examines how innovation ecosystems can support the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal #17, which calls for strengthened global partnerships. The authors analyze UN documents and literature to identify four core drivers—geographical governance, collaboration, knowledge transmission, and value co-creation—that enable multi-stakeholder networks to address sustainability challenges. The framework positions SDGs as the unifying purpose that engages diverse stakeholder groups in co-creating solutions.
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The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's commitment to a framework for responsible innovation
The UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council adopted a formal responsible innovation framework in 2013 after four years of development. The paper traces how this framework evolved, identifies the key influences that shaped it, and discusses implementation challenges as the council moves from defining responsible innovation to putting it into practice.
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Triple Helix Clusters: Boundary Permeability at University—Industry—Government Interfaces as a Regional Innovation Strategy
Successful regional innovation requires permeable boundaries between universities, industry, and government. The paper examines MIT-Boston, Stanford-Silicon Valley, Research Triangle-North Carolina, and Newcastle-Northeast UK to show that entrepreneurial universities drive innovation regions. While no single best-practice model exists, boundary permeability and other common innovation characteristics can be strengthened through targeted policy initiatives.
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<i>Jugaad</i>as systemic risk and disruptive innovation in India
Jugaad, the Indian practice of improvising solutions with limited resources, is celebrated as disruptive innovation and a development tool. This paper argues the opposite: jugaad reflects systemic poverty, poor infrastructure, and unsafe practices that perpetuate India's underlying risks. Rather than an exportable asset, jugaad masks deeper structural problems and should not be separated from the conditions that necessitate it.
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Factors influencing pharmacists’ adoption of prescribing: qualitative application of the diffusion of innovations theory
When Alberta granted pharmacists prescribing privileges in 2007, adoption varied widely among practitioners. Pharmacists adopted prescribing based on four factors: the innovation's characteristics, individual adopter traits, system readiness, and physician relationships. Those in patient-focused settings and with higher self-efficacy adopted prescribing more readily. Physician relationships significantly influenced whether pharmacists pursued independent prescribing privileges.
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Absorptive Capacity in a Non-Market Environment
This paper applies absorptive capacity theory to explain performance in public sector organizations. The authors argue that absorptive capacity—an organization's ability to recognize, assimilate, and apply external knowledge—offers a valuable framework for understanding why some public organizations succeed while others fail. They review conceptual and methodological implications of this approach and propose testable propositions for future empirical research on public sector performance.
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Deep Learning Meets Deep Democracy: Deliberative Governance and Responsible Innovation in Artificial Intelligence
The paper argues that responsible AI innovation requires public deliberation involving industry, government, and civil society actors. It identifies opacity and knowledge gaps between experts and citizens as barriers to informed democratic debate about AI. The authors propose a deliberative governance framework that enables AI industry actors to engage effectively with experts and the public across different venues, building trust and enabling democratic oversight of AI systems.
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Market-Based Instruments for Ecosystem Services: Institutional Innovation or Renovation?
Market-based instruments for ecosystem services have proliferated globally, but their actual institutional design varies widely from their theoretical promise. This paper examines payments for environmental services and biodiversity offsets—both labeled as market-based instruments—and finds significant gaps between the pro-market rhetoric surrounding these policies and their actual implementation. The instruments are less genuinely innovative than claimed and take diverse institutional forms depending on local context.
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Open data outcomes: U.S. cities between product and process innovation
U.S. cities have created open data portals to increase government transparency, but this generates broader innovation outcomes than typically recognized. Research with 15 city managers reveals that open data drives two types of innovation: external product innovation (apps, websites, services) and internal process innovation (procedural changes, cultural shifts). The study recommends structural, procedural, and cultural changes to maximize open data initiative success.
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National Intervention and the Diffusion of Policy Innovations
National legislation influences whether states adopt policy innovations in human services, even without mandates or financial incentives. Using event history analysis of three policy innovations—individual development accounts, family caps, and medical savings accounts—the study finds that national intervention affects state adoption by either reducing obstacles to innovation or providing resources to overcome them. National action that addresses neither factor has no significant effect on state decisions.
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Disrupting the Technology Innovation Efficiency of Manufacturing Enterprises Through Digital Technology Promotion: An Evidence of 5G Technology Construction in China
China's 5G Technology Pilot Construction policy in 2018 significantly improved manufacturing enterprises' technology innovation efficiency. The positive effect was strongest in cities with higher digital financial capabilities and among enterprises with lower initial technology capabilities. The findings suggest that promoting 5G infrastructure can enhance innovation performance across manufacturing sectors.
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From computer ethics to responsible research and innovation in ICT
Computer ethics has shaped information systems research, but responsible research and innovation (RRI) offers a broader framework for governing ICT development. RRI addresses limitations in traditional computer ethics by expanding governance approaches beyond individual ethical concerns to encompass systemic oversight of technology and innovation. Adopting RRI strengthens IS research relevance and builds on existing ethical foundations.
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Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and the Diffusion of Innovations
Punctuated equilibrium theory explains how public policy innovations spread across U.S. states through three distinct mechanisms: gradual emulation, rapid imitation between states, and immediate responses to shared external shocks. Using the Bass diffusion model on 81 policy innovations, the research measures how external and internal influences drive adoption patterns and shows that policy image and federal involvement shape diffusion timing and speed.
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Financialized Corporations in a National Innovation System: The U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry
U.S. pharmaceutical companies face a productivity crisis despite favorable institutional conditions for drug development. The paper argues that financialization—prioritizing shareholder returns through stock buybacks and dividends over R&D investment—explains this paradox. Driven by stock-based executive compensation, major U.S. firms extract value for shareholders at innovation's expense, while less-financialized European competitors successfully exploit the U.S. innovation system. The authors contend that corporate governance prioritizing innovation could unlock greater pharmaceutical productivity.
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Too much and too fast? Public investment scaling-up and absorptive capacity
Rapid scaling-up of public investment in low-income countries reduces project success rates when absorptive capacity—skills, institutions, and management capability—is limited. Analysis of World Bank projects across 80 countries from 1970 to 2007 shows projects implemented during investment scaling periods perform worse, though the effect is modest, particularly in poor and capital-scarce nations.
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Open innovation for SMEs in developing countries – An intermediated communication network model for collaboration beyond obstacles
SMEs in developing countries face significant barriers to innovation that their counterparts in developed nations do not. This paper proposes that government agencies can establish innovation hubs to connect SMEs with independent inventors and collaborators, enabling open innovation practices. The authors present a joint innovation model and test it against cases from developing countries to demonstrate how intermediated communication networks overcome obstacles to SME innovation.
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Nonprofit Service Continuity and Responses in the Pandemic: Disruptions, Ambiguity, Innovation, and Challenges
Nonprofit organizations providing homeless support services rapidly adapted their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by government mandates and urgent human needs. Using interviews and website analysis, researchers identified how these organizations innovated to maintain service continuity despite disruptions and ambiguity. The study reveals that nonprofits demonstrated agility and developed practical adaptations that offer lessons for managing service delivery during crises.
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Diffusion of complex health innovations--implementation of primary health care reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina successfully scaled family-medicine-centered primary health care reforms to cover over 25% of the country despite post-war devastation and resource constraints. The reforms succeeded because they aligned with stakeholder expectations, created perceived benefits for physicians, nurses, and policymakers, and involved multifaceted interventions across the health system. The post-conflict context enabled transformational change, and consensus-building among diverse adopters reduced resistance to implementation.
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Antitrust and Innovation: Welcoming and Protecting Disruption
Antitrust policy should protect competition because rivalry drives firms to innovate. Horizontal mergers between competitors reduce innovation incentives by eliminating parallel R&D efforts, though merger synergies may offset this harm. Dominant firms may use exclusionary conduct to suppress disruptive competitors, which reduces both the threat of disruption and incumbent incentives to innovate. The authors develop a taxonomy of merger cases and exclusionary strategies using US and EU examples.
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Barriers to Open Innovation: Case China
This paper examines why Chinese firms hesitate to adopt open innovation practices. The researchers identify three main barriers: internal company factors, institutional weaknesses (particularly intellectual property protection), and cultural differences. They find that economic systems and IPR protection significantly influence whether firms engage in open innovation, that knowledge-buying and knowledge-selling face different appropriability challenges, and that national cultural traits shape which open innovation elements companies actually adopt.
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Conditioning Factors for Fertility Decline in Bengal: History, Language Identity, and Openness to Innovations
Colonial education and modernization created early elite adoption of new ideas in Bengal. Strong Bengali language identity paradoxically reinforced diffusion of modern concepts across Bangladesh and West Bengal, facilitating mass mobilization for social change. Language identity and cultural commonality, shaped by historical processes, made these regions more receptive to fertility decline and social innovation than other South Asian areas.
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Implementation of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Practices in Industry: Providing the Right Incentives
This paper examines how to encourage industrial companies to adopt Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)—research that is ethically sound and socially beneficial. The authors propose a framework of incentives organized by type: external versus internal, instrumental versus non-instrumental, and direct versus indirect. They identify specific incentives including corporate reputation, consumer demand, certification, employee engagement, and governance structures. The paper argues that RRI adoption benefits both business competitiveness and society, and outlines conditions necessary for successful implementation in industrial settings.
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The role of public open innovation intermediaries in local government and the public sector
Public open innovation intermediaries act as bridges between city governments and networks of organizations, helping cities collaborate across large cognitive distances and execute innovation projects. A study of eight cases across Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain shows these intermediaries orchestrate collaboration and boost urban innovativeness. The findings provide policy guidance for cities seeking to improve their innovation processes and competitiveness.
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ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS AND THE DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS: THE CASE OF CITIZEN SERVICE CENTRES
Administrative professionals significantly drive the adoption of citizen service centres—integrated one-stop shops—across Danish municipalities. The study finds that municipalities with higher concentrations of administrative professionals are more likely to adopt this organizational innovation. Adoption also increases with municipal wealth, regional availability of similar centres, and local service demands.
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Open Innovation in Times of Crisis: An Overview of the Healthcare Sector in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations rapidly developed innovations in personal protective equipment, medical devices, testing, treatment, and vaccines through open innovation and cross-organizational collaboration. This paper reviews open innovation strategies during the crisis using a business ecosystem framework, identifies key emerging themes in UK and global healthcare sectors, and offers policy recommendations for crisis recovery.
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Developing National Systems of Innovation: University-Industry Interactions in the Global South
This paper examines how universities and industries interact to build innovation systems in developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Global South. The authors analyze university-industry partnerships as critical mechanisms for strengthening national innovation capacity and economic development in regions with emerging economies.
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Promoting cooperation in innovation ecosystems: evidence from European traditional manufacturing SMEs
Public innovation support programmes in European traditional manufacturing SMEs do not encourage cooperation with competitors, but marginally increase cooperation with customers and suppliers, and strongly boost cooperation with knowledge providers. The research shows that policy works within existing innovation ecosystems rather than creating new ones. Support programmes help SMEs extend their networks by connecting them with both private and public sector knowledge providers.
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Evolution of strategic interactions from the triple to quad helix innovation models for sustainable development in the era of globalization
The paper argues that sustainable economic development requires strategic interaction between government, universities, and industry—the triple helix model. As globalization and the service sector expanded, civil society emerged as a necessary fourth actor, creating the quad helix model. The author contends that developing and middle-income countries must adopt global best practices in science park creation within this quad helix framework to strengthen technological innovation and build competitive economic capacity.
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Economic Development and National System of Innovation Approach
This paper examines how national systems of innovation drive economic development. The authors analyze the institutional frameworks, policies, and networks that enable countries to generate and adopt innovations. They argue that understanding innovation systems is essential for developing effective economic strategies, particularly for nations seeking to improve competitiveness and prosperity through technological advancement and knowledge creation.
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The Response of Islamic Financial Service to the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Open Social Innovation of the Financial System
Islamic financial services can help economies recover from COVID-19's economic damage. The paper identifies four pandemic stages and proposes ten innovative Islamic financial services for each stage, analyzing how these services address economic disruption, unemployment, and business collapse at different points in the crisis.
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Management Innovation and Policy Diffusion through Leadership Transfer Networks: An Agent Network Diffusion Model
Leadership transfer networks—the career paths of public managers—drive policy innovation diffusion across regions. Using data on Chinese provincial energy governance, the study shows that when managers move between locations with similar institutional environments, they carry performance innovations with them. This network-based mechanism explains how management practices spread geographically, independent of traditional learning or competition factors.
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Assessing the roles that absorptive capacity and economic distance play in the foreign direct investment-productivity growth nexus
Foreign direct investment boosts productivity in host countries through two main channels: technology transfer and education investment. The study finds that geographical distance between investing and host countries reduces the effectiveness of both trade and FDI in transferring technology and knowledge. Countries with stronger absorptive capacity—built through education—benefit more from FDI. Technology flows work in both directions between investing and host nations.
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The Changing Structure of American Cities: A Study of the Diffusion of Innovation
American cities have restructured over 50 years following innovation diffusion patterns. Mayor-council cities adopted council-manager features to improve efficiency, while council-manager cities adopted mayor-council features to increase responsiveness. The result is a convergence toward hybrid governance models that blur traditional distinctions between the two forms.
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Expanding the field of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) – from responsible research to responsible innovation
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has become prominent in policy but remains narrow and top-down. This special issue broadens RRI by examining how researchers, firms, and other actors actually practice responsible innovation across sectors and regions. The authors expand RRI beyond research processes to include how knowledge becomes innovation in society, and encompass non-research-driven innovation. Ten case studies reveal heterogeneous responsibility practices, leading to recommendations for a multidimensional, multi-scale RRI framework.
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Technological development for sustainability: The role of network management in the innovation policy mix
This paper analyzes how policy can strengthen collaborative networks driving sustainable technology development. Using advanced biorefinery technology in Sweden as a case study, the authors develop a framework showing how network management strategies should evolve across different phases of technological development. They demonstrate that ignoring network management in innovation policy leads to inefficient collaboration, fragmented competing networks, and knowledge gaps.
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The innovation ecosystem as booster for the innovative entrepreneurship in the smart specialisation strategy
Innovation ecosystems drive regional growth by creating environments where knowledge flows among multiple stakeholders, fostering innovative entrepreneurship. The paper argues that these dynamic, multi-actor systems support knowledge creation, diffusion, and absorption, enabling regions to achieve intelligent growth and competitive positioning. The authors recommend that policymakers and researchers prioritize innovation ecosystems as central to knowledge-based regional development strategies.
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How frugal innovation shape global sustainable supply chains during the pandemic crisis: lessons from the COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, frugal innovation emerged informally across global supply chains to address critical shortages of medical equipment and supplies. This study identifies key drivers of frugal-oriented sustainable supply chains in emerging countries, finding that government support, policies, and regulations—mediated by leadership and moderated by national culture—drive adoption of new technologies, volunteering, and ethical practices, which in turn strengthen supply chain talent and frugal engineering capabilities.
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Crowdsourcing without profit: the role of the seeker in open social innovation
Government agencies use crowdsourcing to solve social problems by engaging citizens, a practice called citizensourcing. This study of 18 local government agencies reveals that government crowdsourcing differs fundamentally from corporate crowdsourcing because both seekers and solvers are motivated by non-monetary goals. The researchers show how government organizational choices, team capabilities, and engagement strategies directly shape crowdsourcing project outcomes and success.
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What Health System Challenges Should Responsible Innovation in Health Address? Insights From an International Scoping Review
This scoping review of 254 studies across 99 countries identifies major health system challenges that responsible innovation should address. Service delivery, human resources, and governance emerge as the most frequent challenges globally. The analysis reveals that innovations often increase human resource demands, worsen service delivery when requiring highly skilled users, and create different pressures depending on country development levels. Rural areas particularly need flexible IT solutions. The authors argue that innovation development must address broader system vulnerabilities, not just immediate clinical needs.
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The Adoption of ISO 9000 Standards within the Egyptian Context: A Diffusion of Innovation Approach
This study examines why Egyptian manufacturing companies adopt ISO 9000 quality standards. The researchers surveyed 239 firms and found that three factors drive adoption: how companies perceive the standards' advantages and complexity, external pressures like competition and regulatory demands, and internal organizational features such as management support and company size. All three factor groups significantly influence whether firms implement these standards.
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Open innovation in the public sector: creating public value through civic hackathons
Civic hackathons across the United States generate three main outcomes: digital prototypes, public engagement, and government awareness of open data. Public engagement and relationship building prove more valuable than technical prototypes. These open innovation initiatives enhance public value through better outcomes, democratic accountability, and procedural legitimacy, though their impact remains limited by early adoption stages and low external participation rates.
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Diffusion of Marketization Innovation with Administrative Centralization in a Multilevel System: Evidence from China
This study examines how China's hierarchical government structure affects local adoption of marketization reforms. The researchers find that while central and provincial government policies each independently encourage cities to adopt pro-business innovations, their combined effect creates competition rather than cooperation. Analysis of administrative licensing centers across Chinese cities from 1997 to 2012 confirms this pattern, showing that vertical power structures shape how innovations diffuse through multilevel governance systems.
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When do states disrupt industries? Electric cars and the politics of innovation
States successfully drive technological change in mature industries when political competition among interest groups and agencies allows policymakers to build coalitions supporting new technologies, rather than relying on bureaucratic autonomy alone. Comparing Germany and the United States, the authors show that Germany's consensus-based coordination between government and incumbent automakers resulted in weak electric vehicle policy, while the United States' competitive political environment enabled strong intervention that disrupted the auto sector despite industry opposition.
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Innovation and Innovators Inside Government: From Institutions to Networks
This study examines how innovation happens within government by analyzing 947 politicians and bureaucrats across 11 Australian municipalities. The researchers found that innovation inside government depends less on formal job positions and more on informal networks and relationships. Using social network analysis, they show that access to advice and strategic information networks among senior officials significantly determines who becomes an innovator within government institutions.
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From Technopoles to Regional Innovation Systems: The Evolution of Localised Technology Development Policy
This paper traces how governments worldwide adopted policies to build high-technology industry clusters, inspired by Silicon Valley's success in the 1970s-80s. It examines the shift from early technopole initiatives—modeled on Stanford's science park—toward regional innovation systems approaches. The work documents how Stanford's model, pioneered by Frederick Terman, spawned semiconductor companies like Intel and Fairchild, then influenced subsequent government strategies for promoting localized technology development.
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Green Governance: New Perspective from Open Innovation
This paper proposes a green governance framework that uses open innovation to balance economic development with environmental protection. The framework involves cooperation among enterprises, governments, social organizations, the public, and nature. It examines how open innovation activities can address resource and environmental externalities while coordinating economic and environmental values. The authors suggest countries and regions can adapt this framework to suit their environmental capacity and enterprises can use it to develop sustainable strategies.
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Political Entrepreneurialism: Reflections of a Civil Servant on the Role of Political Institutions in Technology Innovation and Diffusion in Kenya
Kenya's ICT sector achieved global prominence through political institutions that tolerated risk and partnered with private companies. A senior civil servant applied leadership theory to drive innovation and technology diffusion across education, health, agriculture, and financial services. The paper explains why Kenya outpaced neighboring countries and identifies political stability and corruption control as critical to sustaining this success.
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The role of research in regional innovation systems: new models meeting knowledge economy demands
Regional innovation systems are expanding across national economies, with over 100 empirical studies and 100 EU regional strategies implemented in the past decade. However, globalization pressures favor metropolitan areas over peripheral regions. New ground-up approaches emerging in Europe reveal how science, research, and innovation interconnect to build genuine competitiveness and address innovation deficits in lagging regions.
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The fall of the innovation empire and its possible rise through open science
The innovation system's effectiveness is declining because research costs rise exponentially while researcher productivity falls, resulting in flat innovation output. Three factors drive this decline: growing scientific complexity, misaligned incentives, and fragmented knowledge. Open science partnerships—public-private collaborations using open access publications, shared data and materials, and minimal intellectual property restrictions—can reverse this trend by improving system efficiency.
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On the nexus of innovation, trade openness, financial development and economic growth in European countries: New perspective from a GMM panel VAR approach
This study analyzes relationships between innovation, trade openness, financial development, and economic growth across 11 European countries from 2001 to 2016. The research finds that economic growth drives financial development, and trade drives growth, but innovation and trade both show negative relationships with growth. The authors recommend stronger financial regulation, country-specific innovation policies, improved institutional quality, and targeted incentives for local companies to maximize benefits from trade openness.
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Regional innovation systems: what can we learn from 25 years of scientific achievements?
This paper reviews 25 years of research on regional innovation systems, identifying four main clusters in the literature: regional knowledge systems, institutional systems, research and development systems, and network systems. The authors map different theoretical approaches to regional innovation systems using bibliometric analysis, providing a foundation for policymakers and researchers to design new territorial innovation policies and guide future research directions.
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Elementary Classroom Teachers’ Adoption of Physical Activity Promotion in the Context of a Statewide Policy: An Innovation Diffusion and Socio-Ecologic Perspective
A study of 201 elementary teachers in South Carolina examined how they adopted physical activity promotion in classrooms following a state policy mandate. Teachers with greater policy awareness and perceived school support were more likely to adopt the practice. The adoption also depended on teachers viewing the activity as compatible, simple, and observable, and on their general innovativeness. The findings identify key factors that influence whether teachers implement policy-driven physical activity initiatives.
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Local governance innovation in China: experimentation, diffusion, and defiance
This paper examines how local governments in China innovate through experimentation, adoption, and resistance to new governance approaches. The author analyzes the mechanisms by which innovative governance practices emerge at the local level, spread to other regions, and sometimes challenge or circumvent higher-level policies. The research reveals patterns in how Chinese localities develop and implement governance innovations.
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Networking Democracy? Social Media Innovations And Participatory Politics
Social media platforms offer new possibilities for democratic participation through open, collaborative networking, but evidence suggests a more cautious view is warranted. The paper examines claims about social media's capacity to strengthen participatory democracy, acknowledging both its potential to disrupt traditional power structures and its limitations in delivering genuine democratic renewal.
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"The Golden Thread of Innovation' and Northern Ireland's Evolving Regional Innovation System
Northern Ireland's innovation performance improved with rising business R&D spending, but many firms remain underperformers. Three categories of innovative firms developed strong systemic interactions with a venture capital-led support infrastructure that flexibly meets growth needs of local innovators. This private sector model sets a standard that public agencies should adopt in their regional innovation strategies.
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Aligning sustainability assessment with responsible research and innovation: Towards a framework for Constructive Sustainability Assessment
This paper develops a Constructive Sustainability Assessment framework that combines life-cycle thinking with responsible research and innovation principles to evaluate emerging technologies. The framework uses four design principles—transdisciplinarity, opening-up, exploring uncertainty, and anticipation—and a three-step process involving stakeholder collaboration, sustainability evaluation, and deliberative interpretation. The approach enables scientists, engineers, and policymakers to govern emerging technologies toward sustainability outcomes.
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Responsible Innovation: A Complementary View from Industry with Proposals for Bridging Different Perspectives
Industry leaders argue that academic research on Responsible Research and Innovation fails to influence industrial practice because concepts and tools don't align with how companies actually operate. The authors propose bridging the gap between academic RRI frameworks and industry innovation processes by integrating related fields like corporate social responsibility, ethical leadership, and sustainable investment. They call for clearer terminology and methodologies that guide industrial innovation toward better societal outcomes.
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Public support for innovation and the openness of firms’ innovation activities
Public support for innovation increases firms' openness to external collaboration and open innovation practices across 5,000+ European firms. However, this effect weakens for already-innovative firms, suggesting potential crowding-out. Non-financial support—institutions and policies—proves more effective than monetary subsidies at fostering open innovation, offering budget-constrained policymakers a cost-effective alternative.
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<scp>CAP</scp> Reform and Innovation: The Role of Learning and Innovation Networks
European agricultural innovation requires networks connecting farmers, experts, businesses, and knowledge institutions to develop sustainable practices. The paper proposes Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture (LINSA) as policy mechanisms that enable knowledge sharing and collaborative problem-solving across the rural economy. These networks can help agriculture adapt to future environmental and economic constraints while advancing sustainability goals.
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Overcoming barriers to innovation in SMEs in China: A perspective based cooperation network
Chinese manufacturing SMEs face significant innovation barriers, with lack of technical experts being the primary obstacle. Customer relationships emerge as the most valuable cooperation partners for innovation. Tax incentives are the most effective policy support. The research shows SMEs struggle with innovation success and require tailored policies addressing both internal constraints and firm characteristics like size and ownership structure.
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Towards regional responsible research and innovation? Integrating RRI and RIS3 in European innovation policy
This paper proposes integrating two European Union innovation policy frameworks—Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3)—at the regional level. The authors identify tensions between the approaches: RIS3 emphasizes place-based strategies but lacks RRI's attention to diverse stakeholder values, while RRI lacks geographical specificity. The paper argues that combining both frameworks' strengths is necessary to address Europe's innovation challenges.
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Fostering Scaleup Ecosystems for Regional Economic Growth (<i>Innovations Case Narrative</i>: Manizales-Mas and Scale Up Milwaukee)
This paper examines how regions can build scaleup ecosystems to drive economic growth. Using case studies from Manizales, Colombia and Milwaukee, USA, the authors analyze strategies for fostering entrepreneurship and scaling businesses as alternatives to traditional economic development approaches like direct investment attraction and cluster development. The work demonstrates practical methods for creating regional conditions that support growing ventures.
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Improving technology transfer through national systems of innovation: climate relevant innovation-system builders (CRIBs)
National systems of innovation can more effectively transfer climate technologies to developing countries than existing UNFCCC mechanisms. The authors propose establishing Climate Relevant Innovation-System Builders (CRIBs)—institutions that nurture climate-relevant innovation systems and build technological capabilities in developing nations. This approach, grounded in innovation studies and socio-technical transition literature, offers a transformative policy mechanism for climate-compatible technological change and development.
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An Actor-Network Theory Analysis of Policy Innovation for Smoke-Free Places: Understanding Change in Complex Systems
This paper uses actor-network theory to analyze how jurisdictions successfully implement smoke-free indoor regulations as a tobacco control policy. The authors identify key attributes that distinguish jurisdictions that adopted this innovation from those that have not, and extract lessons about overcoming systemic barriers to solving complex transnational public health problems like tobacco control, food distribution, and climate change.
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Exploring blockchain adoption intentions in the supply chain: perspectives from innovation diffusion and institutional theory
Supply chain managers are more likely to adopt blockchain technology when government regulations mandate product origin tracking, organizations use modern cloud systems, and engage third-party consultants. The study finds that normative pressures, perceived advantages, compatibility with existing systems, and manageable complexity drive active blockchain adoption. These conditions identify which supply chain networks are ready for blockchain implementation.
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Building Responsible Innovation in International Organizations through Intrapreneurship
International organizations like the UN struggle to innovate despite their mandate for responsible innovation. This study examines eight intrapreneurial initiatives in socially oriented organizations, finding that initiatives originating in country offices scale through two pathways: organic country-by-country expansion or strategic headquarters-driven scaling. Both approaches manage tensions differently to build competence, align structures, and extend organizational mission. Intrapreneurship enables digital transformation and develops organizational capacity for responsible innovation.
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Evaluating the Determinants of EU Funds Absorption across Old and New Member States – the Role of Administrative Capacity and Political Governance
This study examines how administrative capacity and political governance affect EU structural and cohesion fund absorption across member states from 2007 to 2015. Government effectiveness and corruption control significantly boosted fund absorption, particularly in newer member states that faced lower absorption rates than older EU members. The financial crisis reduced absorption capacity. The authors recommend strengthening administrative systems and combating corruption in new member states and lagging regions to improve fund utilization.
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The virtues of variety in regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems
Regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems drive growth through diverse, interconnected approaches rather than linear models. The paper examines how cooperative policy frameworks in South Korea, Scandinavia, Germany, and France foster regional innovation better than market-driven approaches. Variety in ecosystem design generates sustainable economic growth and entrepreneurial success at the regional level, outperforming individualistic growth theories.
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Paradoxical tensions in open innovation networks
Open innovation networks in Finland exhibit paradoxical tensions that managers must actively navigate. The study found that these networks—involving companies, universities, and government agencies—face internal and external complexities beyond those seen in single-organization innovation efforts. Managers who employ diverse behavioral approaches to handle these tensions achieve greater innovation outcomes. The research reveals that paradox management deserves explicit attention in open innovation strategy.
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Green growth as a determinant of ecological footprint: Do ICT diffusion, environmental innovation, and natural resources matter?
Green growth, ICT adoption, and environmental innovation reduce ecological footprint in both emerging and developed economies over the long term. Natural resources increase ecological footprint in emerging economies but decrease it in developed ones. The study analyzes 14 countries using advanced econometric methods and recommends policy interventions to leverage green growth and innovation for environmental sustainability.
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Adaptive Legal Frameworks and Economic Dynamics in Emerging Tech-nologies: Navigating the Intersection for Responsible Innovation
This paper examines how legal frameworks must adapt to regulate emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and biotechnology responsibly. The authors argue that effective regulation requires flexibility, interdisciplinary collaboration, and balance between stability and innovation incentives. They recommend building corporate responsibility cultures, educating policymakers, and aligning technological progress with ethical standards to enable responsible innovation.
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Studying disruptive events: Innovations in behaviour, opportunities for lower carbon transport policy?
Transport policy assumes travel patterns are fixed, leading to over-reliance on technological solutions like electric vehicles. This paper examines how people actually adapt mobility during disruptive events, revealing greater capacity for behavior change than policy recognizes. The authors argue that broadening interventions beyond technology to address when and how mobility matters for daily activities could reduce travel demand and carbon emissions more effectively.
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Decision-makers’ underestimation of user innovation
Managers and policymakers dramatically underestimate how much innovation comes from users. While research shows users generate 54% of valuable innovations across nine industries, decision-makers estimate only 22%. Academic textbooks and business media rarely mention user innovation, explaining this gap. The authors propose that this misperception leads to poor resource allocation and reduced innovation performance in companies and societies.
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An empirical investigation of the National Innovation System (NIS) using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the TOBIT model
This paper measures national innovation system efficiency across 20 emerging and developed countries using DEA Bootstrap analysis. The study identifies which countries perform as innovation leaders by converting inputs into outputs efficiently. For underperforming countries, the research identifies three key factors that could improve innovation efficiency: secondary school enrollment, working-age labor force participation, and business sector credit expansion.
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Smart innovation policy: How network position and project composition affect the diversity of an emerging technology
Government subsidies for collaborative innovation projects shape technological diversity in emerging technologies. This study of Dutch biogas energy innovation reveals that projects sharing many actors reduce diversity, while projects with diverse actor types increase it. Larger project consortia decrease diversity. These findings suggest policymakers can design smarter innovation programs by strategically managing network connections and project composition to foster technological diversity and avoid technological lock-in.
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Open science: policy implications for the evolving phenomenon of user-led scientific innovation
Non-scientists increasingly contribute to scientific research through citizen science projects, but legal barriers and access restrictions limit participation. The paper argues that open science policies—including the Reproducible Research Standard that makes publications, code, and data freely accessible—enable broader public engagement in research. Open dissemination models are reshaping how scientists share work and collaborate, blurring traditional distinctions between professional and lay contributors and requiring new approaches to peer review and recognition.
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State Building through Reputation Building: Coalitions of Esteem and Program Innovation in the National Postal System, 1883–1913
The Post Office Department shaped American state development from 1883 to 1913 by building institutional reputation through coalitions of support. As the largest employer in peacetime America, the POD extended federal reach across the nation, enabling newspaper distribution and political communication. The department drove administrative reform by addressing patronage, corruption, and monopolies while expanding services including banking, roads, air transport, and telegraph management.
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Measurement of Social Networks for Innovation within Community Disaster Resilience
Social networks are critical for community disaster resilience, but measuring their impact has lacked standardized methods. This paper reviews empirical studies from the Global South using social network analysis to quantify social capital in disaster risk reduction. The authors find that robust social network analysis methodologies are emerging, enabling better cross-study comparison. They argue that mapping local social networks is essential for effective disaster preparedness policy, and recommend social network analysis as a core methodology for future resilience research and planning.
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The Triple Helix model for innovation: a holistic exploration of barriers and enablers
The Triple Helix model brings together academia, industry, and government to drive innovation and economic development. This paper identifies the key barriers and enablers that affect whether this collaborative approach actually works in practice. The authors examine what factors help or hinder the model's implementation across different economies, emphasizing that successful collaboration requires all three actors to work toward shared long-term goals.
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Tackling COVID-19 through Responsible AI Innovation: Five Steps in the Right Direction
AI and machine learning innovations can help combat COVID-19 across biomedical, epidemiological, and socioeconomic challenges, but raise serious ethical concerns around data sharing, surveillance, privacy, and bias. The author proposes five steps for responsible AI innovation: open research, accountable processes, equitable design, democratic governance, and public trust. These practices enable faster global response while protecting civil liberties and preventing harm to vulnerable populations.
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Innovation in disruptive regulatory environments
This paper examines how regulatory environments shape innovation in the automotive industry, focusing on electric vehicle development in response to US zero-emission standards. The authors analyze patent data and case evidence to show that disruptive innovations require market protection to succeed, and that regulations demanding radical technological change face significant implementation barriers. The paper presents a framework linking regulatory types to the technological capabilities they require.
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Utilization of social science knowledge in science policy: Systems of Innovation, Triple Helix and VINNOVA
This paper examines how Swedish innovation policy agency VINNOVA uses academic theories—Systems of Innovation and Triple Helix—in its policy statements. The analysis shows these academic narratives actively shape policy discourse beyond merely legitimating decisions. Despite criticism of linear knowledge transfer models, understanding how academic knowledge actually influences policy remains valuable for analyzing the science-policy relationship.
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Policy Innovation Adoption Across the Diffusion Life Course
This study analyzes 566 policies adopted between 1960 and 2016 to understand how states adopt policy innovations across different stages of the diffusion process. The research finds that adoption drivers shift over time: neighboring state adoptions influence early adopters, while ideological learning consistently matters throughout. Less professionalized states adopt later, and wealthier, larger states increasingly drive adoption as policies spread. The findings reveal that predictors of policy adoption vary significantly across the diffusion life course.
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Japan's national innovation system: current status and problems
Japan's national innovation system drove competitiveness in the 1980s but weakened during the 1990s. The paper examines how an aging population threatens future economic growth and argues that productivity gains through technological progress are essential. It analyzes industry, universities, and government sectors within Japan's innovation system and proposes reforms to restore competitiveness.
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The Novelty of Innovation: Competition, Disruption, and Antitrust Policy
This paper develops a model showing that new entrants pursue more novel innovations than incumbents, but are less likely to disrupt established firms. When incumbents can acquire entrants after innovation, the threat of acquisition reduces innovation novelty because entrants optimize for acquisition value rather than bold innovation. The findings suggest strict antitrust enforcement encourages entrepreneurial firms to innovate more boldly.
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RRI legacies: co-creation for responsible, equitable and fair innovation in Horizon Europe
The paper argues that Horizon Europe's shift from research-focused H2020 to innovation-centered funding requires Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to evolve. The authors contend that co-creation—particularly fair and equitable approaches—should anchor new policy initiatives like Missions and Open Innovation 2.0. They position co-creation as a bridge connecting open science principles with open innovation practices, embedding responsible innovation methods throughout the funding framework.
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Teacher education and the GERM: policy entrepreneurship, disruptive innovation and the rhetorics of reform
This paper analyzes how the Institute for Teaching in England, influenced by global education reform movements, rhetorically constructs teacher education as a failing system and positions itself as a disruptive innovator offering practice-based solutions. The authors examine the organization's policy entrepreneurship and neo-liberal framing, concluding that despite sophisticated presentation, its arguments rely on fallacies rather than sound reasoning about complex educational problems.
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Innovation ecosystems and national talent competitiveness: A country-based comparison using fsQCA
This study examines how innovation ecosystems drive national talent competitiveness across 33 countries. The research identifies e-government efficiency as a necessary condition for high talent competitiveness and reveals three distinct ecosystem types that generate competitive talent pools: business investment-driven, e-government-led, and R&D-driven models. The findings show asymmetric relationships between ecosystems producing high versus low talent competitiveness.
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Learning to do responsible innovation in industry: six lessons
Companies can adopt responsible research and innovation (RRI) practices, but require strategic shifts in approach. The authors distill six lessons from engaging industrial partners: prioritize stakeholder engagement, expand assessment methods, emphasize values, experiment iteratively, track progress, and pursue shared value creation. These findings apply to both industrial RRI implementation and broader RRI development.
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Synthesizing an implementation framework for responsible research and innovation
This paper synthesizes existing frameworks for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) into a practical implementation guide. The authors reviewed policy papers, EU projects, and academic literature from 2011-2016 to identify common RRI principles and develop a unified framework that researchers and engineers can actually use. The framework clarifies what RRI means in practice and identifies common pitfalls to avoid, helping move RRI from abstract concept to tangible application.
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Social acceptance of green hydrogen in Germany: building trust through responsible innovation
Germans show low knowledge but high openness toward green hydrogen as a renewable energy technology. Trust in science, government, institutions, and media—shaped by regional values—drives acceptance. Participatory workshops and repeated positive engagement experiences strengthen support. The study recommends treating green hydrogen adoption as responsible innovation, building trust structurally to avoid conflicts like those surrounding wind energy.
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Innovation systems for technology diffusion: An analytical framework and two case studies
This paper develops a diffusion innovation system framework that analyzes technology adoption by examining institutions, infrastructure, and supply-side dynamics together. Applied to Swedish renewable energy cases—solar photovoltaics and wind power—the framework shows how these factors co-develop over time through feedback loops that either support or hinder diffusion. The approach identifies specific barriers that policy and business strategy could address.
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Reading the road: challenges and opportunities on the path to responsible innovation in quantum computing
Quantum computing researchers embedded in the UK's quantum programme studied how responsible innovation practices can be integrated into technology development. The team found significant challenges in embedding responsible innovation approaches and fostering dialogue between innovators and society. The authors recommend that policymakers, researchers, and industry prioritize societal considerations alongside commercial interests to ensure quantum technologies develop in ways that serve public needs and maintain public trust.
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Superstar Cities and Left-Behind Places: Disruptive Innovation, Labor Demand, and Interregional Inequality
The paper explains why economic inequality between U.S. regions increased after 1980, reversing decades of convergence. The authors argue that disruptive technologies concentrate demand for skilled workers in certain places initially, then eventually spread that demand elsewhere. Labor supply follows these shifts, creating cycles of regional concentration and dispersal. This theory accounts for observed patterns of rising and falling interregional inequality over time.
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Experiments in interdisciplinarity: Responsible research and innovation and the public good
European responsible research and innovation (RRI) policy requires scientists, engineers, and social science scholars to collaborate early in research projects to serve the public good. The authors argue that interdisciplinary collaboration between natural scientists and humanities scholars faces real challenges, and that RRI's meaning and implementation must be determined through experimental coresearch rather than assumed in advance.
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Enabling Ecosystems for Social Enterprises and Social Innovation: A Capability Approach Perspective
Social enterprises can solve social problems innovatively, but their success depends on supportive ecosystems. This study analyzed data from 164 stakeholder interviews, 850 social enterprises across 11 EU countries, and behavioral experiments to identify what enables social innovation. The authors recommend policymakers adopt integrated, multi-disciplinary approaches to create ecosystems that help social enterprises develop and innovate effectively.
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The evolution of knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystems: co-evolving entrepreneurial activity and innovation policy in the West Swedish maritime system
This paper examines how innovation ecosystems emerge by studying Sweden's West Swedish maritime cluster. The authors argue that sustainable innovation requires both top-down policy exploration by government and bottom-up entrepreneurial activity. They find that knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship combined with experimental policymaking and new collaborative approaches drive progress toward innovation-led sustainable development.
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Collaborative innovation and human-machine networks
Digital technology shapes how public organizations collaborate and innovate. Through case studies of cross-sector coordination, the authors show that technology is not neutral—it actively determines who participates, how they interact, and what outcomes emerge. Technology can either enable or obstruct effective collaboration depending on how it structures human-machine interactions.
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Trustworthiness and Responsible Research and Innovation: The Case of the Bio-Economy
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can advance sustainable bio-economy development in the Netherlands and Europe by building trust among value-chain actors. The paper argues that RRI creates conditions for trustworthiness through personal relationships, third-party guarantors, institutions, and value communication. These mechanisms help address public concerns about sensitive issues like genetic modification, enabling wider adoption of biomass-based technologies across socially complex innovation trajectories.
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The role of a firm's absorptive capacity and the technology transfer process in clusters: How effective are technology centres in low-tech clusters?
Small and medium-sized firms in low-tech manufacturing clusters access technology centres and research institutes based on their absorptive capacity—their internal resources and ability to learn. The study of 80 firms found that knowledge-intensive sectors use research infrastructure more effectively, while less knowledge-intensive sectors rely instead on supplier relationships. Technology centres alone cannot drive innovation; firms must actively seek out and engage with available knowledge sources.
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Exploring regional innovation ecosystems: an empirical study in China
This study examines regional innovation ecosystems in China through three case studies, developing a 4C framework covering construct, cooperation, configuration, and capability. The research shows that organizations coevolve within ecosystems, and that complementarity-based collaboration within and between regional ecosystems—supported by government—strengthens national innovation capacity. The framework helps redistribute roles, coordinate resources, and identify partnership opportunities.
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The contrasting effects of active and passive cooperation on innovation and productivity: Evidence from British local innovation networks
This study examines how different types of cooperation affect innovation and productivity in British firms. Active cooperation with suppliers and customers boosts innovation and productivity, while active cooperation among competitors actually reduces innovation rates. Passive knowledge spillovers from competitors' activities benefit firms. The findings suggest innovation policies should encourage cooperation within supply chains while discouraging direct competitor collaboration to maximize system-wide productivity gains.
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Experiment Earth: responsible innovation in geoengineering
This book examines geoengineering experiments and their implications for responsible science and innovation. Through three years of sociological research with scientists on major geoengineering projects, the author analyzes the politics of experimentation and argues that scientists must reconsider their responsibilities in shaping future outcomes. The work provides a framework for understanding science's role in contemporary society.
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Global drug diffusion and innovation with the medicines patent pool
The Medicines Patent Pool, a joint licensing platform for patented drugs, significantly increases generic drug supply in developing countries, especially those with stronger patent protection. The pool enables generic firms worldwide to license drug bundles affordably for sales in designated developing nations. Analysis of licensing contracts, procurement data, clinical trials, and drug approvals shows the pool also generates modest increases in clinical trials and new drug approvals, primarily from non-pool firms.
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Transformative governance of innovation ecosystems
This paper examines how governance structures shape innovation ecosystems and their transformative capacity. The authors analyze funding mechanisms and institutional frameworks that support innovation development, drawing on Finnish and European research programs. They identify governance approaches that enable ecosystems to adapt and create value across multiple sectors and stakeholder groups.
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Toward an Evolutionary and Sustainability Perspective of the Innovation Ecosystem: Revisiting the Panarchy Model
This paper applies the Panarchy model to innovation ecosystems, arguing that they evolve through four phases: exploitation, conservation, decline, and reorganization. The framework shows how innovation ecosystems avoid technology lock-in and rigidity by balancing exploitative and generative functions. This evolutionary perspective helps policymakers and practitioners understand how ecosystems build resilience and competitiveness when facing major disruptions.
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Responsible Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals in Business: An Agenda for Cooperative Firms
Responsible Innovation can help cooperative firms and social and solidarity economy businesses implement Sustainable Development Goals. The paper finds that these firms benefit from responsible innovation through business model transformation and contribute to SDGs by enabling partnerships and innovation. Cooperatives extend SDG implementation beyond their traditional principles to become key enablers of sustainable development across business sectors.
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Strategic marketing approaches for the diffusion of innovation in highly regulated industrial markets: the value of market access
Two multinational healthcare companies in Italy overcame regulatory barriers to product diffusion by adopting three strategic approaches: conducting educational activities with opinion leaders and patient associations, simulating innovation impacts on the healthcare system, and establishing dedicated market access units. These strategies enabled firms to achieve regulatory compliance while promoting new product adoption in highly regulated markets.
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Emerging Lessons From Regional and State Innovation in Value‐Based Payment Reform: Balancing Collaboration and Disruptive Innovation
Value-based payment reform projects across six U.S. states succeeded when multistakeholder coalitions had trusted leadership, external funding, and supportive regulatory environments. Key barriers included incompatible information systems, competing stakeholder priorities, and misalignment between payment models and care delivery. Successful reform required an honest broker to convene stakeholders, change management expertise, and community health infrastructure alongside pressure from payers and providers.
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The diffusion of environmental policy innovations: cornerstones of an analytical framework
This paper develops a conceptual framework for understanding how environmental policy innovations spread across countries. The author argues that policy diffusion results from interactions between international forces, national factors, and the characteristics of specific policies. The framework bridges comparative policy analysis and international relations by explaining how countries adopt similar policies even without binding agreements, providing guidance for empirical research on policy innovation diffusion.
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Resource constrained innovation in a technology intensive sector: Frugal medical devices from manufacturing firms in South Africa
South African manufacturing firms develop frugal medical devices by building advanced internal capabilities and forging knowledge collaborations to overcome resource constraints and institutional gaps. These firms design affordable, functional devices through bottom-up collaborative processes that address local health challenges while reducing costs in design, engineering, and manufacturing. State support and global non-profits play critical roles in scaling these innovations for public health impact.
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Enriching innovation ecosystems: The role of government in a university science park
This case study of a Chinese science park shows how local government acts as an 'ecosystem enricher' by fostering connections between universities, industry, and other innovation stakeholders. The government's top-down approach successfully drove university-industry partnerships, but the researchers identify gaps in priority-setting, collaboration frameworks, and intermediary support. They argue that innovation ecosystems need hybrid governance combining top-down direction with bottom-up policies.
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Responsible innovation in human germline gene editing: Background document to the recommendations of ESHG and ESHRE
This paper examines responsible innovation in human germline gene editing across Europe. The authors review scientific developments, legal regulations, and ethical considerations for gene editing in basic research, pre-clinical work, and clinical applications. They argue that deontological objections to gene editing lack conviction, while consequentialist concerns about safety require further research. The paper supports adapting regulations to technological progress while addressing ethical and societal concerns.
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Responsible innovation as a critique of technology assessment
This paper examines how responsible research and innovation (RRI) relates to technology assessment (TA). While both approaches share similar goals and practices, the authors argue that RRI functions as a critique of TA rather than simply building on it. The paper explores this alternative interpretation of their relationship, particularly in the context of EU policy frameworks like Horizon 2020.
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The business ecosystem concept in innovation policy context: building a conceptual framework
This conceptual paper examines the business ecosystem concept within innovation policy, comparing it to three established policy approaches. The ecosystem concept distinguishes itself through its focus on innovation and its self-organizing, self-renewing characteristics. The authors establish a framework for future empirical research on how business ecosystems can inform innovation policy.
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What contextual factors shape ‘innovation in innovation’? Integration of insights from the Triple Helix and the institutional logics perspective
The Triple Helix model of university-industry-government collaboration shapes innovation systems globally, but one-size-fits-all approaches fail. This paper integrates institutional logics with Triple Helix theory to explain how different national contexts produce varying innovation system configurations. The author identifies seven institutional logics that influence Triple Helix interactions and argues that institutional settings enable but don't determine outcomes—innovation policies and key actors ultimately decide Triple Helix development. The framework helps policymakers, especially in developing countries, design context-appropriate innovation strategies.
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Beyond Regulation: Risk Pricing and Responsible Innovation
The insurance industry can drive responsible technological innovation by pricing risk appropriately, offering an alternative to traditional regulation. The authors argue that insurers' financial incentives to assess and manage emerging technological risks create powerful mechanisms for encouraging safer innovation practices without relying solely on government oversight.
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The role of regional innovation systems in mission-oriented innovation policy: exploring the problem-solution space in electrification of maritime transport
This paper examines how regional innovation systems contribute to mission-oriented innovation policy by studying ferry electrification in Western Norway. The research finds that transformative change succeeded because it created new regional economic opportunities while leveraging existing regional resources, actors, and institutions. The mission benefited from low technological uncertainty, multi-level coordination among actors, and strategic modification of established regional structures and regulations.
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The Impact of Local Government Policy on Innovation Ecosystem in Knowledge Resource Scarce Region: Case Study of Changzhou, China
This case study of Changzhou, China examines how local government policies shaped innovation ecosystem development from 2001 to 2015 in a region with limited universities and research institutes. The authors map policy changes across ecosystem formation stages and identify key interactions between government, universities, industry, and research institutions. They propose a framework highlighting critical policy areas for innovation promotion in knowledge-scarce regions.
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The use of social network analysis in innovation studies: Mapping actors and technologies
Social network analysis remains underused in innovation policy and management. This paper identifies three research themes where SNA creates value: collaboration networks, communication networks, and technology networks. The authors examine how applying SNA to these themes generates insights for policy development and organizational management, and outline directions for future research.
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Aid allocation to fragile states: Absorptive capacity constraints
This paper examines aid effectiveness in fragile states, finding that some countries can absorb more aid than they receive while others receive more than they can efficiently use. The authors analyze absorptive capacity constraints based on per capita income growth and provide policy recommendations for improving aid allocation to fragile states.
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How research policy changes can affect the organization and productivity of public research institutes: An analysis within the italian national system of innovation
Italy reorganized public research institutes through mergers and consolidation between 1999 and 2003 to boost efficiency and knowledge transfer. The policy backfired: larger merged institutes became less productive due to bureaucratic overhead, while smaller institutes remained more productive. The study shows that consolidation created scale diseconomies rather than the intended efficiency gains.
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Fixing Technology with Society: The Coproduction of Democratic Deficits and Responsible Innovation at the OECD and the European Commission
This paper examines how the OECD and European Commission have promoted 'Responsible Innovation' frameworks globally. The authors argue these institutions use a 'democratic deficit' narrative—claiming insufficient public participation in innovation governance—to justify their authority over innovation policy. This approach frames societal engagement as essential to technological adoption while reinforcing market-liberal governance structures.
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Mapping Europe’s institutional landscape for forest ecosystem service provision, innovations and governance
This paper analyzes European forest policies across national strategies on forests, biodiversity, and bioeconomy to map how institutions govern ecosystem service provision. The researchers found that policies focus heavily on wood and bioenergy value chains, while neglecting non-wood products, cultural heritage, and recreation. Regulating ecosystem services lack sufficient policy attention and innovation support, despite forests' prominence in sustainability agendas. The institutional landscape shows significant gaps where new governance mechanisms and innovations could better promote ecosystem service provision.
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Accelerating Innovation that Enhances Resource Recovery in the Wastewater Sector: Advancing a National Testbed Network
The paper proposes creating a national testbed network to accelerate innovation in wastewater treatment and resource recovery. This virtual network connects physical testing facilities, researchers, investors, technology providers, utilities, and regulators to speed adoption of new technologies and processes. The authors identify key challenges and opportunities for building sustainable water infrastructure through coordinated innovation efforts.
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Innovation, Networks and Plant Location: Some Evidence for Ireland
Networks significantly influence whether plants innovate and the success of their innovations across Irish regions. The study examined four area types—urban, urban-periphery, rural, and second centres—and found no evidence supporting the urban hierarchy model of innovation. This suggests Ireland's regional dispersal policies had minimal impact on innovation outcomes, though network-based development strategies show promise.
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Knowledge management systems usage: application of diffusion of innovation theory
This study examines how technological factors influence knowledge management system usage among decision makers in Jordanian banks. Using diffusion of innovation theory, researchers surveyed 341 bank employees and found that relative advantage, system complexity, and knowledge quality significantly affect KMS adoption, while system compatibility does not. The findings show that knowledge quality correlates with technological factors and that banks must prioritize information quality alongside system quality to maximize KMS investment returns.
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Embedding responsible innovation within synthetic biology research and innovation: insights from a UK multi-disciplinary research centre
A UK synthetic biology research centre embedded responsible innovation practices into its operations from 2014 to 2019, moving beyond public engagement to include anticipation, reflexivity, and deliberation. The centre struggled to measure how these interventions changed scientists' daily practices and research outcomes. Success required strong leadership, institutional support, openness to change, and robust impact measurement mechanisms.
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Public procurement of innovations, diffusion and endogenous institutions
Public procurement is an important innovation policy tool, but diffusion of procured innovations within organizations is often overlooked. This case study identifies internal institutional barriers that prevent innovations from spreading throughout public agencies after procurement. The authors show that redesigning these internal institutions is critical for successful diffusion, and argue that understanding public procurement requires attention to informal institutional coordination, not just formal procurement processes.
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Failed policies but institutional innovation through “layering” and “diffusion” in Spanish central administration
Spanish central administration agencies achieved significant managerial innovation through incremental institutional changes—layering and diffusion—despite failed large-scale public administration reforms. Tax, social security, and property registry agencies became more managerial within a public-law-dominated state by accumulating small modifications rather than radical restructuring. These mechanisms explain how modest changes produce substantial organizational transformation.
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From technology transfer to the emergence of a triple helix culture: the experience of Algeria in innovation and technological capability development
Algeria's post-independence industrialization relied heavily on technology transfer and central planning, but this approach failed to build genuine innovation capacity. The paper argues that developing countries must shift toward a triple helix model where universities, industry, government, and non-governmental organizations collaborate to foster innovation culture. Bureaucratic fragmentation and institutional barriers have blocked technological capability development. Policy reforms must prioritize building national innovation systems and enabling triple helix partnerships over passive technology transfer.
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Challenges and Opportunities for Technology Transfer Networks in the Context of Open Innovation: Russian Experience
This paper examines Russia's technology transfer networks through the lens of open innovation and ecosystem approaches. Universities serve as knowledge integrators connecting innovation actors across sectors. The authors synthesize concepts of open innovation, networks, and ecosystems to propose a prospective national technology transfer model for Russia that supports cross-sectoral collaboration and interdisciplinary innovation.
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Cross-border regional innovation systems: conceptual backgrounds, empirical evidence and policy implications
Cross-border regional innovation systems (CBRIS) have been developed as a theoretical framework for analyzing innovation across borders, but empirical research lags far behind. The authors identify a significant gap between conceptual advances and actual evidence, showing that policy recommendations rest on weak empirical foundations. They call for rigorous empirical validation of CBRIS theory and evaluation of how border-region policies based on this framework actually perform in practice.
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Oops, I did it again! Knowledge leaks in open innovation networks with start-ups
Start-ups in open innovation networks experience unintended knowledge leaks when collaborating with larger, unequal partners. Using social network analysis and case studies in an Italian aerospace cluster, the authors demonstrate that knowledge flows—both intentional and accidental—occur across different knowledge types. The research warns managers and policymakers that start-ups' eagerness to participate may expose them to knowledge loss, while also showing how open innovation benefits from diverse collaborations.
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Regional conditions and innovation in Russia: the impact of foreign direct investment and absorptive capacity
This study examines how foreign direct investment and absorptive capacity drive regional innovation across Russia from 1997 to 2011, using patent applications and new technology development as measures. The research finds that FDI significantly boosts innovation in Russian regions. Regions with higher human capital benefit more from FDI spillovers, though human capital alone negatively affects innovation when absorptive capacity is included in the analysis.
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Responsible innovation for decent nonliberal peoples: a dilemma?
This paper argues that responsible innovation frameworks are grounded in liberal democratic values, which limits their applicability in nonliberal contexts. The author identifies a fundamental dilemma: responsible innovation as currently conceived cannot adequately address innovation challenges in societies that don't share liberal democratic assumptions. The paper calls for rethinking responsible innovation's normative foundations to accommodate diverse political and cultural perspectives beyond Western frameworks.
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New development: Eight and a half propositions to stimulate frugal innovation
The paper presents eight and a half propositions for stimulating frugal innovation in public services. Based on research findings, these propositions challenge conventional innovation wisdom and aim to provoke policymakers, managers, and academics into rethinking how organizations can innovate with limited resources.
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Institutional Conditions and Innovation Systems: On the Impact of Regional Policy on Firms in Different Sectors
Regional policies succeed or fail based on whether firms internalize and adopt them in their innovation practices. This study examines how institutions shape innovation activities across life science, media, and food sectors in Scania, Sweden. The research shows that effective regional policy doesn't just create external incentives—it must influence how organizations and individuals actually interact and organize their innovation work together.
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National culture, regulation and country interaction effects on the association of environmental management systems with environmentally beneficial innovation
Environmental management systems boost process innovations in firms, but this effect varies significantly by country. The study of nine European nations reveals that national culture and regulatory frameworks moderate whether firms implementing these systems actually develop environmental innovations. Management systems show no consistent link to product innovations across countries.
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The diffusion of electronic service delivery innovations in dutch E-policing: The case of digital warning systems
Dutch police forces adopted SMS-alert digital warning systems at different rates based on how they interpreted the innovation's value. The study reveals that police organizations attached functional meanings (operational efficiency), political meanings (strategic advantage), and institutional meanings (organizational fit) to the technology. Diffusion policies and strategies significantly influenced adoption patterns, a factor often overlooked in innovation research.
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The Development and Diffusion of Radical Technological Innovation: The Role of Bus Demonstration Projects in Commercializing Fuel Cell Technology
Governments in North America, Europe, and Japan have funded demonstration projects to commercialize fuel cell bus technology as part of climate change strategies. This paper examines how various stakeholders—government agencies, automotive developers, and industry players—interact through these projects. The authors find that demonstration projects play a crucial role in technology adoption, but conflicting objectives among industry participants and complex government-developer relationships significantly hinder progress toward widespread commercialization.
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Universities in the National Innovation Systems: Emerging Innovation Landscapes in Asia-Pacific
Universities across Asia-Pacific play increasingly central roles in national innovation systems, though their contributions vary significantly by country. While Southeast Asian universities and India focus primarily on teaching and workforce development, countries like Singapore, China, Taiwan, and Japan have transformed universities into entrepreneurial institutions through innovation policies, technology transfer offices, and science parks. Australia and New Zealand have successfully commercialized research alongside exporting higher education services regionally.
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Subsistence over symbolism: the role of transnational municipal networks on cities’ climate policy innovation and adoption
City governments that join transnational municipal networks adopt significantly more climate mitigation policies than those outside such networks. The study analyzed global data on urban environmental policy adoption and found network membership matters, with differences between networks suggesting that tailored services drive results. Networks enable cities to adopt climate policies independently when international commitments lack local enforcement, while considering co-benefits optimizes global climate strategies.
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Construction innovation diffusion in the Russian Federation
The Russian construction industry lags in innovation adoption due to financial constraints and poor legislation. A survey of 52 industry experts identified economic difficulties and regulatory barriers as the primary obstacles to innovation diffusion. The study recommends financial incentives, legislative reform, and alternative procurement methods as key strategies to accelerate innovation adoption across building and infrastructure sectors.
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Innovation Diffusion Processes: Concepts, Models, and Predictions
This paper reviews mathematical models of how innovations spread through societies, integrating marketing and epidemiological approaches. The authors examine barriers to diffusion, the role of word-of-mouth communication, and how policy interventions can promote beneficial innovations while preventing harmful ones. They use deterministic models based on differential equations to analyze critical innovations essential for human progress.
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Disruptive technological innovations in construction field and fourth industrial revolution intervention in the achievement of the sustainable development goal 9
This study examines how disruptive technologies and fourth industrial revolution innovations can help the construction industry achieve sustainable development goals. Researchers surveyed 50 construction professionals about awareness, barriers, and success factors for adopting disruptive technologies. The findings show that disruptive innovation is essential for technological progress in construction and propose deployment strategies for sustainable building practices aligned with development objectives.
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User voice and complaints as drivers of innovation in public services
User complaints and feedback drive innovation in public services when properly harnessed. The paper develops a framework showing how user voice prompts service improvements and identifies critical success factors for turning consumer knowledge into effective innovation. Six real-world examples demonstrate that while user input offers valuable insights for better service delivery, organizations often fail to fully develop these mechanisms.
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Innovation systems and local productive arrangements: New strategies to promote the generation, acquisition and diffusion of knowledge
The paper argues that less developed countries face mismatches between old analytical frameworks and the emerging knowledge economy. It proposes innovation systems and local productive arrangements as better conceptual tools for understanding how knowledge and innovation spread in development contexts. These frameworks emphasize learning, local tacit knowledge, agent interaction, and power dynamics. The paper recommends policies that mobilize local productive systems while coordinating across local, regional, national, and supranational levels.
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Exploring Mission-Oriented Innovation Ecosystems for Sustainability: Towards a Literature-Based Typology
This paper develops a typology of mission-oriented innovation ecosystems designed to address sustainability challenges. By analyzing literature and using bibliometric methods, the author finds that ecosystems vary significantly depending on their mission type, with differences in which actors participate and their roles throughout innovation processes. The research emphasizes the state's critical role in driving system-level transformations, the necessity of civil society participation, and the need for research organizations to adapt to new requirements.
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Planning, Land and Housing in the Digital Data Revolution/The Politics of Digital Transformations of Housing/Digital Innovations, PropTech and Housing – the View from Melbourne/Digital Housing and Renters: Disrupting the Australian Rental Bond System and Tenant Advocacy/Prospects for an Intelligent Planning System/What are the Prospects for a Politically Intelligent Planning System?
Digital planning systems promise to predict urban development outcomes, but housing data gaps systematically undercount vulnerable populations. The author's research in Portland, Oregon reveals that despite regional modeling capacity, comprehensive rental housing data remains unavailable due to political and market barriers, not technical limitations. This prevents planners from accurately forecasting displacement risks when transit investments reshape neighborhoods.
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Higher education institutions, private sector and government collaboration for innovation within the framework of the Triple Helix Model
This research examines collaboration between universities, industry, and government under the Triple Helix Model for innovation. The study identifies weaknesses in existing partnerships and proposes a new framework to strengthen these relationships. Key recommendations include clarifying government's role, improving research commercialization, and ensuring network actors possess adequate knowledge to adapt the model to changing needs.
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Managerial Social Networks and Innovation: A Meta‐Analysis of Bonding and Bridging Effects across Institutional Environments
This meta-analysis of 88 studies across 26 countries examines how managerial social networks drive innovation. The research finds that institutional context determines which network type works best: cohesive networks boost innovation in weak institutions and collectivistic cultures, while diverse networks are more effective in strong institutions and individualistic cultures. Managers should align their network strategy to their institutional environment.
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Modelling innovation support systems for regional development – analysis of cluster structures in innovation in Portugal
This paper analyzes innovation support systems across three Portuguese regions by mapping institutional innovation profiles and regional clustering patterns. Using principal coordinates analysis and Logistic Biplot methods, the authors created a typology of innovation structures showing that institutional profiles and regional innovation patterns are region-specific. The findings demonstrate significant differences in how regions organize their innovation support, offering practical tools for policymakers and businesses to understand and design regional innovation systems.
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Conditional Approval and Approval Under Exceptional Circumstances as Regulatory Instruments for Stimulating Responsible Drug Innovation in Europe
The European Union introduced conditional approvals and exceptional circumstances pathways to enable faster drug access while managing safety risks. This study found neither pathway accelerates overall approval timelines, though conditional approvals shorten clinical development. Exceptional circumstances approvals require less data but don't compromise drug safety. Both instruments successfully balance innovation speed with public safety demands.
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With or Without Clusters: Facilitating Innovation through a Differentiated and Combined Network Approach
European regions need not rely on cluster policies to drive innovation. Instead, a differentiated network approach combining global pipelines, local buzz, and standalone firm strategies proves more efficient, especially in non-cluster regions. Private and semi-public brokers mediate between these strategies, requiring region-specific knowledge of sectors, institutions, and culture. Public policy should recruit brokers, fund startups, and monitor performance within decentralized, multi-level innovation systems tailored to local conditions.
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Italy and European spatial policies: polycentrism, urban networks and local innovation practices1
Italian spatial policies increasingly adopt European principles of polycentrism and networking to organize urban and territorial development. The paper examines how these concepts translate from European policy frameworks into Italian practice, analyzing operational examples of network-based approaches. It distinguishes between different meanings of networking—from relationships between cities to local collective action mechanisms—and assesses their empirical and political relevance for Italian territorial organization.
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Responsible innovation with digital platforms: Cases in India and Canada
This study examines two digital platforms in India and Canada that serve marginalized communities by addressing grand challenges like education, healthcare, and livelihood access. The platforms orchestrate ecosystems involving marginalized individuals, government agencies, and other entities to deliver physical, digital, and societal solutions. The research demonstrates how responsible innovation principles—anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness—operate through digital platforms to generate simultaneous economic and social value for vulnerable populations.
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Responsible innovation and ethical corporate behavior in the Asian fashion industry: A systematic literature review and avenues ahead
Fashion companies have moved manufacturing to Asia to cut costs but face pressure for sustainability and transparency. This systematic review of 114 papers examines how responsible innovation and ethical corporate behavior connect in the fashion industry. The research finds that while brands attempt to adopt responsible innovation across supply chains, misalignment between corporate ethics and local cultural values blocks progress toward sustainable business models and UN development goals.
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A Conceptual Framework for Developing of Regional Innovation Ecosystems
This paper develops a conceptual framework for regional innovation ecosystems in Ukraine and the EU, defining key dimensions including ecosystem goals, actors, environment, and relationships. The authors identify innovation hotspots concentrated in three EU macro-clusters and propose using Ukraine's existing regional research centers as institutional support tools. They recommend establishing regional innovation councils at NUTS 2 level to coordinate ecosystem development.
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Global Lessons In Frugal Innovation To Improve Health Care Delivery In The United States
This study identifies five successful low-cost healthcare innovations from global contexts and examines how they could improve US healthcare delivery. The researchers find common themes across these frugal innovations and outline critical factors for adapting them to American settings. They highlight existing US trends—shifting care to community settings, alternative payment models, and expanded use of community health workers—that create opportunities for implementing these globally-sourced innovations.
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Generating Democratic Legitimacy through Deliberative Innovations: The Role of Embeddedness and Disruptiveness
Deliberative innovations—structured public participation events—can strengthen democratic legitimacy only when properly embedded in existing institutions. This study compares four deliberative events across Europe and Canada, finding that institutional integration significantly affects legitimacy outcomes, while a deliberative process's disruptive potential has no bearing on its legitimacy claims.
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National innovation systems a proposed framework for developing countries
National innovation systems drive long-term economic development, but developing countries struggle to build the necessary infrastructure. This paper examines how newly industrialized economies successfully developed their innovation systems and proposes a conceptual framework that developing countries can adopt to manage technological innovation more systematically.
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The Making of Responsible Innovation and Technology: An Overview and Framework
This paper reviews responsible innovation and technology (RIT) concepts to establish how digital advancement can serve both economic and social goals. The authors identify key RIT characteristics: technological outcomes must be acceptable, accessible, trustworthy, and well-governed while aligning with societal values. They develop a conceptual framework for implementing RIT that governments, companies, and researchers can use to address challenges from technological progress while protecting community well-being.
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Evaluating the Collaborative Ecosystem for an Innovation-Driven Economy: A Systems Analysis and Case Study of Science Parks
This paper analyzes Taiwan's science parks as drivers of innovation-driven economic growth. Using systems thinking and causal loop analysis, the authors examine how government-academia-industry collaboration shapes innovation ecosystems. They evaluate the economic impact and employment effects of science parks over time, assess R&D performance, and identify policy lessons. The study demonstrates that strategic science park policies significantly contribute to sustainable development and high-technology industrial growth.
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Government policy change and evolution of regional innovation systems in China: evidence from strategic emerging industries in Shenzhen
China shifted innovation policy from relying on foreign technology spillover to promoting indigenous innovation and domestic firms. The government designated seven strategic emerging industries to drive technological upgrading after the 2008 financial crisis. This study examines how foreign and domestic firms adapted their innovation strategies in Shenzhen's LED industry, finding that the local government eventually abandoned its LED development plan after four years, revealing how institutional changes reshape regional innovation systems.
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The Moderating Role of Top‐Down Supports in Horizontal Innovation Diffusion
This study examines how government support policies affect the spread of administrative innovations across municipalities. Using data from China's one-stop government centers between 1997 and 2012, the authors find that strong central and provincial policy signals actually reduce the influence of neighboring cities' adoption decisions. Top-down government support substitutes for horizontal peer pressure rather than complementing it, suggesting different diffusion mechanisms compete for influence on local innovation adoption.
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Recognition of innovation and diffusion of welfare policy: Alleviating urban poverty in Chinese cities during fiscal recentralization
Local Chinese governments adopted innovative welfare policies to attract central government attention and secure fiscal transfers during fiscal recentralization after 1994. Cities with higher fiscal dependency innovated more strategically. Once the central government recognized and endorsed an innovation, further adoption lost its competitive advantage because cities could no longer distinguish themselves through novelty. The study traces this dynamic through China's Urban Minimum Living Standard Assistance system for poverty alleviation.
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Diffusion of innovation among Malaysian manufacturing SMEs
Malaysian manufacturing SMEs adopt innovations based on perceived advantages, compatibility, and complexity, alongside their strategic orientation and organizational capacity. The study of 360 firms shows that these factors significantly influence product, process, and service innovation adoption and business performance. Policymakers should design support systems providing innovation information, cost-benefit analyses, and guidance on adoption processes tailored to SMEs' limited resources.
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Towards an alignment of activities, aspirations and stakeholders for responsible innovation
This paper addresses how to govern technological innovation responsibly by proposing a framework that aligns innovation activities, stakeholder aspirations, and governance dimensions. The authors integrate sustainability principles with responsible innovation concepts—anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness—to answer how innovation should proceed responsibly. A nanotechnology case study demonstrates the framework's practical application for government agencies, industry, and stakeholders managing innovation governance.
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Indicators for promoting and monitoring responsible research and innovation: report from the expert group on policy indicators for responsible research and innovation
This paper presents indicators developed by an expert group to measure and promote responsible research and innovation across policy contexts. The indicators provide frameworks for monitoring how research and innovation activities align with societal values and address public concerns, enabling policymakers to track progress toward more accountable and socially beneficial innovation systems.
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Innovation and Destination Governance in Denmark: Tourism, Policy Networks and Spatial Development
Danish tourist destinations lost market share over a decade despite continued reliance on traditional marketing strategies. The paper argues that innovation-oriented destination development policies were slow to adopt because tourism policy networks prioritized short-term sectoral and local interests over renewal of tourist experiences. Recent governance reforms only marginally improved prospects for more innovative destination strategies.
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Regional innovation policy and public-private partnership: The case of Triple Helix Arenas in Western Sweden
Two Swedish regional innovation organizations called 'Arenas' were designed to bring together industry, universities, and government based on Triple Helix theory. The study found that these partnerships struggled to maintain stable collaboration because the different actors had conflicting interests, creating unresolved tensions that undermined the intended cooperation model.
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Canadian Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: The Product of Regional Networking?
Canadian science, technology, and innovation policy operates through regional networks despite federal funding and policy formulation. The federal government deliberately structures STI programmes to promote network creation across provinces and regions, emphasizing economic development and industrial cluster formation. This networked approach effectively regionalizes policy implementation across Canada's federal system.
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The entrepreneur in the regional innovation system. A comparative study for high- and low-income regions
This study examines how entrepreneur characteristics influence firm innovation across Spanish regions with different income levels. Entrepreneurs' trust and growth ambition affect innovation differently depending on regional development. Low-income regions face human capital and infrastructure barriers, while high-income regions struggle with legal and financial systems. The findings show policymakers must tailor innovation strategies to regional contexts rather than applying uniform approaches.
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Responsible leadership and triple-bottom-line performance—do corporate reputation and innovation mediate this relationship?
Responsible leadership directly improves social, economic, and environmental performance in organizations. Innovation mediates this relationship across all three performance dimensions. Corporate reputation mediates the relationship for social and economic performance but not environmental performance. The study surveyed Pakistani managers and used structural equation modeling to test these connections.
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Regional Innovation Systems as Complex Adaptive Systems: The Case of Lagging European Regions
This paper develops a computational model called CARIS to understand how regional innovation systems in lagging European regions can become self-sustaining. The research identifies exploration capacity, cooperation propensity, and actor competencies as key drivers of innovation performance. The authors recommend policymakers invest in R&D, support public-private partnerships, strengthen universities, and increase researcher employment to improve regional innovation outcomes.
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National characteristics: innovation systems from the process efficiency perspective
This study analyzes innovation systems across 40 countries by treating them as two-stage processes: knowledge production and commercialization. Using data envelopment analysis, researchers identified efficiency levels and ranked countries by their strengths in each stage. The analysis reveals that no country excels equally at both stages, and categorizes nations into nine distinct groups based on their innovation characteristics. The findings offer policymakers benchmarks for improvement and examples of best practices to learn from.
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Farmer innovation diffusion via network building: a case of winter greenhouse diffusion in China
Winter greenhouse technology diffused successfully across China through collaborative networks between farmers, government, and other stakeholders. The study identifies three network levels—informal farmer networks, farmer-led networks, and government-facilitated networks—as essential to innovation diffusion. Building mutual trust and enabling farmer leadership within these networks proved crucial for successful technology adoption and spread.
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An open innovation approach to co-produce scientific knowledge: an examination of citizen science in the healthcare ecosystem
Citizen science—where lay people participate in research—can drive innovation in healthcare by enabling large-scale data collection, educating the public, and co-creating value with scientists. The authors examined citizen science projects tackling COVID-19 and found that engaging non-experts as data collectors and analysts strengthens healthcare ecosystems. They argue policymakers must support lay participation in scientific research to address major health challenges.
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A synthesized framework for the formation of startups’ innovation ecosystem
This systematic literature review synthesizes research on startup innovation ecosystems from 2008-2018 to develop a new framework. The authors identify key actors—incubators, financial suppliers, accelerators, universities, and companies—and map their interactions through structures, infrastructures, and networks. They classify startup innovation processes into three mechanisms: genesis, growth, and development. The framework helps policymakers understand startup requirements and design effective innovation policies.
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Toward a Theory of Activist‐Driven Responsible Innovation: How Activists Pressure Firms to Adopt More Responsible Practices
Activists pressure firms to adopt responsible innovation through strategic use of claims that create pressure beyond simple information sharing. This study examines four activist organizations across six campaigns, developing a theory of how activists drive companies toward socially and environmentally responsible practices. The research shows that activist characteristics and firm features shape whether pressure campaigns succeed in creating socioenvironmental value.
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International handbook on responsible innovation. A global resource
This handbook provides a comprehensive global overview of responsible innovation as a field of study and practice. It synthesizes current knowledge about how innovation can be developed and implemented in ways that consider ethical, social, and environmental impacts across diverse contexts worldwide.
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Analysing the diffusion and adoption of renewable energy technologies in Africa: The functions of innovation systems perspective
Renewable energy technologies remain poorly adopted across Africa despite their potential to address energy poverty and environmental challenges. This paper argues that previous research focused too narrowly on user-level factors and neglected institutional context. The author proposes using the Technological Innovation System framework to understand how institutions enable or hinder renewable energy diffusion, and provides a framework for evaluating institutional performance to guide African policymakers.
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Diffusion of innovations theory applied to global tobacco control treaty ratification
This study examines how countries decide to ratify the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control by analyzing network effects among tobacco control advocates on an online forum. The researchers found that communication between countries on GLOBALink predicted when nations ratified the treaty, with influential countries playing a key role. Network effects changed over time, with external pressure mattering less as more countries adopted the treaty.
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Determinants of National Innovation Systems: Policy implications for developing countries
This study examines how knowledge institutions, governments, and businesses shape national innovation systems in 46 developed and emerging economies. The researchers find that market forces dominate innovation outcomes, while institutional structures around knowledge management and government-business relations also matter significantly. The analysis suggests developing countries should prioritize creating institutional environments that support market mechanisms to strengthen their innovation systems and economic growth.
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Foreword: responsible innovation in the private sector
Responsible Innovation is a governance framework that makes innovators and society mutually accountable for research and technology development. It emerged from public concerns about government-funded research in controversial fields like nanotechnology, genomics, and alternative energy. The concept emphasizes transparent processes ensuring innovations are ethically acceptable, sustainable, and socially desirable before reaching the market.
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India’s National Innovation System: Key Elements and Corporate Perspectives
India has emerged as a major R&D hub for multinational corporations, driven by skilled labor from elite institutions, market potential from its growing population, and government investment in research institutions and education. While India's mathematics and science education ranks 11th globally, the country faces infrastructure challenges and labor shortages. Government initiatives, including massive investments in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, aim to strengthen India's national innovation system and resolve these constraints.
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Research trends in innovation ecosystem and circular economy
This bibliometric analysis of 2,981 Scopus documents reveals research trends linking innovation ecosystems and circular economy. Five key research clusters emerge: circular economy for eco-innovation, circular business models in the bioeconomy, renewable energy and sustainable development goals, green innovation through entrepreneurship, and AI in Industry 4.0. The study identifies significant gaps in understanding how innovation ecosystems and circular economy interact, and highlights opportunities in industrial symbiosis and energy transition.
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An evaluation of the effectiveness of innovation ecosystems in facilitating the adoption of sustainable entrepreneurship
This paper develops a hierarchical decision model framework to assess how innovation ecosystems support sustainable entrepreneurship adoption. The researchers identify policies and strategies that drive innovation across entrepreneurial ecosystems and propose a comprehensive measurement model to guide policymakers in strengthening ecosystem effectiveness and accelerating sustainable business innovation.
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Social innovation, sustainability and the governance of protected areas: revealing theory as it plays out in practice in Costa Rica
This paper examines how social innovation drives adaptive governance in Costa Rica's Juan Castro Blanco National Water Park. Local community mobilization sparked social innovation that produced three key outcomes: satisfied stakeholder interests, effective governance arrangements, and community empowerment. The socially-innovative approach to park management improved both environmental sustainability and social-ecological outcomes across multiple levels.
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Technology in the Age of Innovation: Responsible Innovation as a New Subdomain Within the Philosophy of Technology
This paper examines responsible innovation frameworks through a philosophical lens, arguing that current RI approaches fail to question the technological nature of innovation itself. The authors contend that innovation is presupposed as inherently technological within a techno-economic paradigm, which actually constrains rather than enables responsible steering of innovation outcomes. They conclude that RI frameworks are themselves shaped by the very paradigm they attempt to direct.
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National Innovation Systems of the South, Innovation and Economic Development Policies: A Multidimensional Approach
This paper reexamines the National Innovation System concept for developing countries, arguing that existing literature focuses too narrowly on technology policy without adequately addressing innovation capacity, innovation policy design, and economic development. The authors analyze how innovation policies function in developing nations, their governance structures, and the conditions that enable or hinder economic development within globalized growth contexts.
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Innovation and its diffusion: process, actors and actions
This paper systematizes research on innovation diffusion by organizing factors into three categories: process, actors, and actions. It identifies phases of how innovations spread between organizations, clarifies the roles of innovators, adopters, and intermediaries, and recommends policy actions to support diffusion. The framework synthesizes two decades of fragmented research into a coherent structure.
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Relational capital for shared vision in innovation ecosystems
This paper examines relationship networks in three metropolitan innovation ecosystems—Austin, Minneapolis, and Paris—using Triple Helix framework and network analysis. The authors measure relational capital through network metrics and visualizations, revealing distinct patterns that structure business activity at startup, growth, and enterprise levels. They demonstrate that data-driven indicators of relational capital can guide network orchestration, inform policy decisions, and build shared vision across spatially defined business ecosystems.
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The Role of a Local Industry Association as a Catalyst for Building an Innovation Ecosystem: An Experiment in the State of Ceara in Brazil
An industrial association in Brazil's Ceara state successfully catalyzed innovation ecosystem development where government alone failed. The federation of industries' UNIEMPRE program increased actor awareness, shared knowledge, strengthened firm capabilities, built regional innovation capacity, and created sustainable long-term change through five key mechanisms.
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The role of education and training in absorptive capacity of international technology transfer in the aerospace sector
Education and training programs are essential for building absorptive capacity in newly industrialized countries seeking to adopt aerospace technology from abroad. The paper identifies seven key aspects of education and training that policymakers should coordinate to strengthen technology transfer. Tailored training for specific groups and stakeholders enhances a nation's ability to absorb and apply imported aerospace knowledge and technology effectively.
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Responsible research and innovation in information systems
This paper examines responsible research and innovation within information systems, arguing that the field's diverse approaches require careful consideration of ethical and social dimensions in how IS research and innovation are conducted and applied. The work addresses the need for IS scholars to engage with responsibility frameworks that go beyond technical solutions.
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How does gender affect the adoption of agricultural innovations?
Men and women in Ghana adopt modern maize varieties and chemical fertilizer at different rates because women have less access to complementary inputs like land, labor, and extension services. The research shows that closing the adoption gap does not require changing agricultural research systems, but rather improving women's access to these critical resources through targeted policy measures.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in Europe: A Research Framework and Agenda
Rural entrepreneurship operates within a distinct territorial context shaped by physical geography, social capital, governance structures, and networks. The authors argue that rurality itself functions as a dynamic entrepreneurial resource, creating both opportunities and constraints. They propose a three-stage sequential model of rural entrepreneurship and outline a research agenda addressing theoretical understanding and policy development to support rural business creation.
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An empirical investigation of the role of rural development policies in stimulating rural entrepreneurship in the Lazio Region of Italy
Rural development policies in Italy's Lazio region show uneven adoption by family farms, with significant variation based on family life cycle stage and farm composition. Farmers who succeed in accessing these funds demonstrate proactive, strategic behavior and coherent planning aligned with policy requirements. The analysis reveals low coordination among rural farms and highlights the need for multi-agency policy approaches that recognize entrepreneurial practices in agricultural settings.
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Exploring exclusion in innovation systems: case of plantation agriculture in India
Innovation systems in India's plantation sector fail to deliver inclusive development despite policy efforts. The paper identifies multiple forms of exclusion—subordinated inclusion, illusive inclusion, sustained exclusion, and transient exclusion—within commodity boards, research institutions, and labor markets. Knowledge intensification could strengthen labor-intensive sectors in developing countries, but institutional arrangements currently perpetuate exclusion rather than enabling genuine participation in innovation benefits.
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Considering the implications of place-based approaches for improving rural community wellbeing: The value of a relational lens
Place-based rural policy often treats rural space as homogenous, limiting its effectiveness for improving community wellbeing. This paper argues that adopting a relational view of rural space—understanding it as socially created through connections and flows—offers a better framework for designing and evaluating rural health and community development policies. A relational approach helps policymakers measure outcomes more accurately and address the complex, interconnected nature of rural wellbeing.
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Innovation and productivity in dryland agriculture: a return-risk analysis for Australia
Australian dryland farming has remained productive despite harsh conditions, driven by science and technology investments over 30 years. The paper examines risks and returns from technological innovations and identifies sources of future productivity gains. It finds that agricultural research and development significantly contributed to productivity growth, but this has slowed in the past decade due to drought and declining public investment. Future gains require sustained RD&E investment, improved risk management, farmer skills, and policies promoting efficiency.
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Innovation in risk transfer for natural hazards impacting agriculture☆
Agricultural yields face significant risks from natural hazards, price fluctuations, and output variability. This paper examines innovations in risk transfer mechanisms for agriculture, particularly crop insurance. While wealthy nations use established crop insurance programs, these rely on subsidies unsuitable for lower-income countries. Yet lower-income nations with many small farms urgently need affordable agricultural insurance to protect farm households from catastrophic losses.
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Bridging the digital divide: exploring the challenges and solutions for digital exclusion in rural South Africa
Digital exclusion in rural South Africa severely limits access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. This study surveyed 200 residents in Mkatazo village, finding that over half lack internet access, 38.5% cannot afford connectivity, and two-thirds lack digital skills. Cost, infrastructure gaps, and geographic isolation drive exclusion most strongly. The authors recommend expanding broadband infrastructure, subsidizing devices, zero-rating mobile data, building digital literacy, and deploying offline AI tools to bridge the divide.
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Towards agri‐food industry sustainability: Addressing agricultural technology adoption challenges through innovation
Agricultural technology adoption remains low in Thailand despite its promotion, limiting sustainability gains in the agri-food sector. This study identifies adoption barriers at both farmer and ecosystem levels, including infrastructure gaps and limited awareness of technology benefits. Solutions require reshaping farmer attitudes and upgrading physical, digital, and legal infrastructure. The findings provide guidance for technology providers and policymakers seeking to increase smallholder farmer adoption and improve environmental sustainability.
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THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON DIGITAL DIVIDE AND ICT ACCESS: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA AND THE UNITED STATES
This comparative review examines why rural communities in Africa and the United States face different barriers to digital technology access. The authors analyze infrastructure gaps, digital literacy levels, and socio-economic factors affecting ICT adoption. They assess how policy environments either hinder or support digital inclusion and identify what reforms and innovations could reduce digital disparities in rural areas.
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Innovation in the Rural Areas and the Linkage with the Quintuple Helix Model
Rural areas function as productive systems where agriculture connects with other economic activities. The paper argues that protecting ecosystems and implementing the Quintuple Helix Model—which links innovation processes across multiple sectors—enables rural development based on sustainable competitiveness. Using Sicily and Italian regional data, the authors demonstrate how peripheral areas can adopt Smart Specialization Strategy to create new development models that balance economic growth with environmental protection.
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Study on rural women entrepreneurship in India: Issues and Challenges
Rural women entrepreneurs in India face significant barriers to business success, including limited property ownership, poor access to finance, inadequate entrepreneurial training, and low educational levels. The paper identifies that lack of confidence, family obligations, financial institution neglect, and limited networks with successful entrepreneurs prevent rural women from contributing fully to economic development and poverty reduction in their communities.
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Agricultural Innovation in Asia: Drivers, Paradigms and Performance
Agricultural innovation in Asia has driven impressive productivity gains, but faces mounting pressures from climate change, land loss, and population growth. This study identifies four distinct techno-institutional paradigms shaping Asian agriculture: the green revolution, sustainability revolution, biotechnology revolution, and supermarket revolution. Each paradigm involves different technologies, actors, and networks with varying performance outcomes across Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Effective innovation policies must align with each paradigm's specific opportunities and constraints.
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Capacity, scale and place: pragmatic lessons for doing community‐based research in the rural setting
Community-based research offers a flexible, context-sensitive approach suited to rural areas experiencing rapid economic and social change. Drawing on experience in northern British Columbia, the authors identify practical lessons for conducting community-based research effectively, organizing insights around three key stages: preparing for community engagement, conducting fieldwork, and post-fieldwork activities. They address gaps in methodological guidance and advocate for better training in community-based research methods for rural contexts.
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Understanding the drivers of broadband adoption: the case of rural and remote Scotland
Rural and remote Scotland lags in broadband adoption despite availability. This paper develops causal and simulation models showing how adoption drivers interact. Past policies have influenced adoption rates, but greatest impact comes from targeting people uninterested in broadband. The findings suggest policy should focus on non-adopters rather than infrastructure alone to realize broadband's socio-economic benefits in rural areas.
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Facilitating humanitarian access to pharmaceutical and agricultural innovation.
The paper advocates for intellectual property licensing strategies in pharmaceuticals and agriculture that expand humanitarian access to innovations for disadvantaged populations. It profiles successful and promising licensing approaches that balance innovation incentives with broader public benefit.
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Farmers’ organizations and agricultural innovation: case studies from Benin, Rwanda and Tanzania
Farmers' organizations in Benin, Rwanda, and Tanzania play a central role in agricultural innovation, but face significant constraints. The research shows that successful innovation requires farmers' organizations to access diverse knowledge sources, develop specific skills, and partner with other actors who recognize them as equals. Appropriate institutional settings and multi-stakeholder collaboration are essential for agricultural innovation to succeed.
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Geo-Policy Barriers and Rural Internet Access: The Regulatory Role in Constructing the Digital Divide
Geographic isolation and regulatory policies jointly determine rural internet access. A study of 208 Texas telephone exchanges and rural counties shows that market territories and distance requirements under expanded local calling policy both facilitate and obstruct internet service provider presence in remote areas. Policy design significantly shapes the digital divide.
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Multi-actor co-innovation partnerships in agriculture, forestry and related sectors in Europe: Contrasting approaches to implementation
This paper analyzes 200 multi-actor co-innovation partnerships across Europe involving farmers and foresters. The authors develop a typology identifying eight ideal types of co-innovation partnerships based on organizational structure and interaction attitudes. They find that successful partnerships take different forms depending on context—actor capacities, networks, topic, and enabling environment—rather than one approach being universally superior. The framework helps policymakers design targeted interventions suited to local circumstances.
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Empowerment of rural young people in informal farm entrepreneurship: the role of corporate social responsibility in Nigeria’s oil producing communities
Corporate social responsibility programs by oil companies in Nigeria's Niger Delta region have mixed effects on rural youth farm entrepreneurship. While the global memorandum of understanding model significantly boosts informal farm entrepreneurship overall, it underperforms in targeted agricultural clusters. The study of 800 rural young people shows that youth-specific CSR farm projects can help close knowledge gaps and improve yields, but coordinated business investment is needed to create real agricultural competitiveness and food security.
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Innovation Challenges and Opportunities in European Rural SMEs
Rural small and medium enterprises across Europe face significant barriers to innovation adoption, including weak innovation environments, inadequate policies, skill shortages, and difficulty attracting talent compared to urban competitors. The paper identifies these obstacles through literature review and stakeholder consultations in six European countries, then recommends policy solutions focused on fostering business networks, training programs, targeted innovation support, improved marketing, and workforce development.
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10 best bet innovations for adaptation in agriculture: A supplement to the UNFCCC NAP Technical Guidelines
This paper identifies ten high-impact agricultural innovations that help countries adapt to climate change while improving food security and environmental sustainability. Drawing on research from CGIAR centers, the authors present proven adaptation strategies that countries can incorporate into their National Adaptation Plans to access climate finance and implement effective agricultural practices that benefit nutrition, livelihoods, and ecosystem health.
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Methods for assessing the impact of research on innovation and development in the agriculture and food sectors
This paper reviews methods for measuring how agricultural and food research affects innovation and development in developing countries. The authors find that quantitative impact assessment approaches face significant controversies. They examine qualitative methodological innovations as alternatives and analyze case studies to identify the strategic resources that research generates to improve its real-world impact on innovation and development.
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Analysis of the barriers and limitations for the development of rural women's entrepreneurship
This study identifies nine categories of barriers preventing rural women from starting and growing businesses in Iran: demographic factors, personality traits, family characteristics, education and skills gaps, cultural and social norms, access to facilities and services, legal frameworks, financial constraints, institutional support, and geographical conditions. Researchers interviewed entrepreneurship experts and rural women entrepreneurs using qualitative methods to develop a comprehensive understanding of these obstacles.
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Orchestrating Regional Development Through Projects: The ‘Innovation Paradox’ in Rural Finland
Project management dominates rural and regional development in Finland, yet creates an 'innovation paradox': regions are expected to innovate while lacking genuine innovative capacity. This professionalization of project management, combined with gender dynamics, reduces project value. The author argues that relaxing strict innovation requirements would unlock the actual innovation potential embedded in most development projects.
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"Free Seeds, Not Free Beer": Participatory Plant Breeding, OpenSource Seeds, and Acknowledging User Innovation in Agriculture
Intellectual property expansion in plants threatens global food security and agriculture. The paper examines international treaties like the 2001 ITPGR that create limited commons for plant genetic resources. It proposes adapting open-source software licenses to plant breeding, arguing that open-source seed licenses can increase farmer and public breeder access to genetic resources worldwide.
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The Rural Digital Divide
Rural residents in Australia face unequal access to information and communication technologies compared to urban populations. The authors studied disadvantaged groups in the Canberra area through focus groups and expert interviews, finding that rural communities share similar technology access barriers regardless of location. Australian governments recognize these rural digital divide problems and are implementing infrastructure initiatives to ensure equitable access for all residents.
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Innovation in agriculture: An analysis of Swedish agricultural and non-agricultural firms
Swedish agricultural firms innovate at similar rates to non-agricultural firms, with one-third being innovation creators. Agriculture shows higher process innovation but not more technology adoption than other sectors. The key difference lies in how agricultural firms source knowledge—they rely less on external collaboration and more on internal capacity. Innovation support policies should strengthen in-house knowledge capabilities in agricultural firms rather than emphasizing collaborative research partnerships.
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Do Federal Place-Based Policies Improve Economic Opportunity in Rural Communities?
Federal place-based policies increased substantially in rural counties between 1990 and 2015. The study finds that rural youth who received more place-based funding in their counties achieved higher educational attainment and earnings in adulthood, but only if they migrated away. Place-based investment appears to improve economic opportunity by enabling geographic mobility rather than creating local prosperity.
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Strengthening Conservation Agriculture innovation systems in sub-Saharan Africa: lessons from a stakeholder analysis
Conservation Agriculture innovation in Malawi relies heavily on NGOs and government, but smallholder farmers remain passive participants rather than active stakeholders. Promoters lack technical and financial capacity, and weak collaboration between organizations limits knowledge-sharing and program integration. The paper recommends strengthening stakeholder understanding of innovation systems, building partnerships through platforms, and improving advisory mechanisms to enable joint implementation and feedback.
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Shifting from Fragmentation to Integration: A Proposed Framework for Strengthening Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System in Egypt
Agricultural knowledge and innovation systems in Egypt's Dakhalia governorate suffer from fragmentation caused by weak regulatory frameworks, poor infrastructure, and ineffective intermediary organizations. The study proposes a framework to strengthen these systems by improving actor linkages, fostering public-private partnerships, and distributing appropriate technologies. Better coordination between farmers, researchers, and support organizations can boost agricultural productivity and sustainability.
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Women's contributions to rural development: implications for entrepreneurship policy
Rural women entrepreneurs in Sweden make substantial, multidimensional contributions to rural development across diverse industries, deeply embedded in family and local structures. However, existing entrepreneurship and rural development policies largely bypass their businesses and miss their actual needs. Women entrepreneurs prioritize access to public services like schools and childcare over business training programs. Policymakers should integrate entrepreneurship policy with family, welfare, and rural development policy rather than treating women entrepreneurs as isolated economic actors.
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Supporting rural Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to take up broadband-enabled technology: What works?
Rural SMEs in Lincolnshire, UK lag behind urban counterparts in broadband adoption despite improved availability. A publicly funded support programme combining training, one-to-one advice, ICT grants, and Technology Hub access significantly increased technology use and sales. Intensive personalized support and direct technology access proved more effective than basic training alone for driving rural business innovation.
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An institutional diagnostics of agricultural innovation; public-private partnerships and smallholder production in Uganda
This paper develops a diagnostic framework for analyzing public-private partnerships in agricultural innovation, using institutions as performative processes rather than fixed rules, and technology as affordance rather than input. The authors test this framework on a Uganda sorghum production partnership between the National Agricultural Research Organisation and Nile Breweries Limited, revealing institutional dynamics critical for understanding smallholder farming innovation in Africa.
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The drivers of innovation diffusion in agriculture: evidence from Italian census data
Italian agricultural innovation spreads unevenly across regions, driven by local productive conditions, farm characteristics, and institutional frameworks. Using 2010 census data from 110 provinces, the authors mapped diffusion of product, process, organizational, and marketing innovations. Some innovations concentrate in specific areas with favorable market conditions, while others depend on individual farm features. Rural development spending and regulatory context significantly influence adoption rates, showing how productive and institutional systems interact to enable or constrain agricultural innovation.
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Harnessing biostimulants for sustainable agriculture: innovations, challenges, and future prospects
Biostimulants enhance plant growth and resilience while reducing chemical inputs, but face adoption barriers from inconsistent formulations, unclear regulations, and limited mechanistic understanding. This review examines biostimulant development, classifications, and mechanisms while identifying challenges in product performance, regulatory compliance, and economics. The authors argue biostimulants can improve nutrient efficiency and climate resilience, and propose a framework integrating research, policy, and practice to advance sustainable agriculture.
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Effect of Climate Smart Agriculture Innovations on Climate Resilience among Smallholder Farmers: Empirical Evidence from the Choke Mountain Watershed of the Blue Nile Highlands of Ethiopia
Climate-smart agriculture innovations significantly strengthen smallholder farmers' ability to withstand climate change impacts in Ethiopia's Blue Nile Highlands. Using data from 424 farmers, the study found that improved crop varieties, crop residue management, and soil-water conservation increase climate resilience capacity, though effects vary by innovation type. Success requires complementary systems including early warning networks, extension services, safety nets, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
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The Effect of Agriculture Insurance on Agricultural Carbon Emissions in China: The Mediation Role of Low-Carbon Technology Innovation
Agricultural insurance reduces carbon emissions from farming in China by encouraging adoption of low-carbon technologies. Using provincial data from 2001–2019, the study finds insurance directly cuts emissions and indirectly reduces them by spurring farmers to adopt cleaner practices. The effect is strongest in eastern China and non-grain-producing regions. Expanding agricultural insurance can help China meet carbon neutrality goals.
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Causal Link between Technological Innovation and Inequality Moderated by Public Spending, Manufacturing, Agricultural Employment, and Export Diversification
Technological innovation increases income inequality across most income distribution levels, according to analysis of 73 countries. Government spending effectively reduces inequality, while agriculture employment and export diversification show mixed effects. Policymakers pursuing sustainable development must leverage public spending as a tool to counteract innovation's inequality-widening effects and promote social cohesion.
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Scaling and institutionalization within agricultural innovation systems: the case of cocoa farmer field schools in Cameroon
Farmer field schools in Cameroon's cocoa sector failed to scale effectively despite a public-private partnership. The study identifies four key barriers: the curriculum wasn't adapted to local contexts, extension workers lacked genuine commitment and resources, management approaches didn't evolve from pilot to scaling phases, and strategic leadership was absent. Successful scaling requires translating pilots to fit specific institutional conditions rather than simply rolling out standardized programs.
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Multi-actor Horizon 2020 projects in agriculture, forestry and related sectors: A Multi-level Innovation System framework (MINOS) for identifying multi-level system failures
This paper develops MINOS, a multi-level innovation system framework, to analyze 50 European Horizon 2020 agricultural research projects involving multiple actors across different countries. The framework identifies system failures occurring at European, national, project, and organizational levels, categorizing them as 'multipliers' and 'stackers'. The analysis reveals how institutional, cultural, and social contexts interact across levels to influence co-innovation and learning in multinational partnerships.
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Markets, institutions and policies: A perspective on the adoption of agricultural innovations
Agricultural innovation adoption succeeds when technology combines with supportive markets, institutions, and policies. Case studies show hybrid pearl millet in India and dual-purpose cowpea in Nigeria achieved high adoption through strong market demand and effective seed delivery institutions. Conversely, pigeon pea varieties in Malawi and conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe saw low adoption due to weak market conditions, misunderstood demand, and inadequate input delivery systems. Enabling conditions fundamentally determine innovation success.
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Gender Norms and Agricultural Innovation: Insights from Six Villages in Bangladesh
Gender norms in Southwest Bangladesh significantly shape how men and women engage with agricultural innovation in aquaculture, fisheries, and farming. The study of six villages reveals that gender norms interact with broader inequalities to either enable or constrain innovation differently for different people. Technical organizations promoting innovation must address underlying gender norms and their effects on motivation and outcomes, rather than simply identifying gender gaps.
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Rural innovation activities as a means for changing development perspectives – An assessment of more than two decades of promoting LEADER initiatives across the European Union
The LEADER approach has mobilized rural actors across the European Union since the 1990s by activating local stakeholders and leveraging endogenous potential. After integrating LEADER into EU Rural Development Programmes in 2007, implementation became mainstream but highly diverse. The paper synthesizes 25 years of European experience, focusing on Austria, finding that LEADER's main impact lies in generating learning processes and improving local governance through stakeholder involvement, rather than in quantitative measures alone.
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The challenges of innovation for sustainable agriculture and rural development: Integrating local actions into European policies with the Reflective Learning Methodology
European agricultural policy treats farmers as passive technology adopters rather than active innovators. This paper describes a participatory action research method called Reflective Learning Methodology that bridges local farming innovation networks with European policy frameworks. The method helps translate grassroots sustainable agriculture initiatives into regional support structures, addressing the gap between how innovation actually happens on farms and how policy currently supports it.
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Rural young people's opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in globalised southern Africa: the limitations of targeting policies
Rural young people in Malawi and Lesotho face severe employment and entrepreneurship constraints rooted in structural factors at national and global levels, not just individual characteristics. Policies targeting vulnerable groups like women and orphans miss how multiple factors interact to create vulnerability. An intersectional approach combined with livelihoods analysis shows that improving conditions for all rural youth proves more effective than identifying and targeting the most vulnerable.
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Entrepreneurship in rural tourism: the challenges of South Africa's Wild Coast
Rural tourism enterprises on South Africa's Wild Coast are dominated by marginal entrepreneurs operating informally at subsistence levels. The paper argues these struggling small businesses need urgent policy support from national, provincial, and local governments to improve livelihoods and upgrade their operations.
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Determining Digitalization Issues (ICT Adoption, Digital Literacy, and the Digital Divide) in Rural Areas by Using Sample Surveys: The Case of Armenia
This study surveyed rural Armenian households to assess digital technology adoption, digital literacy, and the digital divide. Researchers found that distance from the capital Yerevan and lower household income both reduce ICT usage and digital penetration. The authors created a Digital Devices and Technologies Usage Index to measure adoption patterns and propose policy recommendations to accelerate digitalization in rural Armenia.
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Women entrepreneurship development and sustainable rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe
Women entrepreneurs in rural Zimbabwe face multiple barriers to sustainable livelihoods, including inadequate government support, patriarchal social structures, insufficient business knowledge, limited access to credit, and time constraints balancing family and work. The study identifies that successful women entrepreneurship depends on financial, environmental, psychological, and sociological factors. Recommendations include entrepreneurship training, supportive government policies, and network access.
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Trust and Other Historical Proxies of Social Capital: Do They Matter in Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in Greek Rural Areas?
This study examines how trust and social capital foster social entrepreneurship in a mountainous Greek rural area. The researchers argue that trustworthy relationships generate social capital, which in turn supports social entrepreneurship development. By analyzing these dynamics, the paper develops policy recommendations for promoting the social economy in rural regions.
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Innovations in agricultural marketing: a case study of e-tendering system in Karnataka, India
An e-tendering system for agricultural marketing in Karnataka reduced transaction time, improved price transparency, and increased market revenue for pigeon pea sales. However, trader resistance prevented uniform adoption across all markets. The study identifies factors explaining why some markets successfully implemented the innovation while others failed, offering insights into barriers to agricultural marketing reforms.
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Research capacity for local innovation: the case of conservation agriculture in Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique
Agricultural researchers in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique lack the institutional capacity to adapt conservation agriculture to local contexts. While researchers identified specific gaps preventing CA adoption, financial, human, and social constraints within their systems prevent participatory research needed to customize farming practices for farmers. CA remains a donor-driven intervention unsuited to local conditions.
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Planning Innovations in Land Management and Governance in Fragmented Rural Areas: Two Examples from Galicia (Spain)
Land fragmentation in rural Galicia creates obstacles for agriculture and forestry, leading to abandonment and social decline. Traditional consolidation approaches fail due to high transaction costs. Two innovative governance models in Galicia combined individual and common property rights to improve land management without changing ownership. These structures increased labour productivity, clarified property rights, and reduced abandonment while promoting sustainable land use.
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On (Dis)Connections and Transformations: The Role of the Agricultural Innovation System in the Adoption of Improved Forages in Colombia
Colombia has developed 23 improved forage cultivars with superior quality and environmental benefits, yet adoption remains low. This study examines the agricultural innovation system to understand why. Researchers found that weak connections between research institutions, poor coordination, and misaligned objectives create barriers to technology adoption. The study recommends restructuring institutional relationships and improving R&D funding allocation to enable effective forage technology scaling.
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Place-Based Policies for Sustainability and Rural Development: The Case of a Portuguese Village “Spun” in Traditional Linen
European rural development policies increasingly emphasize place-based approaches that leverage local resources for sustainability. This study examines a Portuguese village that revitalized itself through traditional linen production, using collective action and local identity to combat depopulation and marginalization. The case demonstrates how place-based policies enable sustainable practices that improve both social well-being and economic conditions in rural communities facing demographic decline.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurship: 'Nari Bani Vyapari'
Rural women entrepreneurs drive innovation and economic development in India. The paper argues that women are equally capable innovators and business leaders as men, challenging societal misconceptions. It examines Indian government schemes supporting women entrepreneurship, including TREAD and Mahila Coir Yojana, and describes training institutions like NIMSME and NIESBUD that develop women entrepreneurs' capabilities and qualities.
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A Case Study on Empowerment of Rural Women through Micro Entrepreneurship Development
Self-help groups enable rural women to start micro-enterprises, achieving economic independence and creating employment. The paper argues that empowering rural women through micro-entrepreneurship drives family and community development, ultimately strengthening the nation. Economic independence for rural women represents a critical measure of national progress.
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Which Advisory System to Support Innovation in Conservation Agriculture? The Case of Madagascar's Lake Alaotra
In Madagascar's Lake Alaotra region, a project-funded advisory system promoting conservation agriculture relies heavily on technical recommendations from agricultural research. Despite advisors' stated willingness to address farm complexity, the system fails to engage farmers meaningfully in decision-making or build joint learning processes. External funding undermines sustainability, and farmers lack influence over project choices. The study reveals tensions between top-down technical advice and participatory approaches needed for lasting agricultural change.
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Functions of the Intermediary Organizations for Agricultural Innovation in<scp>M</scp>exico: The<scp>C</scp>hiapas Produce Foundation
Intermediary organizations bridge knowledge gaps between agricultural innovators and farmers. This study examines the Chiapas Produce Foundation in Mexico, analyzing how it connects small farmers with technology suppliers and researchers. The foundation manages public resources to promote agricultural innovation among farmers with varying economic conditions and innovation capacity, revealing critical functions these intermediaries perform in developing country agricultural sectors.
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Innovations in Government Responses to Catastrophic Risk Sharing for Agriculture in Developing Countries
Agricultural risk markets barely exist in developing countries, and even wealthy nations require heavy government subsidies to support crop insurance against natural disasters. These subsidies prove expensive and inefficient, sometimes worsening future catastrophes. The paper examines how governments with limited budgets can still foster agricultural risk-sharing markets for crop and livestock losses caused by natural hazards, identifying specific policy interventions that work without massive subsidies.
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Farmers’ Participation in Operational Groups to Foster Innovation in the Agricultural Sector: An Italian Case Study
Italian farmers participate actively in EU-supported Operational Groups that bring together multiple stakeholders to solve agricultural problems collaboratively. The study finds farmers contribute meaningfully during design and implementation phases, but their involvement fluctuates throughout the process. Sustaining farmer participation requires motivation, commitment, trust, and open communication among diverse actors working together.
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The barriers hindering the application of the value chain in the context of rural entrepreneurship
This study identifies the main barriers preventing rural entrepreneurs in Iran from applying value chain approaches. Lack of proper financing mechanisms and weak government support emerge as the primary obstacles. Different sectors face distinct challenges: service entrepreneurs need entrepreneurial skills training, animal farmers require stronger government policies, and agricultural entrepreneurs lack specialized advisors and financial resources. The findings suggest coordinated action among financial institutions and training organizations to address these barriers.
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Exploring how to sustain ‘place-based’ rural health academic research for informing rural health systems: a qualitative investigation
Rural health researchers in Australia face seven major sustainability challenges: poor recognition, excessive workloads, weak networks, inadequate funding mechanisms, unsupportive organizational culture, job insecurity, and limited career advancement. The study of 17 early-career rural researchers reveals that strategic grants ignore generalist research, fixed-term contracts undermine retention, and isolation from main campuses limits opportunities. The authors recommend establishing research hubs, collaborative networks, targeted funding, and career development pathways to sustain this critical field.
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Women, Rural Environment and Entrepreneurship
Women in rural Spain face severe employment barriers, social exclusion, and economic marginalization that drive rural depopulation and aging. The authors analyze the socio-economic conditions of rural women and propose entrepreneurship as a pathway to improve their employability and economic opportunities, arguing that existing rural development policies lack gender-specific mechanisms to address women's particular challenges.
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Changing Fortunes of Government Policies and Its Implications on the Application of Agricultural Innovations in Cameroon
Government policy shifts in Cameroon have undermined agricultural infrastructure and research institutions, creating barriers to innovation adoption among farmers. Despite agriculture's critical role in the economy and poverty reduction, budget allocation has not translated into functional support systems. The author argues that continued policy neglect will severely limit farmers' ability to adopt innovations, reducing productivity and food security, and calls for coordinated action beyond government alone.
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Guidance on farmer participation in the design, testing and scaling of agricultural innovations
Smallholder farmers in the Global South adopt agricultural innovations at low rates because technologies are often unsuitable and poorly designed for local contexts. This paper develops practical guidance for choosing appropriate levels of farmer participation in innovation design, testing, and scaling. The authors reviewed participatory research literature and analyzed vegetable innovation projects across Asia and Africa, creating a framework that matches farmer participation levels to innovation readiness. They find that participation should increase as innovations mature, and early farmer consultation strengthens locally relevant design.
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Rural Agriculture and Poverty Trap: Can Climate-Smart Innovations Provide Breakeven Solutions to Smallholder Farmers?
Climate-smart agriculture adoption by smallholder farmers in Ghana's Upper West and Upper East regions did not significantly improve food security or income. While climate change severely damages agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, CSA practices alone cannot break the poverty trap without complementary support. Farmers need better infrastructure, inputs, and market access to realize CSA's potential benefits.
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Mechanisms and heterogeneity in the construction of network infrastructure to help rural households bridge the “digital divide”
Network infrastructure in rural China helps households access and use digital technology, but doesn't immediately improve their ability to apply it effectively. The digital divide closes fastest for non-farm workers and younger people. Training programs and targeted services for elderly and agricultural workers are needed to translate infrastructure investment into actual capability gains.
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Rural Broadband and Precision Agriculture: A Frame Analysis of United States Federal Policy Outreach under the Biden Administration
The Biden administration's communications about rural broadband emphasize economic benefits, equity, and urgency, but largely ignore precision agriculture's role in sustainable farming. Analysis of federal policy messaging reveals five main frames, with broadband expansion framed as a nationwide issue affecting both rural and urban areas. The study finds a critical gap: policymakers rarely connect broadband access to agricultural sustainability, potentially undermining precision agriculture adoption in rural regions.
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Promoting uptake and integration of climate smart agriculture technologies, innovations and management practices into policy and practice in Nigeria
Nigerian farmers face major barriers to adopting climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices, including lack of government policies, poor farmer awareness, and weak extension services. The study identifies insufficient funding, policy inconsistencies, and farmer resistance as key obstacles. Researchers recommend targeted awareness campaigns through local media, dedicated CSA departments in each state, increased agricultural budget allocation to 10%, and strengthened links between researchers, extension agents, and farmers.
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Intellectual Property and Agricultural Science and Innovation in Germany and the United States
The paper challenges the dominant U.S. theory that treats scientific knowledge as either a public or private good. By examining Germany's approach to agricultural science as a club good, the authors compare how the United States and Germany manage food and agricultural research differently. They argue these distinct approaches have different impacts on social welfare and call for democratic debate on how to best govern scientific knowledge for public benefit.
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Rural Entrepreneurship in India: Challenge and Problems
Rural entrepreneurs in India face significant barriers to establishing businesses, including lack of education, inadequate financial access, and insufficient infrastructure like electricity, water, and transportation. The paper identifies marketing challenges and limited technical support as major obstacles preventing rural entrepreneurship from reaching its potential as an economic opportunity for people in developing regions.
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Neoliberalism, the University, Public Goods and Agricultural Innovation
Agricultural research funding has shifted from government-led public institutions toward private funding and public-private partnerships over the past four decades. This trend risks neglecting public goods that don't generate profit. The authors document funding patterns across the USA, UK, Ireland, and Germany, finding that while neoliberal approaches appear in all four countries, their implementation and effects vary significantly based on national and institutional contexts.
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Rural entrepreneurship in the Western Cape: Challenges and opportunities
Rural entrepreneurs in South Africa's Western Cape face significant barriers including inadequate business skills, expensive raw materials, poor infrastructure, and limited financing. However, opportunities exist through government land reform initiatives, small business support institutions, and entrepreneur networks. The study recommends comprehensive government policies to strengthen rural entrepreneurship and development.
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Empowering the Rural Poor to Develop Themselves: The Barefoot Approach (<i>Innovations Case Narrative:</i> Barefoot College of Tilonia)
The Barefoot College demonstrates that rural poor communities develop themselves most effectively through bottom-up empowerment rather than top-down expert intervention. By giving rural people the right to make their own decisions about development priorities, access to information and knowledge, and recognition of their existing technical skills, communities become independent and capable decision-makers. Conventional donor-driven approaches fail because they are patronizing, expensive, and keep communities dependent rather than empowered.
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Can convergence of agricultural sciences support innovation by resource-poor farmers in Africa? The cases of Benin and Ghana
A research program in Benin and Ghana found that developing appropriate farm technologies alone cannot help resource-poor farmers innovate. The real barriers are institutional: limited market access, poor infrastructure, lack of credit, cheap imports, and political exclusion. The researchers concluded that poverty reduction requires institutional change, not just better farming techniques. The program documents various attempts to address these deeper structural problems.
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Citizen Science as Democratic Innovation That Renews Environmental Monitoring and Assessment for the Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Areas
Citizen science offers a democratic approach to environmental monitoring that strengthens the legitimacy of data used for sustainable development in rural areas. Traditional environmental monitoring fails to adequately support local implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. By incorporating citizen science into environmental assessment, rural communities can produce and use data more effectively for transformative governance, particularly for protecting land and natural resources while addressing resource conflicts.
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Factors enhancing agricultural productivity under innovation technology: Insights from Cameroon
This study examines how innovation adoption—improved seeds and modern equipment—affects agricultural productivity in Cameroon, analyzing the roles of farmer education, credit access, and land tenure security. Using national survey data and addressing selection bias, the researchers find that education and credit significantly boost both adoption rates and yields. Tertiary education increases yield by 16.5–18.3% per hectare, while credit access generates 10.9–15.5% gains. The paper concludes that technology adoption alone cannot maximize productivity without complementary investments in farmer education and financial access.
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Impact of Gender-Specific Causes on Women Entrepreneurship: An Opportunity Structure for Entrepreneurial Women in Rural Areas
Gender discrimination, limited female education, and restricted access to capital drive women's entrepreneurship in rural Pakistan, while illiteracy, cultural restrictions, early marriage, weak government support, and male market dominance create major barriers. The study of 342 rural residents identifies these obstacles and argues that supportive environments and advanced opportunities can enable rural women entrepreneurs to contribute to social and economic development.
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Scaling up innovations in smallholder agriculture: Lessons from the Canadian international food security research fund
Linear technology-transfer approaches to scaling agricultural innovations in low-income rural areas often fail because they ignore complexity, climate variability, and economic risks affecting smallholder farmers. This paper analyzes Canadian-funded projects that successfully scaled innovations and catalyzed sector-wide change. It proposes scaling principles that account for socio-ecological dynamics and recommends redefining impact metrics beyond narrow economic indicators to include sustainable agri-food system outcomes.
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Antipodean agricultural and resource economics at 60: agricultural innovation
Agricultural innovation has transformed economies and livelihoods over 150 years, but creates complex economic and policy challenges. Market failures in agricultural research, unequal income distribution effects, and difficulty attributing consequences to specific causes complicate understanding. Australian agricultural economists have contributed significantly to studying these innovation economics issues since the 1950s.
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Entrepreneurship development and entrepreneurial orientation in rural areas in Malawi
Rural entrepreneurs in Malawi show positive attitudes and intentions toward business despite operating mainly at subsistence income-generating levels. Poverty, low education, and lack of management skills constrain entrepreneurship practice. Education and training significantly improve entrepreneurial activity, while access to finance does not affect entrepreneurial intentions. Existing support models fail to translate entrepreneurial orientation into economic growth, requiring new practical frameworks tailored to rural economies.
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CHALLENGES OF RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM NKONKOBE MUNICIPAL AREA IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
Rural entrepreneurs in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province face significant barriers to success. A survey of 53 rural business owners identified lack of finance, small markets, poor infrastructure, limited networking, corruption, and weak marketing as major obstacles. Most entrepreneurs depend entirely on their businesses for income. The study recommends improved government support, training programs, and expanded microfinance schemes to strengthen rural entrepreneurship in developing regions.
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Successful agricultural innovation in emerging economies: new genetic technologies for global food production
This edited volume examines how genetic technologies and crop biotechnology drive agricultural innovation in emerging economies to address food security. It covers the scientific basis for genetically modified crops, their adoption across Africa, Argentina, China, and India, regulatory frameworks enabling innovation, and social and ethical considerations. The work argues that new genetic technologies offer practical solutions for improving food production and nutrition in developing regions.
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Barriers to the adoption of multiple agricultural innovations: insights from Bt cotton, wheat seeds, herbicides and no-tillage in Pakistan
Pakistani smallholder farmers adopt agricultural innovations slowly due to interconnected barriers. Using data from 275 farm households, the study finds that farm machinery, off-farm income, and farmer education enable adoption of Bt cotton, improved wheat seeds, herbicides, and no-tillage farming. Weak agricultural extension services and limited financial resources are the main obstacles. Technology adoption works as an integrated system rather than isolated choices.
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Enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in Spanish agriculture: The role of technological innovation and corporate social responsibility
Spanish agricultural firms that adopt sustainable technological innovations—particularly precision agriculture and smart livestock management—achieve better corporate social responsibility outcomes by using resources more efficiently and reducing environmental harm. However, regional differences exist based on local economic resources, infrastructure, and policy support. The study shows that combining technological innovation with corporate social responsibility strategies strengthens both sustainability and competitiveness, and calls for targeted policies to help lagging regions.
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Systematic review of disruptive innovation (DI) research in agriculture and future direction of research
This systematic review of 61 articles examines disruptive innovation research in agriculture. Most studies focus on food supply, technology adoption, digital risk management, and modernization in developed and developing countries. The review identifies significant gaps: transition economies receive minimal attention, government policy integration in agricultural innovation remains understudied, and sub-sector research is limited. The authors argue agriculture lacks strong innovation theory foundations and call for expanded investigation across these areas.
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Formation of an Export-Oriented Agricultural Economy and Regional Open Innovations
This paper develops indicators and modeling tools to assess how agricultural investments, production output, and exports relate to each other across Russian regions. Using factor and cluster analysis, the authors identify five regional groups with distinct investment levels, production volumes, and export patterns. They find that investment intensity and agricultural production efficiency are undervalued in current assessments. The results support better institutional management of regional agricultural systems oriented toward export.
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R&D Innovation Adoption, Climatic Sensitivity, and Absorptive Ability Contribution for Agriculture TFP Growth in Pakistan
Agricultural R&D innovation adoption significantly boosts total factor productivity growth in Pakistan, particularly through tractors, improved seeds, and fertilizer use. Climate factors, especially moderate rainfall, positively affect productivity. However, farmers' weak absorptive capacity limits gains. The study recommends government investment in extension services, farmer training, and climate-smart agriculture practices including rainwater harvesting infrastructure to enhance technology adoption and farmer knowledge.
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On the Way to Eco-Innovations in Agriculture: Concepts, Implementation and Effects at National and Local Level. The Case of Poland
Polish agriculture adopted eco-innovations through two pathways: policy-driven organizational changes like organic certification and CAP greening mechanisms, which expanded organic farms from 0.5% to 4.6% of holdings between 2005–2016; and farmer-led product and process innovations driven by individual knowledge, family capital, and local institutional support. Both approaches proved effective at increasing sustainable farming practices and soil-protective crops.
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Female Access and Rights to Land, and Rural Non‐farm Entrepreneurship in Four African Countries
Women's access to land and secure land rights significantly increase their likelihood of starting non-farm businesses in rural Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Malawi, but not in Nigeria. The study analyzed household data from 2013–15 across four African countries using logistic regression. The researchers attribute these varying results to country-specific contexts and offer policy recommendations to strengthen women's entrepreneurship through land security.
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Overcoming Challenges of Incorporating Higher Tier Data in Ecological Risk Assessments and Risk Management of Pesticides in the United States: Findings and Recommendations from the 2017 Workshop on Regulation and Innovation in Agriculture
U.S. pesticide regulation uses tiered testing to assess ecological risk, but lacks clear guidance on incorporating advanced higher-tier studies into risk decisions. A 2019 workshop brought together EPA, USDA, NOAA, universities, and industry to recommend improved communication between registrants and regulators, simpler study designs, transparent risk management criteria, and retrospective analysis of past decisions to strengthen how advanced data informs pesticide approval.
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When an initiative promises more than it delivers: a multi-actor perspective of rural entrepreneurship difficulties and failure in Thailand
A Thai rural entrepreneurship initiative failed to deliver promised outcomes because entrepreneurs lacked resources and exhibited risk aversion, passivity, and dependence on government support. One-size-fits-all policies ignored entrepreneurs' actual needs and capabilities. The study reveals that entrepreneurship failure takes multiple forms beyond business closure, including inability to meet initiative objectives, and identifies attitudinal inadequacies alongside resource weaknesses as key barriers.
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Targeting, bias, and expected impact of complex innovations on developing‐country agriculture: evidence from Malawi
A participatory action research program in Malawi tested agricultural technologies with smallholder farmers to reduce poverty and improve food security. The study found that better-off farmers were systematically selected to test innovations, creating bias. After accounting for observable differences, early results showed positive effects on maize yield and harvest value, but selection bias from unobservable factors remained a concern. The authors recommend improving program design and targeting criteria to enhance external validity.
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Organization of Research and Innovation: a Comparative Study of Public Agricultural Research Institutions
This paper examines how four public agricultural research institutes reorganized their management models and structures. The authors compare their experiences to identify common patterns and differences in how these institutions manage research and innovation processes, policies, and workflows. The goal is to develop better approaches and tools for improving research and innovation management in public agricultural institutions.
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Growing Innovation Policy: The Case of Organic Agriculture in Ontario, Canada
This case study of organic agriculture in Ontario reveals how innovation operates across multiple scales—local, national, and global. The research identifies three key policy needs: strengthening local networks and farmer associations, correcting global subsidy inequities, and establishing national research funding and standards for organic production. These changes would create more resilient production and marketing systems. The study demonstrates that understanding innovation requires analyzing how different scales interconnect and influence each other.
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Toward a sustainable agricultural system in China: exploring the nexus between agricultural science and technology innovation, agricultural resilience and fiscal policies supporting agriculture
Agricultural science and technology innovation significantly strengthens agricultural resilience across China's 31 provinces from 2007 to 2021. This effect is non-linear and amplified by fiscal policies supporting agriculture. The southeast region shows the strongest resilience development, while non-main producing and economically underdeveloped areas benefit most from innovation investments. Policymakers should tailor innovation strategies locally and reinforce agricultural fiscal support.
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Alleviating Relative Poverty in Rural China through a Diffusion Schema of Returning Farmer Entrepreneurship
Returning farmers in rural China can alleviate relative poverty by sharing entrepreneurial knowledge and experience with other poor households through family, local, and internet networks. This diffusion model reduces entrepreneurial barriers, increases farmer income, creates employment, and improves rural environments across economic, social, and ecological dimensions. Success requires supportive government policies and active local participation.
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The impact of entrepreneurship training on self-employment of rural female entrepreneurs in Uganda
Entrepreneurship training significantly improves self-employment outcomes for rural women in Uganda. A survey of 300 rural women before and after training showed that increased business knowledge raised self-employment probability by 6%, while improved business competence raised it by 2.7%. These results demonstrate that targeted training programmes effectively enhance labour market outcomes for women in rural Uganda.
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Network Structure and Influencing Factors of Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Spatial Correlation Network—A Study Based on Data from 30 Provinces in China
This study maps how agricultural science and technology innovation spreads across 30 Chinese provinces through two stages: R&D and technology application. Using network analysis, researchers found that innovation shows clear spatial correlation and spillover effects across regions. The network has a core-periphery structure with strong stability. Market differences, government agricultural support, geographic proximity, and regional economic development drive innovation spread. The findings support cross-regional coordination mechanisms to address uneven distribution of innovation resources.
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Making Darkness a Place-Based Resource: How the Fight against Light Pollution Reconfigures Rural Areas in France
French rural communities are turning darkness into an economic and environmental resource by fighting light pollution. The paper identifies three approaches: economicizing darkness for profit, protecting it for biodiversity conservation, and integrating it into sustainable development planning. These rural areas become experimental spaces where communities resolve conflicts between different visions of darkness protection, ultimately enabling new development trajectories that balance economic, ecological, and energy goals.
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Land tenure system innovation and agricultural technology adoption in Burkina Faso: Comparing empirical evidence to the worsening situation of both rural people vulnerability and vulnerable groups’ access to land
Burkina Faso's 2009 land reform gave farmers formal property rights to encourage agricultural technology adoption. The study finds formal land rights do increase adoption of soil fertility technologies compared to customary rights. However, the law's actual implementation worsens rural livelihoods and reduces vulnerable groups' land access, creating a gap between theory and practice. The authors conclude additional measures are needed to protect rural people despite technology gains.
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5G New Radio for Rural Broadband: How to Achieve Long-Range Coverage on the 3.5 GHz Band
This paper demonstrates that 5G New Radio technology can deliver high-speed broadband to rural areas using the 3.5 GHz band. The authors propose network enhancements including massive MIMO antennas deployed on existing GSM sites and TV towers, combined with low-cost booster equipment for user terminals. Their approach achieves over 100 Mbps downlink speeds at cell edges, and with hardware improvements, exceeds 350 Mbps downlink and 30 Mbps uplink performance while extending coverage significantly beyond conventional GSM infrastructure.
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Impact of high-speed broadband on innovation in rural firms
High-speed broadband access significantly boosts innovation capabilities in rural firms. The study shows that broadband's impact on rural business innovation operates through IT competence and digital options, which enhance organizational agility and competitive actions. These improvements directly drive innovation and firm performance. The research extends capability theory to the organizational level and provides policy-makers with evidence for allocating IT investments effectively.
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Innovation in rural development in Puglia, Italy: critical issues and potentialities starting from empirical evidence
In Puglia, Italy, rural innovation policy under the LEADER approach emphasizes social and cultural change, yet local implementation remains narrowly focused on technological solutions and productivist goals. Despite significant CAP funding for innovation axes, governance structures at regional and local levels fail to support broader institutional and social innovation. Stakeholder interviews reveal a gap between policy intent and practice, with entrenched conservatism limiting transformative rural development.
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Driving local community transformation through participatory rural entrepreneurship development
Rural entrepreneurship development drives local transformation and employment in remote communities. This action research in rural Lagos, Nigeria implemented a ten-stage practical approach using community-based organizations and revolving loans to fund rural enterprises including fisheries, barbering, piggeries, and snail production. Successful funded entrepreneurs and CBOs became models for expanding entrepreneurship and employment, lifting people out of poverty and informing rural development policy.
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Knowledge and InnovatIon for agrIcultural development
Rural agricultural development requires linking indigenous knowledge with formal research and development. The paper argues that while rural communities innovate through local experimentation and adaptation, indigenous knowledge alone cannot address complex challenges like food price volatility, climate change, and biofuel demand. Sustainable agricultural development accelerates when formal and informal knowledge systems connect, enabling knowledge creation, sharing, and practical application across technologies, organizations, institutions, and policies.
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Urban-rural digitalization evolves from divide to inclusion: empirical evidence from China
China's urban-rural digitalization has shifted from division toward inclusion between 2000 and 2020, with development advancing and gaps narrowing overall. However, three challenges persist: some high-development areas maintain high disparities, digital applications remain inadequately integrated, and provincial disparities are widening. The authors recommend policies targeting urban-rural integration, digital literacy improvement, and coordinated regional development.
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What are the determinants of rural-urban divide in teachers’ digital teaching competence? Empirical evidence from a large sample
A survey of 11,784 Chinese K-12 teachers reveals a significant digital divide between rural and urban educators. Rural teachers show lower ICT attitudes, ICT skills, data literacy, and overall digital teaching competence than urban counterparts. Data literacy and ICT skills emerge as the primary drivers of this divide, offering policymakers and school leaders concrete targets for bridging educational inequalities.
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From Policy Promises to Result through Innovation in African Agriculture?
Agricultural innovation can help African countries achieve food security and poverty reduction goals, but moving from policy promises to real results remains difficult. The paper identifies technological and institutional innovations that boost smallholder farmer productivity and income, yet barriers—including weak governance, limited resources, and knowledge gaps—prevent their adoption. Effective implementation mechanisms beyond goal-setting are essential to deliver promised outcomes.
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Withdrawn as duplicate: Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) urges Congress to ensure efforts to increase and enhance broadband internet access in rural areas
The Society for Behavioral Medicine advocates for Congress to expand high-speed broadband access in rural U.S. areas to enable telehealth services. Better internet infrastructure would allow real-time healthcare delivery, increase access to specialists, and reduce rural health disparities. The organization calls for protecting and enhancing the National Broadband Plan through adequate funding, infrastructure investment, and regulatory reform to make rural internet services both high-quality and affordable.
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Managing Agricultural Research for Prosperity and Food Security in 2050: Comparison of Performance, Innovation Models and Prospects
This study compares agricultural research and innovation performance across six emerging economies in Asia and Africa—Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Uganda, and Kenya. The authors find that these countries show varying levels of success in R&D investment, policy implementation, technology transfer, and public-private partnerships. They identify best practices and recommend that sustained agricultural development requires strong policies supporting research investment, strategic partnerships linking research to practice, and continuous capacity building.
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MODELING OF FACTORS INFLUENCING INNOVATION ACTIVITIES OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES OF UKRAINE
This paper analyzes factors influencing innovation activities in Ukrainian agricultural enterprises. The author develops economic-mathematical models to identify latent factors affecting innovation dynamics, including costs, funding sources, and implementation rates. The research reveals patterns in how agricultural enterprises manage innovation processes and their internal and external relationships. The findings provide guidelines for determining Ukraine's innovation strategy in global agricultural markets.
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Rural entrepreneurship: expanding the horizons
Rural entrepreneurs typically operate within local or regional constraints, but this paper argues they should expand beyond territorial boundaries. The authors show that rural businesses can export solutions to problems elsewhere and import expertise from other regions. They use the 'passport to trade' project to demonstrate how understanding different local business cultures enables successful cross-regional commerce, challenging policies that treat rural entrepreneurship as purely local.
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Success and Failure of Crossbred Cows in India: A Place-Based Approach to Rural Development
India's dairy cooperative program is widely celebrated, but crossbred cows promoted by development agencies were not uniformly adopted across rural areas. This study explains mixed adoption rates by examining how place-specific agricultural economies and social relations shape farmer decisions. Success or failure cannot be measured simply by adoption rates; instead, evaluating dairy development requires understanding local practices, official policies, and the distinct characteristics of each village and region.
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European Sugar Policy Reform and Agricultural Innovation
The EU's 2006 sugar market reform reduced adoption incentives for genetically modified sugar beet among high-cost farmers while increasing incentives for medium-cost producers. Low-cost farmers remained largely unaffected. The reform successfully reduced flexibility and competitiveness of high-cost producers, achieving its goal of crowding them out and strengthening the European sugar market's overall competitiveness.
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Fostering Farmer First Methodological Innovation: Organizational Learning and Change in International Agricultural Research
Participatory plant breeding programs at international agricultural research institutes failed to truly empower farmers because they focused on reforming supply-side science bureaucracies without addressing accountability to poor farmers' actual needs. The farmer-first approach became cosmetic rather than transformative because change champions lacked political power and connection to broader sociopolitical actors. Future progress requires addressing the political dimensions of farmer-driven innovation demand in agriculture.
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Balancing technological innovation and environmental regulation: an analysis of Chinese agricultural biotechnology governance
China manages agricultural biotechnology development through state-led institutions while balancing limited regulatory capacity, a massive smallholder farming sector, and international oversight. The paper examines how China governs genetically modified crops, particularly Bt cotton and GM rice, analyzing the institutional arrangements and competing biotechnology discourses that shape policy decisions around technology adoption and environmental risk assessment.
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A Coupling Mechanism and the Measurement of Science and Technology Innovation and Rural Revitalization Systems
This paper develops a measurement framework to assess how scientific and technological innovation couples with rural revitalization efforts. Using data from Hebei province (2010–2019), the authors construct evaluation indices and coordination models to quantify the relationship between the two systems. Results show Hebei's coupling coordination improved from mild imbalance to primary coordination, with projections reaching good coordination by 2024. The framework provides policymakers with tools for managing regional agricultural development.
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Short-run effects of grid electricity access on rural non-farm entrepreneurship and employment in Ethiopia and Nigeria
Rural electrification in Ethiopia and Nigeria between 2010–2015 did not significantly increase non-farm entrepreneurship or non-farm employment within 2–4 years of grid connection, according to difference-in-differences analysis. Nigeria showed some farm employment intensification. The study demonstrates that electricity access alone is insufficient to drive non-farm economic shifts in these contexts, and highlights data limitations in measuring such effects.
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Research on the Efficiency of Green Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Resource Allocation Based on a Three-Stage DEA Model—A Case Study of Anhui Province, China
This study evaluates how efficiently Anhui Province allocates resources for green agricultural technology innovation. Using a three-stage data envelopment analysis model, researchers found that overall resource allocation efficiency improved over time, but scale efficiency remained low. Technical efficiency was strong across 16 cities, yet scale efficiency varied significantly by region. Hefei and Fuyang led in allocation efficiency. The study recommends improving scale efficiency through better government-market coordination, stronger research platforms, talent development, and open knowledge-sharing mechanisms.
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Opportunity, necessity, and no one in the middle: A closer look at small, rural, and female‐led entrepreneurship in the United States
Female entrepreneurs in rural America start businesses at higher rates in both the poorest and wealthiest counties, following a U-shaped pattern tied to per capita income. The poorest counties show necessity-driven entrepreneurship, while the wealthiest show opportunity-driven ventures. This finding supports place-based policies that address the distinct challenges women face in rural economic development.
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Understanding social enterprise, social entrepreneurship and the social economy in rural Cambodia
This study examines social enterprises in rural Northern Cambodia through interviews with three organizations, revealing that Western development agencies' views on social enterprise often conflict with local realities and community needs. As capitalist market forces advance, Cambodia's social economy is changing in ways that may exclude vulnerable community members. The research challenges Western-centric assumptions about social entrepreneurship and highlights how local social enterprises serve rural development differently than international development models predict.
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Interrogating “entrepreneurship for development”: a counter-narrative based on local stories of women in rural Ethiopia
This study challenges the dominant narrative that entrepreneurship solves development problems by examining women's actual experiences in rural Ethiopia. Through interviews and focus groups, researchers found that while women entrepreneurs gain financial benefits and social recognition, they also face significant downsides including personal safety concerns, stress, limited social life, and fear of poverty. The findings urge policymakers to reconsider uncritical promotion of entrepreneurship and recognize its complex, sometimes harmful effects on women's lives.
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Rural broadband initiatives in the Netherlands as a training ground for neo-endogenous development
Rural broadband initiatives in the Netherlands involve citizens, governments, and market players working together to improve internet connectivity. An analysis of 75 initiatives reveals an eight-stage development model showing how all three actors influence progress. However, market players use rigid policies to protect market share, while governments offer vague or generic policies that ignore local differences. These initiatives require substantial social, intellectual, and financial capital to succeed, but current operating conditions threaten their ability to deliver broadband to rural areas.
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The dynamics of local innovations among formal and informal enterprises: Stories from rural South Africa
This study examines innovation in rural South African enterprises, both formal and informal. The research reveals that innovation characteristics are similar across formal and informal sectors, challenging traditional distinctions between them. Informal innovations occur throughout the rural economy regardless of sector location. The findings show that narrow categorizations of innovators obscure economic reality and identify four policy priorities for supporting rural innovation.
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Urban–Rural Integration and Agricultural Technology Innovation: Evidence from China
Urban-rural integration in China promotes agricultural technological innovation, with effects varying by region and agricultural area. The study of 288 cities from 1999-2018 shows that governance systems and mature markets strengthen this relationship. The impact follows a double threshold pattern, where deeper integration produces larger gains in innovation, particularly in central and urban areas. Breaking down urban-rural barriers accelerates agricultural technology development.
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AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION AS AN INNOVATION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Agricultural cooperatives serve as a mechanism for integrated rural development in Ukraine, addressing economic and settlement challenges while increasing investment attractiveness. The study analyzes European cooperative models and identifies growth points in Ukrainian rural areas—meat, construction, tourism, and recreational clusters—where cooperatives can reduce costs for members and support small and medium-sized businesses. The research concludes that cooperatives require stronger state institutional support to function effectively as mechanisms for economic self-regulation and rural prosperity.
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Creating a smart rural economy through smart specialisation: The microsphere model
This paper proposes the microsphere model, a framework for applying smart specialisation strategies to rural economies. The model shifts innovation focus from large-scale capital investment to entrepreneurial activity, helping policymakers support innovation among small rural firms. The author tests the framework using a Scottish rural region case study, demonstrating how smart specialisation can address economic stagnation and boost regional growth through demand-led innovation strategies.
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Broadband access, citizen enfranchisement, and telecommunications services in rural and remote areas: a report from the american frontier [Topics in Wireless Communications]
Rural and remote areas of Montana lag significantly behind metropolitan regions in broadband access and online services, despite statewide averages suggesting parity with national levels. County-level data reveals uneven distribution of high-speed internet, limited e-government services, and gaps in digital infrastructure. The authors argue that targeted policy changes and infrastructure investments could reduce these inequities and provide rural residents with cost-saving alternatives to travel.
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Bridging or widening? The impact of the Broadband China policy on urban-rural income inequality
China's Broadband policy expanded rural internet infrastructure but paradoxically widened the urban-rural income gap between 2011 and 2021. The policy's effects varied by region based on local conditions. Innovation, entrepreneurship, digital finance, and information industry growth mediated the policy's impact on inequality. Complementary policies helped reduce the widening effect, suggesting that broadband expansion alone requires coordinated policy support tailored to local development levels.
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Challenges for entrepreneurship development in rural economies: the case of micro and small-scale enterprises in Ethiopia
Government support programs for micro and small-scale enterprises in Ethiopia reduce entrepreneurial activity by encouraging market entry among entrepreneurs without sound business strategies. Direct government involvement, sector-specific incentives, and programs pursuing social or political goals undermine rather than strengthen early-stage entrepreneurship. The study shows that institutional environment and business formation processes critically shape entrepreneurial outcomes in low-trust, high-population contexts.
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Methods of State Support of Innovative Entrepreneurship. The Example of Rural Tourism
Kazakhstan's small business sector needs stronger state support systems to drive innovation, particularly in rural tourism. The authors analyze how developed countries support innovative entrepreneurship and propose tailored strategies for Kazakhstan that account for local cultural and institutional contexts. They emphasize that effective legal frameworks and corruption prevention are essential, and highlight how tourism and hospitality sectors were severely impacted by COVID-19.
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Agroecological Entrepreneurship, Public Support, and Sustainable Development: The Case of Rural Yucatan (Mexico)
Rural entrepreneurs in Yucatan, Mexico pursue agroecological businesses to support sustainable development, but face significant barriers. Public institutions provide minimal support due to competing political priorities, entrepreneurs lack training in agroecological methods, distribution channels are inadequate, and bureaucratic obstacles hinder business formation. Low consumer environmental awareness and weak producer networks further constrain these enterprises from generating wealth and rural development.
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Institutional Constraints to Innovation: Artisan Clusters in Rural India
Rural artisan clusters in India suffer from low innovation due to institutional constraints. Formal institutions—both public and private—remain disconnected from these informal enterprises, limiting access to finance, technology, and markets. The paper examines five handloom and handicraft clusters across Indian states, finding that sectoral approaches to cluster development fail to address underlying spatial and organizational problems. It questions whether innovation systems adequately serve poor rural producers.
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Patriarchal bargains in protected spaces: a new strategy for agricultural and rural development innovation in the western hills of Nepal
Rural women in Nepal's western hills need protected spaces to negotiate for their rights within patriarchal systems, rather than relying on broad gender mainstreaming approaches. The study found that women's limited control over land and land-related services undermines their ability to secure benefits from agricultural development unless they have dedicated niches where they can struggle and bargain for their rights.
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The impact of digital development on non-agricultural employment of rural women: evidence from the broadband China strategy
Digital infrastructure development significantly increases non-agricultural employment opportunities for rural women in China. The effect is strongest among younger, educated, and married women in grain-producing regions. Digital development improves employment by enhancing women's skills and labor quality while simultaneously creating new industries and better job environments. These findings support expanding rural digital infrastructure and digital economy development to address women's employment gaps.
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Confidence Across Cleavage: The Swiss Rural–Urban Divide, Place‐Based Identity and Political Trust
This study examines political trust differences between rural and urban Switzerland using survey data from 4,000 respondents. While a rural–urban divide exists in direct democratic votes, the paper finds only a small direct difference in political trust levels. However, place-based identity significantly shapes this relationship: rural residents show higher trust when place identity is weak, but urban residents show higher trust when place identity is strong.
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Rural businesses and levelling up: A rural-urban analysis of business innovation and exporting in England's north and midlands
Rural and urban small businesses in England's North and Midlands show no significant differences in innovation or exporting rates, according to analysis of longitudinal survey data. The study challenges the assumption that cities provide better conditions for business growth, suggesting that levelling-up policies should not prioritize urban areas over rural ones.
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“Do you Know What's Underneath your Feet?”: Underground Landscapes & Place‐Based Risk Perceptions of Proposed Shale Gas Sites in Rural British Communities<sup>☆</sup>
Rural communities in the United Kingdom perceive risks from proposed shale gas exploration through deep, place-based knowledge rooted in generations of connection to their local landscapes, including underground features. Residents' understanding of subsurface geology shapes their concerns about how extraction threatens their communities' distinctiveness and character. The study shows that effective risk management for underground energy projects must incorporate local, place-based knowledge alongside technical expertise.
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Building a Culture of Entrepreneurial Initiative in Rural Regions Based on Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of University of Applied Sciences–Municipality Innovation Partnership
Universities and municipalities can build entrepreneurial culture in rural regions through creative partnerships that extend beyond economic contributions. The study examines a university-municipality innovation partnership, showing that universities should integrate social, environmental, and economic dimensions across teaching, research, and community engagement. Governments should move beyond regulation to actively collaborate with universities in fostering regional entrepreneurial initiatives aligned with sustainable development goals.
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Making the case for place based governance in rural health workforce recruitment and retention: Lessons from Canada and Australia
Rural communities worldwide struggle to recruit and retain health workers, creating healthcare access gaps between rural and urban areas. This study examines place-based governance approaches through case studies in Canada and Australia. The authors argue that effective rural health workforce strategies require context-specific benchmarks and cross-national collaboration to understand how place-making strategies can improve recruitment and retention in rural health services.
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Can public medical insurance promote rural entrepreneurship? Evidence from China
China's National Cooperative Medical Scheme, a subsidized public health insurance program for rural populations, increases rural entrepreneurship by reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses. The wealth effect from lower healthcare costs drives entrepreneurial investment. The effect is strongest among wealthier households, those with better insurance coverage, and those with younger household heads.
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Local development in the rural regions of Eastern Europe: Post-socialist paradoxes of economic and social entrepreneurship
Agricultural transformation in Hungary and Poland created paradoxes for rural development. The paper examines how de-collectivization reshaped cooperative management and the relationship between large cooperatives and rural households. It analyzes how Europeanization and globalization affected these dynamics, identifying what distinguishes successful cooperatives and households in this post-socialist context.
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Mobile devices and services: bridging the digital divide in rural areas
Mobile phones offer a practical solution to bridge the digital divide in rural areas where internet connectivity remains limited. The paper reviews successful implementations of secure e-services delivered through mobile networks, demonstrating how these services can reach low-income rural populations who currently lack access to e-government services designed for them.
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The Roles Of Community Based Telecenters In Bridging The Digital Divide In Rural Malaysia
Malaysia's rural population faces barriers to digital access due to uneven infrastructure, high costs, and lack of locally relevant content. This study evaluates Kedaikom, a government-supported community telecenter program designed to bridge the digital divide. Survey results show that community telecenters successfully encourage rural ICT adoption, particularly among younger people and those with higher education, helping Malaysia progress toward its information society goals.
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How returning home for entrepreneurship affects rural common prosperity
Returning home to start businesses significantly promotes rural prosperity in China, with effects varying across regions and driven by three mechanisms: access to financial credit, government support, and social networks. The impact is stronger in areas already experiencing higher prosperity levels, creating a Matthew effect where advantages concentrate in better-off rural regions.
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Social entrepreneurship and rural development in post-independence Indonesia
Social entrepreneurship initiatives and rural development programs in post-independence Indonesia have reinforced each other to address socio-economic challenges in rural communities. Government policies increasingly leverage social entrepreneurial approaches aligned with three strategic pillars of entrepreneurship programs. The research emphasizes local values, community participation, and women's economic engagement as critical factors in successful rural development through social entrepreneurship.
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Redefining rural entrepreneurship: The impact of business ecosystems on the success of rural businesses in Extremadura, Spain
Rural businesses in Extremadura, Spain succeed based on community connection and value creation, not just location or primary sector activity. The study finds that local business ecosystems lack sufficient resources tailored to rural entrepreneurship. Policymakers must develop new, place-based support strategies and resources that leverage endogenous rural assets to increase viable rural businesses and drive regional development.
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Fostering rural entrepreneurship: An ex-post analysis for Spanish municipalities
A Spanish policy promoting rural entrepreneurship through bottom-up ecosystem relationships reduced unemployment in treated municipalities, but showed no spillover effects. Infrastructure and innovation funding proved effective at lowering joblessness, while technology adoption alone did not. Female workers experienced smaller benefits, revealing that basic infrastructure matters more than technology alone for rural economic development.
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Is the Rural Population Caught in the Whirlwind of the Digital Divide?
Rural populations in Spain face significant digital divides compared to urban areas, particularly among vulnerable groups like the elderly, unemployed, and women. Using structural equation modeling on survey data, the study reveals that digital access and technology use gaps correlate directly with users' socioeconomic status. The findings demonstrate that technology adoption in rural agriculture requires urgent policy intervention to address inequality and ensure equitable access across demographic groups.
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Women’s Entrepreneurship in Rural Greece
In rural Greece, women entrepreneurs operate primarily as solo business owners or through cooperatives, focusing on direct consumer sales. While solo enterprises dominate, they struggle with survival and succession. Women's cooperatives, though created top-down, show promise as sustainable models. The paper recommends Greek policymakers reduce business registration bureaucracy, develop alternative financing, and improve information access to strengthen women's rural entrepreneurship.
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Lessons from the design of innovation systems for rural industrial clusters in India
Innovation systems for rural village industries in India fail when they adopt weak competitiveness models focused on poverty alleviation rather than business growth. The paper argues that small producers must form multi-sectoral collectives pooling resources and capabilities to achieve technological efficiency. Analysis of leather, fruit processing, and agro-processing sectors shows that successful innovation requires producers to cooperate in production at scale, not compete individually using primitive intermediate technologies.
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Influencing Factors of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship: A Four-Dimensional Evaluation System Encompassing Entrepreneurs, Economy, Society, and Environment
This study develops a four-dimensional evaluation system for sustainable rural entrepreneurship covering entrepreneurs, economy, society, and environment. Using fuzzy DANP analysis, the researchers identify causal relationships among influencing factors and their weights. Economic dimensions prove most important, with entrepreneurial motivation, business type, financial backing, economic value, policy frameworks, and business environment as key indicators. Financial support, business type, economic value, and favorable policies drive progress, while motivation and business environment depend on other factors.
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A strategy for development and economic progress: challenges and opportunities of rural entrepreneurship
Rural entrepreneurship is critical for Bangladesh's economic development, where 85.7% of the population lives in impoverished areas. This study interviewed rural business owners to identify opportunities and challenges they face using the Economic Performance Model and Innovation Operations Approach. The research finds that innovation, not just finance, drives rural growth. The authors recommend government policies supporting small-scale farming and rural enterprises to reduce unemployment and economic hardship.
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Deciphering the digital divide: the heterogeneous and nonlinear influence of digital economy on urban-rural income inequality in China
Digital economy expansion in China widens urban-rural income inequality, but this effect weakens as digitalization advances. The impact varies significantly by region: in developed areas with high education and openness, digital economy increases inequality, while in regions with stronger secondary industry and higher fiscal spending, it helps reduce inequality. Policymakers should tailor digital strategies to local conditions.
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Place‐based subsidies and employment growth in rural America: Evidence from the broadband initiatives programme
The Broadband Initiatives Program, a $3.4 billion USDA initiative launched in 2010, significantly boosted employment growth in rural areas through 2019. The subsidies had stronger effects on startup job creation than existing businesses, particularly in goods production and information technology sectors. Micropolitan areas saw greater employment gains than remote rural locations or metropolitan areas.
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Promoting ICT adoption in rural entrepreneurship: more neighbourhood effect or more institutional incentives?—Empirical evidence from China
Chinese rural entrepreneurs adopt ICT more through observing neighbors' success than through government incentives. Perceived personal well-being benefits drive adoption decisions, while government programs show inconsistent effects across industries. Effective ICT promotion requires combining government support with community influence and addressing both rational and emotional motivations.
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The Digital Divide: A Qualitative Study of Technology Access in Rural Communities
Economic barriers, inadequate educational resources, and insufficient infrastructure significantly hinder digital access in rural communities. The study identifies affordability of devices and services, limited digital literacy programs, and poor internet connectivity as key obstacles. Bridging the digital divide requires multifaceted interventions combining targeted financial support, educational services, and infrastructure improvements through coordinated policy action and stakeholder collaboration.
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Challenges, solutions and future directions for public health innovations targeting dementia prevention for rural and remote populations
Rural and remote populations in Australia face 80% higher dementia risk and 1.4 times greater chronic disease burden than metropolitan areas, yet health interventions remain designed for urban populations. This paper identifies challenges in cognitive health service delivery for rural communities and proposes short and long-term policy and clinical practice innovations to improve dementia prevention in these underserved regions.
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‘Hybrid’ top down bottom up health system innovation in rural China: A qualitative analysis
China's Rural Health Reform Project piloted a hybrid top-down and bottom-up approach to health system reforms across rural counties serving 21 million people. Initial implementation struggled because counties lacked autonomy and initiative, but tight top-down supervision combined with expert support helped counties develop the mindset and capabilities to tailor reforms to local needs. Successful counties achieved sustainable improvements and developed advanced learning capabilities.
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Developing information to support the implementation of place-based economic development strategies: A case study of regional and rural development policy in the State of Victoria, Australia
Victoria, Australia implemented place-based regional development strategies requiring local and government partnerships. A key challenge emerged: stakeholders lacked shared understanding of government's role in promoting local economic growth. The author describes developing an information base to address this misalignment and offers lessons for practitioners implementing similar place-based economic development approaches elsewhere.
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Bridging the Digital Divide in Rural India
This paper examines how organizational innovations can provide affordable internet access in rural India. Using survey data from 500 people across four Indian states, the authors analyze what factors drive computer and internet adoption. They apply microeconomic models to understand usage patterns beyond simple penetration rates, revealing the local economics of digital access in rural communities.
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Rural Regional Innovation: A Response to Metropolitan-framed Place-based Thinking in the United States
This paper examines place-based policy approaches to rural innovation in the United States, arguing that metropolitan-focused frameworks fail to capture rural realities. The author critiques how rurality is measured and how this shapes policy discourse, then proposes a rural regional innovation framework that accounts for distinct rural-metropolitan relationships and clusters. The work challenges regional science to better understand rural innovation dynamics.
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Entrepreneurship and institutional change in Post-socialist rural areas: Some evidence from Russia und the Ukraine
Rural entrepreneurs in post-socialist Russia and Ukraine differ significantly from their urban counterparts, operating within weaker institutional frameworks. The study examines three regions—Novosibirsk and Bashkortostan in Russia, and Transcarpathia in Ukraine—finding that while urban areas show increased entrepreneurial diversity following transformation, rural areas lag behind. Even within these rural regions, divergent development pathways are emerging, raising questions about the pace and direction of institutional change.
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Green Innovation and the Urban–Rural Income Gap: Empirical Evidence from China
Green innovation significantly reduces China's urban–rural income gap, with each unit increase in green innovation cutting the gap by 0.017 units. The effect is stronger in economically developed regions and areas with higher-skill workforces. Green innovation narrows income inequality by driving urbanization, restructuring labor forces, and reducing wage disparities. Environmental pollution amplifies these benefits, making green innovation particularly effective in polluted areas.
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Rural Entrepreneurship Development in Southwest China: A Spatiotemporal Analysis
Rural entrepreneurship in Mianyang, southwest China grew significantly from 2011 to 2020 as part of government vitalization efforts. The study maps where enterprises emerged and finds that physical geography and institutional support—particularly government policies and infrastructure—shaped entrepreneurship patterns across the region. Rural entrepreneurship develops unevenly and requires analysis at regional scales to understand how local conditions drive business formation.
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Rural Development and Entrepreneurship: Exploration of Entrepreneurial Intention in Rural Area Among Chinese University Students
Chinese college students show stronger entrepreneurial intentions for rural areas when they experience positive emotions, feel capable of succeeding, and receive government support. Perceived control and desire to start a business directly influence entrepreneurial intent. These findings help policymakers design strategies to attract educated young people back to rural communities, addressing talent shortages and supporting national rural revitalization goals.
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Rural–Urban, Gender, and Digital Divides during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Multi-Layered Study
This study examines digital divides affecting online learning during COVID-19 lockdowns across five South Asian developing countries. Female students and rural students faced greater barriers to digital learning than their male and urban counterparts. Structural and cultural constraints particularly restricted women's access to online education, and these inequalities intensified during the crisis. The findings highlight how gender and geography intersect to create digital discrimination and inform policy for more inclusive digital education systems.
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Push them forward: Challenges in intergovernmental organizations' influence on rural broadband infrastructure expansion
Regional Planning Commissions in rural Missouri struggle to advance broadband infrastructure despite it being a core goal. Interviews with 16 commissions reveal they face competing stakeholder pressures from residents, local governments, internet service providers, and state/federal agencies. While commissions advocate for broadband priorities to elected officials, they lack sufficient expertise and self-efficacy to effectively support planning efforts. The study proposes a framework combining behavioral and stakeholder theories to explain these dynamics.
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Determinants of innovation by agri-food firms in rural Spain: an MCA PLS-SEM analysis
Small and medium agri-food firms in Spain innovate primarily to increase sales, enter new markets, and improve product quality, driven by firm capacity and financial resources. Smaller and younger firms face greater barriers to innovation. The study finds that firms rarely innovate to reduce costs or meet regulatory requirements. Public policy should address environmental compliance and employment maintenance, while supporting market-driven innovation incentives.
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Enhancing integration of Indigenous agricultural knowledge into USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service cost-share initiatives
Indigenous agricultural knowledge practices in the American Southwest have sustained ecosystems for millennia, yet only 2% of USDA conservation cost-share contracts go to American Indian farms despite comprising 2.9% of U.S. farms. The paper demonstrates that Hopi dryland farming, Chippewa wild rice harvesting, and Menominee forestry practices align with NRCS conservation goals. The authors argue for integrating Indigenous practices directly into NRCS technical guides rather than requiring ad hoc approval processes, removing barriers to participation and preserving both ecosystems and Indigenous cultures.
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Innovation and Management by Regional Rural Banks in Achieving the Dream of Financial Inclusion in India: Challenges and Prospects.
Regional Rural Banks in India use innovative deposit mobilization, credit expansion, and loan recovery methods to achieve financial inclusion in rural areas. A study of 96 bank officials in Uttar Pradesh found they effectively serve neglected populations despite facing challenges in deposit mobilization and credit expansion. Political interference affects bank operations, but officials report overall proper functioning. The findings help policymakers design schemes to reach the poorest rural customers.
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Examining Key Stakeholder and Community Residents’ Understanding of Environmental Influences to Inform Place‐Based Interventions to Reduce Obesity in Rural Communities, Kentucky 2015
Rural Kentucky counties with obesity rates exceeding 40% face significant barriers to healthy living. Stakeholders and residents identified limited access to fresh produce and inadequate physical activity infrastructure as key problems. Residents concerned about obesity shopped more at supercenters, while those with information about physical activity opportunities reported better access to safe exercise spaces, sidewalks, and trails. These findings provide a foundation for designing community-specific interventions.
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Drivers of Innovation in Rural Tourism: the Role of Good Governance and Engaged Entrepreneurs
Good governance and engaged entrepreneurship drive innovation in rural tourism. Research in Ontario identified seven success factors: governance, human resources, investments, research, marketing, communication, and coordination. Engaged entrepreneurs enable incremental innovation that helps rural businesses survive economic challenges, while strategic governance—including bottom-up planning and federal coordination—creates conditions for sustainable tourism development. Local entrepreneurial leadership proves critical for product development and training.
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Institutional barriers to successful innovations: Perceptions of rural farmers and key stakeholders in southwest Nigeria
Rural farmers and stakeholders in southwest Nigeria identify institutional barriers as critical to agricultural innovation success. Government policies, market conditions, financial institutions, and infrastructure significantly affect whether farmers adopt new technologies. The study recommends pairing institutional reforms with innovative inputs and strengthening farmers' cooperatives to enable successful agricultural innovation.
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A TV white space broadband market model for rural entrepreneurs
This paper develops a market model enabling rural entrepreneurs to provide broadband internet using TV white space spectrum. The model treats spectrum allocation as a pricing game between a WiMAX base station (seller) and WiFi access points (buyers), with throughput determining quality of service. The approach enables cost-effective mesh networks to deliver broadband to rural schools and remote areas, offering a practical spectrum management solution for underserved regions.
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HOW EFFECTIVE IS MICROFINANCE IN REACHING THE POOREST? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON PROGRAMME OUTREACH IN RURAL PAKISTAN
Microfinance institutions in rural Pakistan reach middle-income and less-poor households far more effectively than the poorest populations, despite claims otherwise. A survey of 1,132 households in Punjab shows microfinance programs fail to serve the very poor adequately. The study calls for policy reforms to deepen outreach toward the poorest rather than simply expanding program breadth.
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E-Governance in Rural India: Need of Broadband Connectivity Using Wireless Technology
Rural India lacks broadband connectivity needed for e-governance systems that could drive agricultural and economic development. This paper examines wireless technology solutions for delivering digital governance services to rural Maharashtra, specifically studying Jalgaon district. The authors argue that expanding ICT access and adoption empowers rural communities, improves agricultural management, and enables greater participation in digital services essential for rural development.
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The management of indigenous knowledge with other knowledge systems for agricultural development: challenges and opportunities for developing countries
Tanzanian farmers struggle to integrate indigenous agricultural knowledge with external knowledge systems due to personal, social, and resource constraints, weak infrastructure, unclear intellectual property policies, and poor connections between researchers, extension workers, and farming communities. The paper identifies specific challenges and recommends strategies to strengthen knowledge management systems for agricultural development in rural Tanzania.
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The Development of Compulsory Education Finance in Rural China
Rural China's compulsory education system faces significant financing challenges. The paper examines how education funding mechanisms developed in rural areas, analyzing the financial structures supporting primary and secondary schooling. It identifies gaps between urban and rural education investment and discusses policy approaches to strengthen rural education finance and ensure equitable access to compulsory education across China's countryside.
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Responses to Innovation in an Insecure Environment in Rural Nepal
In remote Humla District, Nepal, agropastoralists responded differently to a community development project during the Maoist insurgency based on their socioeconomic status, access to local resources, and relationships with Maoist cadres. Villagers' participation in the health and conservation project correlated with their perceived risks and ability to engage. The study reveals how security threats and local power dynamics shape rural communities' adoption of external innovations.
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Value-proposition of e-governance services: Bridging rural-urban digital divide in developing countries
E-governance services can bridge the rural-urban digital divide in developing countries by improving how quickly government services reach citizens and how long they remain accessible. The paper examines successful e-governance projects and proposes a framework to deliver value to rural populations, enabling them to better access and use government services that cost and distance previously kept from them.
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From Rural Single-County to Multicounty Regional Transit Systems: Benefits of Consolidation
This study examines consolidating single-county rural public transit systems into multicounty regional systems in North Carolina. Researchers identified opportunities and barriers to regional integration, analyzed case studies of successful consolidations, and recommended programmatic and legislative changes to facilitate regional transit systems. The findings show that consolidation improves coordination of public transportation services across rural counties.
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Appalachian social entrepreneurship ecosystem: A framework for rural development
Social enterprises in rural Appalachian Ohio create economic development by leveraging regional champions, university partnerships, and multiple forms of capital. The study shows that successful rural social enterprise ecosystems depend on integrating community and economic development while preserving ecosystem services. This approach represents a fourth wave of rural economic development that moves beyond traditional models.
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Innovative Rural Entrepreneurship in Chile
Rural areas in Chile show high entrepreneurship rates despite economic disadvantages, challenging stereotypes that innovation requires high-tech sophistication. The paper argues that middle-income countries can foster more innovative rural entrepreneurship through systemic, amenity-based territorial policies that improve local public goods and living conditions, rather than assuming rural entrepreneurship must remain unsophisticated.
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Exploring the best hybrid energy system for the off-grid rural energy scheme in Bangladesh using a comprehensive decision framework
This study develops a decision framework combining optimization modeling and multi-criteria analysis to select hybrid energy systems for off-grid rural areas in Bangladesh. The research identifies a photovoltaic-diesel-battery system as optimal, delivering energy at 0.32 USD/kWh—cheaper than the national grid and 64% cleaner than diesel-only alternatives. The framework successfully balances technical, economic, environmental, and social factors to guide rural electrification decisions in developing countries.
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Relationship Between Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Dimensions of Rural Women in Fars Province
Entrepreneurship and empowerment reinforce each other in rural development. A survey of 393 rural women entrepreneurs in Fars Province found that entrepreneurship motivation, development, training participation, knowledge, information use, business environment, supportive policies, and business planning skills predicted 56% of women's empowerment gains. Entrepreneurship motivation had the strongest effect. The study recommends improving access to materials, enacting supportive laws, expanding training, enhancing product sales conditions, and addressing women's professional needs.
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‘Men on Transit’ and the Rural ‘Farmer Housewives’: Women in Decision-making Roles in Migrant-labour Societies in North-Western Zimbabwe
Research in north-western Zimbabwe challenges the narrative that migration harms women left behind. The study finds that male migration actually increased women's decision-making power in households and communities. Women took on prominent roles in household and societal governance, experiencing empowerment rather than marginalization. The findings highlight how migration can drive development and caution against generalizing migration's effects across different rural contexts.
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A New Role for Land Grant Universities in the Rural Innovation Ecosystem?
Land grant universities play a limited role in fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship in rural America, contributing to persistent economic inequality and reduced wealth-creation opportunities. The authors identify why this gap exists and propose a new vision for how these institutions can more effectively support rural innovation and economic development through concrete actions.
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Energy planning model with renewable energy using optimization multicriteria techniques for isolated rural communities: Cajamarca province, Peru
This paper develops SEPLAN, an energy planning model using multicriteria optimization to balance economic, environmental, and social objectives for isolated rural communities in Peru. Applied to Cajamarca province, the model evaluates renewable energy alternatives against six competing goals including emissions reduction, cost minimization, and universal energy access. Results show photovoltaic solar energy emerges as the priority solution when prioritizing rural electrification, offering decision-makers a practical tool for sustainable energy planning.
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Enabling community-powered co-innovation by connecting rural stakeholders with global knowledge brokers
The paper demonstrates how community-powered co-innovation improves conditions for small-scale farmers in developing countries. By connecting rural stakeholders with global knowledge brokers, the approach addresses economic, social, and ecological sustainability simultaneously. The authors show this model can be successfully implemented to support farming communities.
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Rural Electrification through Renewable Energy Sources- An Overview of Challenges and Prospects
Rural electrification in India faces significant socio-economic barriers despite renewable energy's potential for decentralized power generation. The paper identifies key challenges in deploying renewables to off-grid villages and proposes solutions: making renewable devices affordable, increasing local participation, encouraging private investment, and implementing supportive government policies. These measures are essential for achieving energy security and sustainable development in rural areas.
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Indigenous knowledge systems and agricultural rural development in South Africa : past and present perspectives
Indigenous knowledge systems sustained rural livelihoods and biodiversity in South Africa for centuries until colonialism and apartheid disrupted them. The paper examines how IK can support agricultural development today, identifying gaps in research and policy. While the South African government has advanced IK protection, gaps remain in intellectual property legislation and implementation. Agricultural and soil-focused IK research needs expansion to unlock innovation potential for rural development.
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From financial exclusion to financial inclusion through microfinance: the case of rural Zimbabwe
Rural Zimbabwe's population remains largely unbanked not because they lack capacity, but because commercial banks find it unprofitable to serve areas with inadequate infrastructure. Microfinance institutions fill this gap but face significant operational challenges. The study reveals that rural communities are actually bankable, contradicting banks' claims that poverty prevents financial inclusion.
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Techno-economic analyses of wireline and wireless broadband access networks deployment in Croatian rural areas
This paper analyzes the technical and economic feasibility of deploying broadband networks in Croatian rural areas. The authors model costs for wireline and wireless technologies currently used in Croatia, evaluate their cost-effectiveness using standard profitability methods, and conduct sensitivity analyses on key cost parameters. The results show how different rural scenarios affect broadband deployment costs and identify which technologies work best under different conditions.
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Super Network on the Prairie: The Discursive Framing of Broadband Connectivity by Policy Planners and Rural Residents in Alberta, Canada
This study examines Alberta's SuperNet broadband infrastructure project by comparing how government planners and rural residents differently understood and valued broadband connectivity. Through interviews, focus groups, and town halls, the researchers found that policy makers and rural communities held distinct visions of broadband's purpose. Rural residents themselves interpreted broadband differently based on their specific circumstances. Rather than simply equalizing access, broadband functioned as a complex mediator affecting opportunity, participation, and identity in rural communities.
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Technology Adoption Intention and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Ability of Rural Women in Bangladesh
Rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh adopt ICT when they have access to materials, mental support, skills training, usage opportunities, and microfinance services. ICT adoption significantly improves their business skills. The study surveyed 315 women and identifies key access points policymakers should target to empower rural female entrepreneurs and advance gender equality goals.
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Challenges for tourism-related lifestyle migrant entrepreneurship in rural areas of the Algarve, Portugal
Lifestyle migrant entrepreneurs in rural Portugal's Algarve region face significant barriers when starting and running tourism businesses. Bureaucratic complexity, unclear legal procedures, and inadequate specialized support create the biggest obstacles. The study reveals that better cooperation and communication among stakeholders—including government agencies, local authorities, and support organizations—is essential to help these entrepreneurs succeed and enable sustainable rural tourism development.
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Exploring the Impact of Green Finance on Sustainable Rural Development: Evidence From 283 Cities in China
Green finance promotes rural sustainable development in Chinese cities, according to analysis of 283 prefecture-level cities from 2004 to 2022. Environmental regulations and digital economy adoption strengthen this positive effect. However, green finance creates negative spillover effects on neighboring regions while benefiting its own area. The study recommends strengthening green finance deployment, enhancing environmental oversight, and promoting digital economy adoption to support rural sustainability.
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Improving access to primary health care through financial innovation in rural China: a quasi-experimental synthetic difference-in-differences approach
A financing reform in rural China that integrated primary healthcare supply and established a dedicated fund significantly increased outpatient visits to primary care facilities by 15 percentage points and raised per capita spending by 87 yuan. The reform proved effective across multiple model specifications and strengthened over time, demonstrating that horizontal integration in healthcare financing improves access and resource allocation in resource-limited rural settings.
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Women’s Network Resource Acquisition in Informal Rural Entrepreneurship: A Developed View of Opportunity versus Necessity Dichotomy
Women informal entrepreneurs in rural Iran use different network strategies to access resources and overcome gender constraints. Tourism entrepreneurs build both weak and strong ties, gaining diverse resource access and pursuing opportunity-driven ventures. Farm entrepreneurs rely primarily on strong horizontal ties, remaining more necessity-driven. The study shows tailored policies must address distinct network patterns across different entrepreneurial groups.
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The geography of innovation in times of crisis: a comparison of rural and urban RDI patterns during COVID-19
Rural firms in Finland lagged behind urban firms in securing competitive research and development funding before COVID-19, but this gap narrowed significantly during the pandemic. Rural enterprises demonstrated strategic flexibility and resilience by taking advantage of more accessible and flexible funding mechanisms introduced during the crisis. The findings challenge assumptions that rural innovation capacity is fragile during economic shocks.
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Comprehensive land improvement innovation for rural revitalization: Public value creation and realization
This paper examines how comprehensive land improvement innovations create and realize public value for rural revitalization. The authors analyze mechanisms through which land improvement projects generate benefits for rural communities, focusing on the processes that transform potential public value into actual realized outcomes. The work addresses how innovation in land management and improvement practices supports broader rural development goals.
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Can the income level of rural residents be improved by the Chinese “Broadband Village?”: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design of the six pilot provinces
China's Broadband Village initiative significantly increased rural residents' income in six western provinces between 2015 and 2019, with incomes rising 1.47–1.52 times higher in participating counties. However, the policy's benefits decreased for higher-income residents and showed an inverted U-shaped effect over time. Highly educated farmers gained the most from broadband access.
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Rural Broadband Development in Canada’s Provinces: An Overview of Policy Approaches
Canadian provinces have used a mix of competitive market policies and targeted subsidies to achieve near-universal Internet access in rural and remote communities. The paper examines how public sector initiatives address private sector under-investment in rural broadband networks, showing that this combined approach effectively narrows the urban-rural digital divide.
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Decentralized Solar Energy Access and Assessment of Performance Parameters for Rural Communities in India
Solar energy policies in rural India have created opportunities for decentralized renewable energy, but the market has stalled due to poor promotion, weak financial models, and negative perceptions among low-income households. The paper examines energy poverty in remote communities and identifies why solar technologies fail to expand despite government support. It proposes strategies to overcome market barriers and accelerate adoption of decentralized solar systems in underserved areas.
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Designing Rural Policies for Sustainable Innovations through a Participatory Approach
This paper examines how involving local stakeholders in policy design strengthens rural innovation outcomes. Researchers applied a participatory approach using SWOT analysis with experts and stakeholders in an Italian region developing a Rural Development Program. The analysis identified that sustainable innovations, rural services, and training require improvement, and that financial resources dedicated to these areas must increase.
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Local wisdom in rural microfinance: a descriptive study on villagers of East Sumba
Rural villagers in East Sumba, Indonesia use local wisdom practices for saving and investing to overcome limited access to formal financial services. The study documents how communities apply traditional knowledge and bottom-up approaches to microfinance, reducing poverty and improving financial inclusion. Local governments can adopt culture-led development policies that integrate these existing community practices into microfinance programs.
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A hybrid energy system based on renewable energy for the electrification of low-income rural communities
This paper proposes a hybrid renewable energy system to electrify low-income rural communities in Peru without grid access. Researchers surveyed Monte-Catache village in Cajamarca to assess energy demand and renewable resources. Simulations showed isolated photovoltaic systems with battery storage as the most viable solution. The approach offers a practical pathway for bringing electricity to remote, impoverished areas using cost-effective renewable technology.
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UHF TVWS operation in Indian scenario utilizing wireless regional area network for rural broadband access
India's telecom regulator opened TV white space spectrum for LTE auctions, but rural areas lack demand for such large bandwidths. This paper proposes using Wireless Regional Area Networks based on IEEE 802.22 standard to deliver affordable broadband to rural India. The authors present a licensing model allowing multiple service providers to operate dynamically in specific regions at lower costs, leveraging cognitive radio features for efficient spectrum access.
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Mapping the least-cost option for rural electrification in Burkina Faso: Scaling-up renewable energies
Rural electrification in Burkina Faso currently reaches only 2% of the rural population, with electricity lacking at schools and hospitals. This report develops a spatial analysis methodology to identify cost-effective pathways to universal access. The analysis shows that the government's grid-extension strategy is inefficient and unsustainable. Instead, distributed renewable-powered minigrids using local resources would connect more people faster, reduce fossil fuel imports, and provide a sustainable long-term energy model.
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Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs or ‘Creative Class’ Employees?
This study examines whether broadband availability affects the presence of entrepreneurs and creative-class workers in rural American counties. Using 2012 national broadband data and census measures, the researchers apply spatial econometric analysis to test whether specific broadband thresholds—such as download speeds or provider numbers—correlate with entrepreneurship levels. The work addresses whether closing the digital divide through broadband infrastructure investment can meaningfully support rural economic growth through these key worker populations.
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Sustainability of rural energy access in developing countries
Rural energy access remains unresolved in developing countries despite policy efforts. This dissertation analyzes policies and their impacts on renewable energy markets, technological choices for electrification, and sustainability performance across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The research shows market-oriented policies expand rural electrification in Nepal, identifies cost-effective technology pathways in Afghanistan and Nepal, models cooking fuel transitions in China, and introduces sustainability indices to evaluate energy technologies and country progress. Mature technologies like biomass and micro-hydro outperform solar and wind without policy support, while credit access and subsidy delivery mechanisms require innovation.
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Interrelationships between inward FDI and indigenous innovation in developing economies
Foreign direct investment and indigenous innovation in developing economies have reciprocal but opposing relationships. Higher innovation attracts more FDI, yet increased FDI reduces innovation. R&D investment and absorptive capacity drive indigenous innovation. Government effectiveness mediates these dynamics, reducing FDI's negative impact while strengthening R&D's positive effects. The study recommends improving government effectiveness and R&D spending to harness FDI spillovers for sustained innovation and economic growth.
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An Intelligent Decision Support System for Residential Energy Consumption and Renewable Energy Utilization in Rural China
Researchers surveyed over 300 rural areas across China's provinces to build a database on residential energy consumption and renewable energy use. They developed an intelligent decision support system using fuzzy evaluation and grey relational analysis to predict future energy trends and identify renewable energy alternatives. The system helps governments create sustainable rural energy plans by analyzing consumption patterns and evaluating renewable energy feasibility.
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A Disruptive Innovation Model for Indigenous Medicine Research: A Nigerian Perspective
Nigeria's pharmaceutical sector struggles to develop affordable medicines despite access to indigenous medicinal knowledge. The paper argues that the problem isn't just economic or technological constraints, but rather the absence of frameworks for scientific validation and policymakers' failure to account for local realities. The author proposes a disruptive innovation model that applies scientific rigor to traditional phytomedicinal knowledge, enabling researchers and policymakers to identify effective treatments while discarding ineffective ones.
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STATUS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN RURAL INDIA
Women entrepreneurs in rural India face significant barriers despite government development programs. Women contribute unpaid labor to family businesses but lack confidence and mobility due to social conditioning. The paper argues that financial schemes alone are insufficient; rural India needs intensive entrepreneurship training, integrated development programs, and sustained support systems to motivate youth and women toward entrepreneurship as a viable career path for poverty reduction.
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Ensuring safe access to medication for palliative care while preventing prescription drug abuse: innovations for American inner cities, rural areas, and communities overwhelmed by addiction
This paper proposes innovations for delivering safe palliative care medications in underserved American communities while preventing prescription drug abuse. The author recommends establishing guarded medication dispensing centers in pharmacies, creating medication purchasing cooperatives to reduce costs, and expanding methadone programs to provide pain management and patient monitoring. These programs would integrate pharmacists, police, medical providers, and social workers to improve access while strengthening oversight and reducing diversion.
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Creative Commons: Non-Proprietary Innovation Triangles in International Agricultural and Rural Development Partnerships
Agricultural development in low-income countries is shifting from traditional technology transfer models toward innovation systems that involve public-private partnerships and open science practices. The paper argues that creative commons approaches generate innovation more effectively than proprietary intellectual property regimes, which often undermine indigenous and local community rights. Pluralistic innovation triangles now connect research, extension, and farming communities while promoting open science at the local level.
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The South Korean case of deploying rural broadband via fiber networks by implementing universal service obligation and public-private partnership based project
South Korea deployed rural broadband through fiber networks using two simultaneous policies: a universal service obligation guaranteeing 100 Mbps speeds and a public-private partnership project. This study models investment costs and finds both approaches cost-effective, though PPP projects enable ISPs to recover investments faster. The research recommends combining multiple policies while addressing remaining challenges in difficult rural regions where adoption remains low due to end-user costs.
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Intersectoral collaboration for the development of rural entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean
Intersectoral collaboration between governments, companies, NGOs, and local communities drives sustainable rural entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study finds that such partnerships overcome barriers to rural entrepreneurship and promote innovation. Educational policies, gender equality support, and institutional backing prove essential. Intersectoral collaboration emerges as critical—not merely supplementary—for rural entrepreneurship success and regional socioeconomic development.
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Do government incentives increase indigenous innovation commercialisation? Empirical evidence from local Ghanaian firms
Government incentives affect indigenous innovation commercialisation differently in Ghana's small-scale industry. Supply-side incentives increase employment but not sales or profits. Demand-side incentives to buyers significantly boost sales, profitability, and employment, and strengthen the positive effects of market factors. The study recommends shifting innovation support toward demand-side strategies in low-income economies.
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Perceived Obstacles and Performance of Food and Agribusiness Enterprises: Implications for Urban and Rural Entrepreneurship Development
This study analyzes 699 food and agribusiness firms using World Bank survey data to compare rural and urban enterprises. The researchers found significant differences in firm characteristics, business performance, and perceived obstacles between rural and urban locations. Results show that obstacles to doing business vary substantially by region, suggesting policymakers should tailor entrepreneurship support strategies to address location-specific challenges.
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Rural renewable energy development: lessons learned from community-based renewable energy business model in East Sumba, Indonesia
Community-based renewable energy projects in East Sumba, Indonesia require four key strategies to succeed: developing village leadership, building business management capacity, establishing meaningful community roles in energy operations, and fostering stakeholder collaboration. The paper examines renewable energy initiatives in two villages and identifies these capacity-building approaches as essential for rural communities to implement and sustain renewable energy business models effectively.
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Awareness of the population in rural regions of Serbia about renewable energy sources
Rural Serbians lack awareness about renewable energy sources, limiting public support for sustainable energy projects. A survey of over 400 respondents across southern, eastern, and central Serbia found that rural populations are poorly informed about both general energy production and specific renewable energy benefits. The study calls for intensive public information campaigns to build support for renewable energy adoption in Serbia's energy sector.
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Transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Africa’s Science, Technology and Innovation Framework and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Africa's science, technology, and innovation policies fail to adequately integrate indigenous and traditional knowledge systems into fourth industrial revolution strategies. The paper argues that African nations must develop deliberate, indigenous knowledge-sensitive STI frameworks to leverage local knowledge systems and ensure equitable participation in the bioeconomy and broader 4IR innovation ecosystem.
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Examining the Role of Regulation in the Commercialisation of Indigenous Innovation in Sub-Saharan African Economies: Evidence from the Ghanaian Small-Scale Industry
Regulation significantly boosts the commercialization of indigenous innovation in Ghana's small-scale industry. A survey of 557 firms found that regulation positively affects sales, employment, and owner satisfaction, while also strengthening how finance and organizational factors drive firm performance. The study challenges the deregulation narrative, arguing that low-income economies need balanced, appropriate regulations to support indigenous innovation.
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Counter-urbanization, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Rural Development in Developing Countries: The Nigerian Example
Counter-urbanization presents an opportunity for rural development in Nigeria by leveraging entrepreneurship and local resources. The paper argues that rural areas can achieve sustainable development by mobilizing endogenous capital, local knowledge, land, skills, and social networks. Success requires reformed rural development policies that strengthen local institutions, build trust, and support entrepreneurial activity among both rural residents and counter-urbanizing migrants.
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Poultry production in Nigeria: exploiting its potentials for rural youth empowerment and entrepreneurship
Poultry production offers significant potential to reduce youth unemployment in Nigeria's rural and peri-urban areas through entrepreneurship. The paper argues that government, financial institutions, and corporations should collaborate to support young farmers with soft loans, infrastructure, and extension services. Establishing a well-funded poultry advisory system would make farming attractive to youth and ensure sustainable rural development through employment creation.
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Structural and functional principles of entrepreneurship development in rural areas
This paper outlines the structural and functional principles of rural entrepreneurship development using institutional theory. The authors identify key functions, development factors, and institutional environment elements that support rural business growth. They argue that effective rural entrepreneurship requires multilevel, bottom-up implementation of support measures, with state involvement playing a crucial role in achieving inclusive rural development.
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Place-based perceptions, resilience and adaptation to climate change by smallholder farmers in rural South Africa
Smallholder farmers in South Africa's Joe Gqabi District respond to climate change through diverse adaptation and resilience strategies. Their choices depend on household characteristics, access to information and technology, assets, and climate perceptions. The study finds farmers lack institutional support and awareness. Strengthening farmer and institutional capacity, building on existing knowledge, and implementing supportive policies are essential for sustaining production under changing climate conditions.
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Impact of Microfinance on Rural Household Poverty in Ethiopia
Microfinance institutions in Ethiopia target rural poor to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods through employment creation, income growth, and empowerment. The paper reviews whether microfinance services actually improve living standards, measuring impact through household income, education access, healthcare, nutrition, savings, and employment. Ethiopian MFIs face challenges including loan repayment failures, limited foreign capital access, and weak client follow-up that threaten institutional sustainability.
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Making innovations work: local government–NGO partnership and collaborative governance in rural Bangladesh
A local government–NGO partnership in rural Bangladesh improved service delivery and governance at the Union Parishad level through capacity building and community mobilization. The initiative strengthened officials' mindsets, streamlined processes, reduced corruption, and increased accountability and transparency in local government operations.
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TOWARDS DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR STIMULATING RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY OF THREE MUNICIPALITIES
Rural entrepreneurship in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province faces significant obstacles that slow small business growth despite municipal support strategies. This study examined three rural municipalities and found that while progress exists, municipalities must do more to stimulate the sector. Key recommendations include distributing land to small businesses, clustering enterprises for skills development and technology transfer, holding business exhibitions, and providing continuous mentorship and monitoring after training and financial support.
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“Moving from transactional government to enablement” in Indigenous service delivery: The era of New Public Management, service innovation and urban Aboriginal community development
Aboriginal Community Based Organisations in Newcastle, Australia have successfully driven urban Aboriginal community development and self-determination for 40 years. New Public Management reforms that treat social services as market commodities threaten this success by prioritizing transactional government over genuine community enablement. The paper argues that policy must shift toward authentic enablement that supports Aboriginal autonomy and community-led development rather than market-driven service delivery.
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Broadband policy and rural and cultural divides in Australia
Australian broadband policy fails to account for local preferences and cultural contexts, particularly among Indigenous communities. The paper argues that infrastructure alone cannot solve digital divides; instead, policies must respond to how different populations actually want to use technology. Remote Indigenous Australians prefer mobile over satellite services due to geography, culture, and economy. Addressing digital exclusion requires understanding local factors beyond just socio-economic disadvantage.
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Studying Discourse Innovations: The Case of the Indigenous Movement in Ecuador
Ecuador's indigenous movement underwent major discursive innovation in the 1970s and 1980s by reframing indigenous peoples as nationalities entitled to self-determination and autonomy. This conceptual shift introduced demands for plurinational and intercultural state reorganization, fundamentally reshaping national political discourse and giving the movement lasting influence in Ecuadorian politics.
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Who Controls Tourism Innovation Policy? The Case of Rural Tourism
Rural tourism innovation in Denmark occurs through local action groups implementing EU's LEADER program, which decentralizes policy control away from national authorities. While these groups effectively leverage local resources and incrementally upgrade tourism facilities, innovation performance remains low. The study finds that this radical decentralization undermines national coordination and strategy, making it difficult to align tourism development with broader welfare and environmental goals.
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National Strategy of Indigenous Innovation and its Implication to China
China's indigenous innovation strategy from 2006–2020 successfully supports industrial upgrading and catch-up growth through targeted policies, but it constrains breakthrough innovation. The authors argue that China needs to embrace open innovation and market competition rather than protecting domestic enterprises from global technology systems. Only by engaging with international innovation networks can Chinese firms achieve disruptive innovation and establish China as a genuine innovation leader.
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Disabilities and Entrepreneurship in Makonde Rural Community in Zimbabwe
This study surveyed 137 people with disabilities in rural Zimbabwe to assess their participation in entrepreneurship programs. Researchers found that entrepreneurial activities excluded people with disabilities through lack of access to education, restrictive policies, social discrimination from non-disabled peers, and denial of credit from financial institutions. The authors recommend government intervention to include disabled populations in entrepreneurship initiatives to reduce rural poverty.
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Institutional entrepreneurship and professionalization of the rural development of the sisal region in Brazil
Professionalization of rural development in Brazil's sisal region created entrepreneurship opportunities by transforming how funding bodies operated. Professional practices spread through informal networks rather than formal institutions, allowing local entrepreneurs to adapt and reinterpret these practices to fit their specific contexts. This process generated new organizational formats and legitimized professional approaches tailored to regional needs.
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Towards sustainable energy systems: integrating renewable energy sources is the key for rural area power supply
Rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia lack access to modern energy services, relying instead on biomass fuels that cause indoor pollution and deforestation. This paper argues that integrating renewable energy technologies is essential for sustainable rural power supply and poverty reduction. It identifies barriers to renewable energy adoption in South Asia and India, proposing an integrated model to demonstrate how renewable systems can deliver affordable, sustainable energy to remote rural communities.
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Has the integration of fiscal agricultural funds promoted rural entrepreneurship?
China's 2016 fiscal agricultural fund integration policy significantly boosted rural entrepreneurship, according to county-level analysis from 2014 to 2021. The policy worked by improving infrastructure and expanding credit access. Effects were strongest in regions with higher internet adoption, lower agricultural modernization, and lower incomes, suggesting the policy particularly benefited less-developed rural areas.
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Digital Finance, Digital Usage Divide, and Urban–Rural Income Gap: Evidence from China
Digital finance can reduce China's urban-rural income gap, but digital usage disparities complicate this effect. Using data from 274 Chinese cities, the study finds a U-shaped relationship where digital finance initially widens the gap, then narrows it once digital adoption exceeds a threshold. Traditional financial systems moderate this pattern. The research recommends improving rural financial conditions, accelerating digital transformation of conventional finance, and strengthening rural digital education to address usage disparities.
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The Impact of Governments’ Digital Economy Procurement on Rural Household Entrepreneurship
Government procurement of digital economy products significantly increases rural household entrepreneurship in China. The effect operates through three mechanisms: relaxing credit constraints, fostering distinctive industry growth, and improving government transparency. The impact is strongest in counties with integrated e-commerce and industrial development. These findings suggest digital procurement policies can effectively drive rural economic development in emerging economies.
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Rural women entrepreneurship: when femininity compensates for institutional hurdles
Rural women entrepreneurs in Iran leverage cultural femininity values to overcome weak institutional support and develop business opportunities. Through interviews with 15 rural women entrepreneurs, the study shows that when government institutions fail to support women's entrepreneurship, feminine cultural norms actually facilitate opportunity creation and business development. The research connects cultural values to institutional gaps and offers practical guidance for policymakers seeking to strengthen rural women's entrepreneurship.
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Unlocking the potential of rural informal entrepreneurship for poverty reduction in Bangladesh: A sustainable livelihoods perspective
Rural informal entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, who comprise 75% of the workforce, face significant livelihood challenges. Only 46% report positive views on key livelihood indicators. Social capital is their strongest asset at 62%, while physical capital remains critically weak at 34%. Most entrepreneurs express limited optimism about their circumstances, with only half viewing 12 of 20 measured indicators positively. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to strengthen rural entrepreneurship and reduce poverty.
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Renewable Energy from Agricultural Waste: Biogas Potential for Sustainable Energy Generation in Nigeria’s Rural Agricultural Communities
Nigeria's agricultural sector generates massive quantities of animal manure and crop residues daily, offering significant potential for biogas energy production in rural communities. The country could produce 6.8 million cubic meters of biogas daily from animal waste and 15 billion cubic meters annually from crop residues. Despite two decades of research, large-scale implementation remains blocked by financial constraints, lack of awareness, insufficient technical expertise, and absent policy frameworks. Small-scale biogas plants demonstrate viability for providing sustainable, off-grid energy to rural farmers.
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Enhancing Pharmacological Access and Health Outcomes in Rural Communities through Renewable Energy Integration: Implications for chronic inflammatory Disease Management
Solar-powered cold chain systems in rural healthcare facilities improve medication storage and vaccine distribution, reducing waste and maintaining drug potency. Case studies from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East show that renewable energy integration increases immunization coverage and improves management of inflammatory diseases. The authors argue that deploying solar energy solutions strengthens rural healthcare infrastructure and promotes health equity in underserved regions.
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Are rural energy access programs pro-poor? Some are, many are not
Energy access programs in rural Sub-Saharan Africa often fail to reach the poorest populations despite claims of pro-poor benefits. The paper examines on- and off-grid electrification and improved cooking technologies, finding that poor households rarely adopt these technologies without targeted interventions. Price subsidies are essential for all technologies, and energy-efficient biomass cookstoves show the most promise for reducing poverty. Electrification programs particularly struggle because connection costs exclude the poorest and productive electricity uses remain limited.
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Tribal and rural digital inclusivity: An examination of broadband access in two neighboring Great Plains states
Rural and tribal communities in Kansas and Oklahoma face significant broadband access gaps that worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly affecting students of color and economically disadvantaged families. The paper surveys challenges and successes in digital inclusivity across these Great Plains regions, examining technological leadership, information literacy, and public policy efforts to address persistent digital divides in underserved areas.
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Analysis on the Social Environment of College Students’ Rural Employment and Entrepreneurship
College students in rural areas face employment and entrepreneurship barriers. This paper analyzes the social environment affecting their success through surveys and data analysis. Results show students prefer job fairs (77.2%) and online/media channels (69.6%), while fewer pursue independent entrepreneurship (15.4%). The authors propose optimization strategies across four domains: policy, capital, education, and cultural environments to improve rural employment and entrepreneurship outcomes.
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Cultural industry development from entrepreneurship under the background of rural revitalization strategy
This paper develops a framework to measure cultural industry competitiveness in rural China under the rural revitalization strategy. Using projection pursuit and data envelopment analysis models, the authors evaluate regional cultural industry performance across base, dominant, and potential competitiveness dimensions. Results show strong performance metrics across all three areas, with findings offering guidance for improving cultural industry development and addressing current growth challenges in rural regions.
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RENEWABLE ENERGY ACCESS CHALLENGE AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL FOR THE POOR IN RURAL ZIMBABWE: IS BIOGAS ENERGY A REMEDY?
This study examines renewable energy access for poor rural households in Zimbabwe, specifically investigating whether biogas energy can address energy poverty. The research finds that biogas alone cannot solve Zimbabwe's energy crisis. Key barriers include lack of knowledge about biogas technology, insufficient startup capital, high installation costs, inadequate funding, and negative community attitudes. The paper argues that sustainable energy solutions require addressing root causes of energy poverty beyond technology provision.
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The Practice of Political Entrepreneurship in a Rural Javanese Village
This case study examines how a village head in Java practiced political entrepreneurship shaped by local culture and Islam. Javanese values emphasizing humble, exemplary leadership and Islamic principles guided the village head's actions. These cultural and religious foundations created community respect and trust, reducing vote-buying and corruption in village elections. The research shows that political entrepreneurship theory must account for cultural and religious drivers, not just institutional incentives.
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The CENTRAL Hub Model: Strategies and Innovations Used by Rural Women’s Shelters in Canada to Strengthen Service Delivery and Support Women
Rural women's shelters in Canada adopted a Hub Model combining community education, networking, technology, and resourceful leadership to improve service delivery for women experiencing intimate partner violence. The model successfully addressed challenges unique to rural areas where services differ significantly from urban shelters. Five innovative shelters demonstrated how this integrated approach strengthens support for the 25-30% of Canadian women affected by intimate partner violence.
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Reconceptualizing Rural Entrepreneurship Discourse from a Social Constructionist Perspective: A Case Study from Iran
This Iranian case study argues that the government's rural entrepreneurship program reinforces structural inequalities rather than enabling genuine rural development. The authors use social constructionism and structuration theory to show how the program operates hegemonically. They propose shifting focus from entrepreneurship discourse to multifunctional agriculture as a more effective rural development strategy.
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Identifying the Conditions for Rural Sustainability through Place-Based Culture: Applying the CIPM and CDPM Models into Meibei Ancient Village
This paper examines how culturally significant ancient villages in China can achieve sustainable development by analyzing Meibei village through two cultural models: the Cultural Inverted Pyramid Model and Cultural Dual Pyramid Model. The study finds that Meibei's historical prosperity resulted from integrating cultural elements across economic, social, institutional, environmental, and cultural dimensions. The paper argues that recreating a resilient cultural ecosystem combining heritage preservation with tourism can restore the village's vitality and support rural transition.
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Empowering Women of Rural India for Renewable Energy Adoption � An Exploratory Factor Analysis
Women's empowerment significantly influences the sustainability of renewable energy projects in rural India. The study identifies key factors for successful adoption: investment readiness, learning capacity, and awareness of financing options. Policymakers should leverage existing microfinance skills and women's self-help groups to build capacity before launching rural renewable energy initiatives.
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Challenges of photovoltaic based hybrid minigrid for off-grid rural electrification in Bangladesh
Photovoltaic hybrid minigrids offer an alternative to solar home systems for rural electrification in Bangladesh. The paper identifies four key challenges across technical, economic, social, and policy domains that affect hybrid minigrid projects in remote areas. A comparative analysis reveals which challenges most significantly impact system implementation and performance.
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The Supply and Use of Broadband in Rural Australia: An Explanatory Case Study of the Western Downs Region
Rural Australian households in the Western Downs Region rely heavily on wireless broadband, which proves less reliable and more expensive than wired alternatives. Remote and outer regional areas show particular dissatisfaction with wireless services and inadequate data quotas, creating barriers to digital participation. The study maps broadband infrastructure supply against household use and satisfaction, revealing that government policy must prioritize reliable, affordable broadband as a universal service obligation requiring coordinated public and private investment.
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Renewables, energy saving and welfare in Italian fragile rural areas
This study examines whether renewable energy development and energy-saving initiatives improve welfare in Italian rural areas. The research focuses on four rural regions with major energy infrastructure, analyzing how new jobs, royalties, and social cohesion from renewable energy projects affect communities facing population aging, poverty, and reduced social services. The findings combine institutional and network analysis to understand how energy transitions can address rural welfare challenges.
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Rethinking off-grid rural electrification in the Philippines
The Philippines shifted its off-grid rural electrification program toward private-sector leadership, offering subsidies to attract businesses into remote areas. This approach reduced the program from a comprehensive rural development strategy to a narrow focus on household lighting, driven by government targets. The paper argues for rethinking electricity delivery to support broader community development rather than just meeting electrification metrics.
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Innovation in Services: The Case of Rural Tourism in Argentina
Rural tourism in Argentina succeeds when providers identify distinctive attributes through collective action and self-discovery. Because rural tourism combines multiple services, coordination among small and micro producers is essential. Public policies can facilitate this cooperation, though poor connectivity in remote areas creates obstacles. Local economic effects are significant but difficult to measure.
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Globalisation, indigenous innovation and national strategy: comparing China and India's wireless standardisation
China and India adopted opposite strategies for 3G wireless standards despite similar market conditions. China developed its own domestic standard (TD-SCDMA) while India allowed operators to use any international standard. The divergence stems from different industrial policies each country pursued for their electronics sectors in the 1990s, showing how historical policy choices shaped later innovation strategies.
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Innovation of organization model for integral rural development: Serbia case study
Serbia's rural municipalities need new organizational models to boost economic growth. Research in two Sumadija municipalities shows that effective rural development requires municipalities to pursue active financing, identity-based policies, and continuous education. Innovation should include initiative teams for decision-making, agricultural incubators combining business and technology support, and vertical merger systems.
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Women Entrepreneurship as a Cutting Edge for Rural Development in Nigeria
Rural entrepreneurship, particularly among women, drives economic development in Nigeria by creating local employment, generating farm income, and building community resilience. The paper argues that developing entrepreneurial capabilities and skills is essential for sustainable rural growth, and identifies necessary policies to foster a supportive environment for rural entrepreneurs, especially women seeking autonomy and economic independence near their homes.
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Understanding the place based social value created by new-start social enterprises: evidence from 10 rural UK communities
Social enterprises in rural UK communities create measurable social value for residents. This study analyzed ten National Lottery-funded new social enterprise projects across rural areas to understand how different enterprise approaches generate local social impact. The findings show that social enterprises contribute meaningfully to community regeneration and economic development in deprived rural regions.
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Technological Innovation Drivers in Rural Small Food Industries in Iran
Rural small food industries in Iran's Tehran province show low levels of technological innovation. A survey of 111 managers across 60 firms found that managers doubt technological changes benefit their businesses. Production capacity, firm age, formal R&D investment, and fixed capital are the main factors driving technological innovation. The study provides recommendations for managers and policymakers to boost innovation in this sector.
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Feasibility of LTE 700 MHz Digital Dividend for Broadband Development Acceleration in Rural Areas
This paper evaluates whether Indonesia can use LTE technology in the 700 MHz frequency band to expand broadband access in rural areas and reduce the digital divide. The authors assessed multiple implementation options through qualitative analysis, benchmarking, and case studies, then performed quantitative calculations. They conclude that early LTE deployment at 700 MHz is feasible in specific geographic regions and can accelerate Indonesia's broadband development goals.
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China's Indigenous Innovation Policies Under the TRIPS and GPA Agreements and Alternatives for Promoting Economic Growth
China implemented Indigenous Innovation policies that favor government procurement of high-technology products with Chinese-owned intellectual property. The US and EU criticized these policies as trade barriers that commercialize foreign ideas in China. This paper analyzes whether these policies comply with TRIPS and GPA agreements, examines their economic rationale, and proposes alternative approaches—including increased R&D investment and stronger IP protection—that would allow China and foreign competitors to achieve technological growth without trade violations.
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The Rural Effect of Broadband Internet Service
Broadband internet access produces positive economic effects in rural communities, making them more competitive. Using quasi-experimental statistical analysis, the study finds evidence supporting the hypothesis that broadband investment strengthens rural economies. However, the author notes that further research is needed to establish causality more definitively.
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Entrepreneurship and the Environment for Rural SMEs in the Shropshire Hills, UK, 1997–2009
This study tracked farm businesses in South Shropshire's Environmentally Sensitive Area between 1997 and 2008. Environmental scheme participation increased significantly as government policy became more output-focused. Some farmers left cattle production but avoided diversification or pluriactivity despite government support. Most farmers showed traditional rather than entrepreneurial characteristics, leaving their future uncertain as key financial supports faced closure.
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Microfinance and poverty reduction in rural Nigeria
A survey of 281 rural Nigerian households demonstrates that access to microfinance programs delivers measurable social and economic benefits compared to households without access. The study provides empirical evidence supporting microfinance as a poverty reduction tool in rural Africa, with findings applicable to program evaluation across the continent.
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Risk Management, financial innovation and institutional development in rural areas: evidence from the coffee sector in Ethiopia
Rural households in Ethiopia face yield and price risks that constrain their access to finance and economic growth. This study examines risk management in the coffee sector and proposes financial and institutional innovations using market-based instruments. Field research in Ethiopia demonstrates how modern risk management approaches can help coffee growers overcome vulnerability and develop their economic capacity.
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Internet kiosks for rural communities: using ICT platforms for reducing digital divide
Rural communities in India gained internet access through wireless ICT kiosks operated via public-private partnerships. Systematic skill development and local entrepreneurs proved critical to adoption and sustained operation. The platform enabled diverse innovative applications and demonstrated that public-private partnerships can effectively reduce digital divides in areas requiring large-scale infrastructure investment.
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Innovation and Sustainable Solutions for Mobility in Rural Areas: A Comparative Analysis of Case Studies in Europe
Rural areas across Europe face severe transport limitations that restrict access to services, education, and jobs, perpetuating socio-economic exclusion. This study examines successful mobility solutions implemented across EU countries through case study analysis and literature review. The research identifies effective practices—including door-to-door service delivery, infrastructure repurposing, and volunteer transport networks—that improve accessibility and social inclusion in rural communities by tailoring solutions to local needs rather than applying urban models.
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Bridging the divide: how agricultural technological innovation narrows the urban–rural income gap in China
Agricultural technological innovation, measured by patent applications, significantly narrows urban-rural income gaps in China. Using panel data from 280 Chinese cities (2008-2021), the study finds that innovation reduces income disparities through employment restructuring, improved factor allocation, and enhanced production efficiency. Effects are stronger in eastern and western regions, higher-level cities, and areas with better intellectual property protection and information access. The impact strengthens as urbanization and education levels increase.
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The urban‒rural income gap, green innovation and urban carbon emissions: An empirical study in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Widening income gaps between urban and rural areas in China's Yangtze River Delta increase carbon emissions by suppressing green innovation. The effect varies across regions and time periods. Market reforms and government intervention both help reduce emissions independently of income inequality. Policymakers can address income inequality and environmental challenges simultaneously through coordinated market and government action.
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Hybrid renewable energy systems for rural electrification in developing countries: Assessing feasibility, efficiency, and socioeconomic impact
Hybrid renewable energy systems combining solar, wind, biomass, and hydro power offer viable alternatives to grid expansion for rural electrification in developing countries. These systems create jobs, improve health and education outcomes, and build economic resilience. However, high upfront costs, insufficient technical expertise, and weak policy frameworks hinder adoption. Successful deployment requires targeted policies, financial support, community involvement, and ongoing technical innovation.
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Transit Safety of Women in Rural-Urban Contexts
Young women experience sexual harassment and transit crime that restricts their mobility and public participation. A survey of Swedish railway passengers in 2022 found that young women face higher victimization rates than older women. Rural women report feeling safer than urban women but take more precautions before traveling, such as avoiding certain stations or traveling with companions at night. The research calls for gender and age-sensitive mobility policies that address women's safety needs in rural contexts.
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How rurality influences interactive innovation processes: lessons learnt from 15 case studies in 12 countries
Rural regions innovate differently based on their distance from urban centers. Analyzing 15 case studies across Europe, the authors found that remote rural areas rely on external ideas and established networks, with individual entrepreneurs driving innovation despite thin support systems and limited private funding. NGOs and producer organizations become critical support mechanisms in the most isolated regions, while the private sector can compensate for weak agricultural knowledge systems.
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Is farmland financial innovation narrowing the urban-rural income gap? A cross-regional study of China
Farmland financial innovation significantly narrows China's urban-rural income gap, according to analysis of 30 provinces from 2006 to 2017. The mechanism works through two pathways: enabling permanent labor migration away from farming and upgrading rural industrial structure. The authors recommend governments promote farmland financial innovation and establish rural property rights systems to facilitate farmer mobility and reduce income inequality.
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Entrepreneurship and Industrialization for Rural Development: Business Incubation Approach
Business incubators supporting agricultural firms drive rural development in Tanzania by nurturing startups and creating jobs. Government-operated incubators provide managerial advice, accessible finance, facilities, business guidance, export facilitation, networking, and market access. The study of ten incubators shows they significantly impact the economy and job creation. Developing countries should integrate business incubators into policy and strategic planning.
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The rural household’s entrepreneurship under the land certification in China
Land certification in China significantly increases agricultural entrepreneurship among rural households by at least 25%, but does not affect non-agricultural entrepreneurship. Certification with clear boundaries and household-level titling proves most effective. The policy works by enabling land transfers, improving labor allocation, and facilitating capital access. The findings support standardizing rural labor markets and advancing land financial reforms to boost agricultural entrepreneurship.
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Corporate governance and firm innovation: Evidence from indigenous oil firms in Sub-Saharan Africa
This study examines how corporate governance affects innovation in indigenous oil firms in Nigeria. The research finds that board effectiveness, commitment, and involvement significantly boost both process innovation and product/service innovation. The findings suggest that strengthening corporate governance practices helps indigenous oil firms remain competitive and sustainable in their sector.
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RURAL GREEN TOURISM AS AN INNOVATIVE FORM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Rural green tourism represents an innovative entrepreneurship model that drives rural development in Ukraine. The paper identifies key factors enabling agritourism, agro-ecotourism, and rural tourism enterprises, and develops a framework for their growth. It demonstrates how green tourism entrepreneurship achieves economic, environmental, social, and cultural goals while addressing barriers to expansion. The authors recommend specific government support measures to strengthen this sector.
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Minnesota's Digital Divide: How Minnesota Can Replicate the Rural Electrification Act to Deliver Rural Broadband
Rural Minnesota students lack adequate broadband access, which undermines their constitutional right to education. The paper argues that Minnesota legislators should adopt a policy framework modeled on the New Deal's Rural Electrification Act to build broadband infrastructure in underserved rural areas and ensure equitable educational opportunities.
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The role of European funds in developing and sustaining rural entrepreneurship in Romania
European Union funding through Romania's National Rural Development Program (2014-2020) supports rural entrepreneurship by enabling SMEs to access grants for business development. The study analyzes program results using official statistics and reports, measuring outcomes like job creation and population reach. It identifies how EU funds drive rural economic development while documenting persistent challenges Romanian rural entrepreneurs face despite these funding mechanisms.
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IDENTIFYING THE BEST DECENTRALIZED RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN NEPAL
This paper evaluates decentralized renewable energy systems for rural electrification in Nepal using nineteen sustainability indicators across technical, social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Using an Analytical Hierarchy Process model, the researchers ranked five energy options. Micro-hydropower emerged as the best choice for rural electrification, followed by solar home systems, solar mini-grids, and wind-solar hybrids, while biomass ranked lowest. The findings guide policymakers in designing sustainable energy policies and programs for Nepal.
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Financialising governance? State actor engagement with private finance for rural development in the Northern Territory of Australia
Government officials in Australia's Northern Territory actively shape agricultural finance investments rather than passively enabling them. The paper examines how local officials translate national development policies into practice by attracting private capital while moderating its activities. This reveals the state as an engaged actor assembling financial investment patterns, not simply a structural backdrop for financialisation.
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Migration, meaning(s) of place and implications for rural innovation policy
Migration shapes how rural communities understand and value their places, which directly affects their capacity for innovation. The paper argues that rural innovation policy must account for migrants' diverse perspectives and attachments to place. Policymakers who ignore these meaning-making processes risk designing interventions that fail to engage local populations or leverage the knowledge migrants bring to rural economies.
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Agrotourism as one of the ways to develop entrepreneurship in rural areas
Agrotourism offers rural entrepreneurs a diversified income strategy that addresses unemployment, migration, and rural decline. The paper argues agrotourism delivers economic benefits through agricultural diversification and new jobs, environmental gains by conserving ecosystems and farmland, and social-cultural benefits by preserving heritage and improving farmer status. Key barriers include weak strategic planning, insufficient funding, inadequate training, and lack of professionalism. State-level policy support is essential to unlock agrotourism's potential for regional development.
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A Quantile Regression Analysis of Contributing Factors Influencing Agribusiness Growth and Entrepreneurship Development: Evidence from Rural China
This study examines factors driving agribusiness growth and entrepreneurship in rural China using quantile regression analysis. The research finds that government policies, rural education, research and development investment, legal frameworks, family household development, and intellectual property protection all significantly correlate with agribusiness expansion. Rural investments show positive relationships with both agribusiness growth and entrepreneurial development, with effects varying across different quantile levels.
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Performance Appraisal of Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programs
This paper evaluates government-sponsored self-employment programs and developmental institutions in Haryana that support rural entrepreneurship. The author assesses how organizations like NABARD, KVIC, and various state agencies perform in creating micro and small enterprises in rural villages. The findings show which institutional structures and programs effectively foster rural entrepreneurship and help develop potential entrepreneurs in rural areas.
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Economic Strategy of the Development of Renewable Energy in Rural Areas of Ukraine
This study examines how strategic orientation and market orientation affect hotel business performance in Ukraine using structural equation modeling with 183 hotel survey responses. Market orientation significantly improved hotel performance, while strategic orientation's direct effect on performance was not significant. The findings suggest market orientation mediates the relationship between strategic orientation and business outcomes in the hotel sector.
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China’s Indigenous Innovation Policies
China launched indigenous innovation policies in 2006 using public procurement, megaproject funding, and technical standards to push domestic firms toward developing their own intellectual property. International trading partners criticized these policies, making them a flashpoint in US-China trade tensions. China continues supporting indigenous innovation despite global opposition.
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Determinants of rural households participation in microfinance services: The case of Cheliya District, West Shoa Zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia
Rural households in Ethiopia's Cheliya District participate in microfinance services at rates determined by specific household characteristics. Male-headed households, those with more education, larger cultivated land, more livestock, and frequent contact with extension services participate more. Households with high dependency ratios participate less. The study recommends microfinance institutions design programs to include illiterate households and increase female participation.
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Entrepreneurship in the rural context: Practical reflection on success and innovation
Rural entrepreneurs identify key factors driving their success and innovation: strong customer service, hard work, social skills, competitive pricing, and accurate record-keeping. Training helps entrepreneurs avoid common mistakes. The study recommends that government and private sector increase support for rural entrepreneurs to counter the trend of rural-to-urban migration.
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A Critical Approach on Sustainable Renewable Energy Sources in Rural Area: Evidence from North-West Region of Romania
Rural residents in Romania's North-West region show positive attitudes toward renewable energy, particularly younger and more educated people. However, actual adoption remains low with little intention to switch to renewable sources in the future. The research identifies lack of knowledge as the primary barrier and calls for government-led public education campaigns to bridge the gap between positive perception and actual implementation of renewable energy adoption.
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Public Finance and Rural Development in Nigeria: Empirical Evidence from the Structural Equation Modeling
Public finance systems in rural Nigeria fail to effectively fund infrastructure and social amenities that improve quality of life. The study examined nine local government areas in Benue state and found that shared revenue arrangements between state and local governments create serious obstacles to financing rural development projects. The authors recommend restructuring public finance systems at the local government level to enable more efficient and prudent allocation of resources for rural development.
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Information Network Villages: A community-focused digital divide reduction policy in rural Korea
South Korea's Information Network Village project demonstrates how digital divide policies can build sustainable rural communities. The study examines this initiative as a model for implementing community-focused digital infrastructure in small rural areas, showing how targeted policy can reduce technology gaps and strengthen local development.
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Renewable energy programs for rural electrification: Experience and lessons from India
India has electrified 94.5% of inhabited areas through grid connections, but off-grid renewable energy technologies have also spread widely. This paper documents India's experience with renewable energy-based off-grid electrification programs and extracts lessons to improve future program design and policy decisions for rural electrification.
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Towards the exploration of renewable energy technologies as an alternative to grid extension for rural electrification in South Africa
This paper evaluates whether standalone renewable energy systems—solar photovoltaic and wind turbines—can economically replace grid extension for rural electrification in South Africa. The analysis finds that solar PV costs are lower than gasoline generators and competitive with grid extension, particularly in areas with sparse populations. Wind energy proves even more cost-competitive in locations with adequate wind resources. The authors conclude both technologies are economically viable for rural electrification and propose policies to support their market development.
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Conclusions: contemporary responsible rural tourism innovations
This paper reviews innovations in responsible rural tourism across Malaysian destinations. Through analyzing case studies, the authors identify emerging approaches that enhance sustainable tourism practices from stakeholder perspectives. They argue that rural tourism's complexity creates both challenges and opportunities for responsible governance that balances economic, social, and environmental outcomes.
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Chinaʼs Indigenous Innovation Policies and the World Trade Organization
China's Indigenous Innovation Policies incentivize government procurement of products containing Chinese-owned technology and intellectual property. U.S. companies argue these policies discriminate against foreign firms and force technology transfer as a condition of market access. This article examines whether China's government procurement policies violate World Trade Organization obligations and concludes that China operates within its legal rights under international trade law.
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Supporting farmer innovations, recognizing indigenous knowledge and disseminating success stories.
Farmer innovations in aquaculture drive economic growth and food security, but face barriers including limited information access, weak science policies, and insufficient government support. The paper identifies critical success factors: updated technology policies, investment incentives, targeted education, extension services, and culturally appropriate programs. Proper policy design can help developing countries harness farmer innovations to achieve food security and poverty reduction.
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Reviewing the Development of Rural Finance in Vietnam
Vietnam's rural financial system has developed successfully since economic reforms, contradicting theories predicting market failures in low-income countries. The study shows that rural finance progresses well when government initiates the system, market mechanisms drive operations, and rural organizations provide institutional support. The author argues against viewing old and new credit paradigms as opposites, instead demonstrating that hybrid approaches combining government leadership, market operations, and community institutions create stable, functioning rural financial markets.
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Innovation centres as growth points for smaller towns and rural areas
Innovation centres and science parks in smaller towns and rural areas drive socioeconomic development beyond major cities. The authors examine a science park in Gusev, Kaliningrad region, showing how regional and municipal legal frameworks support innovation adoption. Composite development strategies integrating innovation at municipality level strengthen surrounding rural territories.
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NGOs and their Role in Development of Science - In Development of Rural Women Entrepreneurship
NGOs and self-help groups in India train and empower rural women entrepreneurs to create economically rewarding activities, addressing the challenge of retaining rural populations. The paper examines how these organizations develop science-based approaches to rural women entrepreneurship, building systems that help eradicate rural poverty and engage women in sustainable economic activities.
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A measure of rural-urban digital divide in China
This paper measures China's rural-urban digital divide from 2004 to 2008 using a 12-indicator index system. The divide was severe overall, worst in western regions and smallest in eastern regions. Network awareness, access, and external environment gaps were largest in the east, while network utilization gaps were worst in the west. The divide gradually narrowed during this period, with eastern regions closing gaps faster than central and western regions. The authors recommend government policies to boost rural economic development.
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The Gender Digital Divide in Rural Pakistan: How Wide is it and How to Bridge it?
Mobile phones are widely available in rural Pakistan, but women rarely own them independently—most require permission from male relatives to make calls. The study reveals that technology availability alone does not guarantee women's access or use. Social norms restricting women's education and mobility prevent meaningful ICT adoption among females. Gender-sensitive policies must address these underlying inequalities to enable women's beneficial use of digital technologies.
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Leading Community Innovation: Organizing Successful Rural Telecommunications Self-Development Projects
Five U.S. rural communities launched telecommunications self-development projects in the 1990s to revitalize declining economies. Strong public-private partnerships and decentralized project models increased success, while university-led projects performed worse. The study identifies six organizational and community processes that determine whether such initiatives succeed, offering lessons applicable to other rural development efforts.
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Enabling Rural Innovation: Empowering Farmers to Take Advantage of Market Opportunities and Improve Livelihoods
Agricultural markets reduce poverty in developing economies through three mechanisms: increased farmer productivity and incomes, cheaper food for poor consumers, and economic growth in non-farm sectors. The paper argues that empowering farmers to access market opportunities and innovate improves rural livelihoods by leveraging agriculture's role in broader economic development.
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Institutionalisation of Rural Entrepreneurship through NGOs: Introspection from the Case Studies
Rural entrepreneurship development programs in India, implemented through NGOs in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute, successfully address declining agricultural growth and rural unemployment. Training-based programs institutionalize entrepreneurship as a poverty alleviation strategy. Case studies reveal success and failure factors in this collaborative approach to rural development.
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Terrorism and Rural Entrepreneurship in Punjab
Terrorism in Punjab during the 1980s-1990s disrupted established rural businesses, forcing dominant merchant classes to abandon their enterprises and migrate to cities. Agricultural communities, particularly Jat Sikhs enriched by the green revolution, filled this economic vacuum and entered business sectors previously closed to them. The paper argues that political violence fundamentally reshaped rural entrepreneurship patterns and that political factors are essential to understanding entrepreneurial development.
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Digital divide, agricultural supply chain finance, and the urban-rural income gap in China
Agricultural supply chain finance reduces China's urban-rural income gap by promoting urbanization and non-agricultural employment. However, the digital divide significantly weakens this effect. The study uses provincial data from 2014–2020 to show that bridging digital access is critical for supply chain finance to effectively narrow income inequality and support rural revitalization.
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Unintended Benefits: Impact of Place‐Based Policies on the Rural–Urban Income Gap in China's Old Revolutionary Base Areas
Place-based revitalization policies in China's old revolutionary base areas significantly reduced the urban-rural income gap. The policies worked through improved public services, agricultural support, and digital economy development. Effects were strongest in western cities, areas with high income inequality, and regions with slower urbanization. This demonstrates that regional development policies can deliver unintended benefits for income equity in less developed areas.
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The Problem of Transforming the Energy System Towards Renewable Energy Sources as Perceived by Inhabitants of Rural Areas in South-Eastern Poland
Rural residents in south-eastern Poland largely support the country's transition to renewable energy and understand its necessity. However, older respondents show less clarity or preference for non-renewable sources. The study surveyed 300 people across five districts in Małopolska, finding age significantly influences energy transition attitudes. Targeted awareness campaigns for mature populations could strengthen public backing for renewable energy adoption.
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Comprehensive approaches to electrifying rural health facilities: Integrating renewable energy and financial mechanisms in Sub-Saharan Africa
Rural health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa can achieve reliable electricity access by combining renewable energy solutions with innovative financing mechanisms. The study identifies that successful electrification requires coordinated investment from governments, private sector, and development organizations, supported by enabling policy frameworks. This integrated approach makes sustainable energy access for healthcare delivery in underserved regions economically and technically feasible.
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Is a Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Conducive to the Improvement of Entrepreneurial Performance? Evidence from Typical Counties of Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation in China
Rural entrepreneurship ecosystems in China contain multiple factors—market size, human capital, financial capital, and infrastructure—that combine in different ways to drive entrepreneurial performance. The study identifies two pathways to high performance: market-driven financing combined with talent development, and government-supported infrastructure. Market forces and government intervention can substitute for each other. Two separate pathways lead to lower performance, involving market-financing or market-government suppression.
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Does Urban Innovation Promote Rural Entrepreneurship? Quasi-Natural Experimental Evidence from Microdata on New Agricultural Subjects
Urban innovation policies in Chinese cities significantly boost rural entrepreneurship among new agricultural businesses, with effects strengthening over time. The impact operates through increased technology investment, improved credit access, and faster technological adoption. However, effects vary by city size and type: small and medium cities benefit most, while large cities show inhibited growth. Agricultural cooperatives and agribusinesses gain substantially, but family farms see no significant improvement.
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Exacerbating the divide? Investigating rural inequalities in high speed broadband availability
Rural areas in Ireland have significantly less high-speed broadband coverage than urban areas, and within rural regions, coverage increases with affluence. This means socially deprived rural communities face a compounded disadvantage, receiving less commercial broadband investment despite public funding for infrastructure. The findings reveal that the digital divide operates not just between urban and rural areas, but also within rural areas themselves, correlating with social deprivation.
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Transferability of hometown landholdings and rural migrants’ entrepreneurship: evidence from a pilot rural land use reform in China
A pilot rural land reform in China between 2015 and 2018 increased the transferability of hometown landholdings by raising expropriation compensation and allowing land transactions. Rural migrants from these pilot areas showed 5–7 percentage points higher entrepreneurship rates in destination cities. The reform particularly boosted necessity-based rather than opportunity-based entrepreneurship, with stronger effects on middle-aged and married migrants. The findings demonstrate how rural land policy directly influences urban entrepreneurial activity.
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Fostering entrepreneurship and development in rural mountainous regions: the role of SEZs and local economic dynamics in Gilgit-Baltistan
Special economic zones, particularly Maqpondass SEZ and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, drive entrepreneurship growth in Gilgit-Baltistan. Government incentives, access to finance, skill development, and business connections enable new venture creation. The study finds that SEZ-based industries directly support local small business expansion, with human capital development and technology adoption critical for sustained regional economic growth.
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Design and optimization of an off-grid integrated renewable energy system for remote rural electrification in India
Researchers designed and optimized an off-grid renewable energy system combining solar, micro-hydro, and biogas generation with battery storage to electrify twelve villages in Uttarakhand, India. The sodium-sulfur battery configuration proved most cost-effective, delivering energy at 16.77 INR/kWh. Sensitivity analysis showed inflation rates and discount rates significantly impact system costs, while accounting for load and resource uncertainties increased required capacity and storage substantially.
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Investments in Renewable Energy in Rural Communes: An Analysis of Regional Disparities in Poland
Rural communes in Poland drive renewable energy transformation more actively than previously recognized, despite receiving little research attention. Eastern provinces like Lublin and Podlasie secured substantial EU funding for renewable projects, particularly solar installations. Regional disparities in investment activity are significant, with rural communes demonstrating crucial roles in Poland's energy transition that larger urban centers do not capture.
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Improving Access to Essential Medications in Rural and Low-Income U.S. Communities: Supply Chain Innovations for Health Equity
Rural and low-income U.S. communities face critical barriers to accessing essential medications due to geographic isolation, economic constraints, and inefficient supply chains. The paper examines supply chain innovations—including mobile pharmacies, micro-fulfillment centers, AI-driven forecasting, and blockchain technology—to improve medication delivery. It proposes regulatory frameworks and public-private partnerships to support these solutions and recommends federal and state policies to expand coverage for underserved populations.
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Strategies for Sustainable Rural Tourism Innovation: Evidence from Hanoi, Vietnam
Rural tourism innovation drives economic and social development in rural areas while addressing environmental challenges. This study examines sustainable rural tourism innovation strategies in Hanoi, Vietnam, showing how innovation enhances tourism regeneration, meets sustainable development goals, and improves economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The research provides insights for policymakers developing rural tourism destination innovation policies in developing countries.
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Opportunities and Challenges of Rural Entrepreneurship in Afghanistan
Rural entrepreneurship in Afghanistan can drive development by reducing unemployment, increasing income, and empowering communities. The research identifies key challenges including limited financial resources, poor infrastructure, and sociocultural barriers. It also highlights opportunities such as affordable land, natural resources, and strong local traditions. The authors propose a framework and recommendations to address obstacles and leverage advantages for rural economic growth.
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Rural Women Entrepreneurship in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges
Rural women entrepreneurs in Malaysia drive economic growth and gender empowerment but face significant barriers including inadequate infrastructure, limited market access, restricted financial resources, and socio-cultural bias. The paper identifies targeted solutions: improving finance access, investing in rural infrastructure, and challenging cultural norms. Success requires coordinated action from government, financial institutions, educational facilities, community leaders, and nonprofits to unlock entrepreneurial potential and achieve sustainable economic growth.
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Challenges of Women Entrepreneurship and Empowerment in South Africa: Evidence from Rural Areas
Women entrepreneurs in rural South Africa face three major barriers to business expansion: limited access to finance, insufficient education, and poor infrastructure. The study surveyed 250 female business owners in northern KwaZulu-Natal and found these obstacles are surmountable through alternative financing, targeted training programs, and infrastructure investment. Addressing these challenges could empower women entrepreneurs, drive rural economic growth, and reduce poverty.
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Urban/Rural Disparities in Access to Elite Higher Education: The Case of Tsinghua University
Rural students in China have significantly improved access to elite universities like Tsinghua since 2010 through preferential government policies, though gaps with urban students remain. The study shows China's higher education system effectively responds to national reforms and promotes social mobility. However, gender inequity persists, with rural female students facing lower admission chances than rural males. The authors recommend enrollment policies address intersectional disadvantages to advance educational equity.
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Conceptual distinction between agricultural innovation and rural innovation: implications for scientific research and public policy
This paper distinguishes agricultural innovation from rural innovation as separate conceptual approaches. Agricultural innovation focuses on farming technology and competitiveness, while rural innovation emphasizes endogenous development and social change. Analysis of Mexican research trends (2014-2018) and policies (2013-2018) shows that scientific work addressed both approaches, but government policy only pursued agricultural innovation despite widespread rural marginalization. The authors argue that recognizing these distinctions improves research clarity and enables policymakers to design interventions addressing rural inequality.
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Exploration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Model in Higher Vocational Colleges based on Rural Revitalization Strategy
Higher vocational colleges can support rural revitalization by integrating innovation and entrepreneurship education into their programs. The paper argues that vocational education institutions have a responsibility to train skilled entrepreneurs who can contribute to rural development, particularly as COVID-19 and poverty alleviation challenges intensify. The authors propose specific measures to align vocational entrepreneurship education with national rural revitalization goals.
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Spaces of Innovation and Women Rural Entrepreneurship in Italy
Women farmers across Italian regions drive innovation adoption through entrepreneurial orientation, creating distinct innovation spaces within both conventional and alternative agrifood networks. The research identifies multiple "worlds of female innovation" and argues that policymakers must design differentiated policy actions targeting these entrepreneurial spaces to support gender mainstreaming in EU rural development.
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The Moral Economy of Microfinance in Rural Bangladesh: <i>Dharma</i>, Gender and Social Change
Microfinance in rural Bangladesh operates through a moral economy that reinforces existing social hierarchies rather than challenging them. Fieldworkers use moral narratives to legitimize microfinance among men, while framing women's borrowing as dharma—a moral duty to secure male guardianship. Rather than empowering borrowers to escape poverty, microfinance motivates conformity to gendered and hierarchical norms, explaining why people continue borrowing despite underwhelming outcomes.
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Policies for innovations in the new Rural Development Programs (RDP): the Italian regional experience
Italy's 2014-2020 rural development policy emphasizes knowledge systems and innovation diffusion by valuing both tacit and scientific knowledge for human capital development. The policy achieves better innovation transfer results when all chain players—farmers, researchers, and advisors—participate together. An interactive approach helps identify farm problems and develop innovative solutions. This paper examines whether Europe 2020's ambitious objectives translated into actual implementation within Italy's Rural Development Regulation and identifies ongoing problems.
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Bringing Broadband to The Desert: Rural New Mexico, Fiberoptic Cable, and Electric Utility Cooperatives
New Mexico should allow commercial telecommunications companies to run fiber optic cables through electric utility easements to expand broadband access to rural communities. The paper argues that existing state law would likely prohibit this practice based on a recent Eighth Circuit ruling, but New Mexico's geographic isolation and lack of commercial incentives make broadband access critical. Preemptive legislation could enable fiber deployment through utility easements without violating easement restrictions.
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Sustainability and development impacts of off-grid electrification in developing countries : An assessment of South Africa's rural electrification program
South Africa's rural electrification program and similar initiatives across southern Africa succeed when they combine appropriate technology with strong government support, progressive tariff systems, and sufficient energy capacity for income-generating activities. Hybrid hydro mini-grids prove most cost-effective. Programs fail without adequate spare parts supply, capable management, and designs that account for existing businesses and population growth. Cross-subsidies from high-income users sustain service for low-income households.
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Prospects of Renewable Energy at Rural Areas in Bangladesh: Policy Analysis
Bangladesh faces severe energy shortages that hinder economic growth. This paper analyzes renewable energy prospects in rural areas, focusing on solar power to meet unmet demand in remote and off-grid regions. The authors examine policy frameworks and government targets to generate 5% of electricity from renewables by 2015, scaling to 10% by 2020, and identify barriers and opportunities for rural renewable energy development.
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Effectiveness of On-grid and Off-grid rural electrification approaches in India
India's rural electrification relies on on-grid and off-grid approaches to support agricultural development. Despite policy support, centralized on-grid systems perform poorly in rural areas. Decentralized off-grid electrification using renewable energy technologies proves more effective and successful. This paper evaluates both approaches across Indian villages and examines how off-grid mini and micro grids could evolve as alternatives to conventional grid distribution.
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Renewable energy technology means of providing sustainable electricity in Nigerian rural areas: a review.
Nigeria's rural areas lack electricity access for over 65% of the population, causing economic decline and migration. This review examines renewable energy technologies as sustainable alternatives to failed fossil fuel systems. Biomass, hydro, and solar sources are viable for rural Nigeria, but implementation remains extremely low due to absent energy policy, government neglect, and low purchasing power. The authors recommend whole-life costing analysis to optimize economic performance.
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The Stages of Political Innovation in Rural China’s Local Democratisation: Four Cases of Villagers’ Political Innovations
This paper examines how rural Chinese villages have driven political democratization through grassroots innovation over three decades. Villagers' collective action triggered political reforms, with ongoing interaction between communities and government advancing the process. The author applies a four-stage innovation model—problem identification, trigger, initiative, and diffusion—to explain how institutional political change occurs in rural areas, showing that political innovation follows the same patterns as technological and economic innovation.
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‘Rural Informatics’: Use of Information and Communication Technologies for the Rural Poor – From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity in Rural India
India's government is implementing ICT policies to bridge the digital divide and create opportunities for rural poor communities. The paper argues that effective ICT deployment requires coordinated action among government, private sector, and local communities. Success depends on affordable infrastructure, training programs, and integrating traditional knowledge systems into participatory development approaches that improve access to markets, health, and education.
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Harnessing renewable energy technologies for ICT and e-governance services in un-electrified communities in rural Nepal
Rural Nepal lacks access to e-governance services because most communities have no electricity or internet. The government's digital initiatives remain unknown and inaccessible to the majority of the population, particularly in remote areas with difficult terrain. Renewable energy technologies could enable ICT infrastructure and e-governance services in un-electrified communities, benefiting rural populations who currently depend on unreliable energy access.
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Telecom Policy Innovation: the Role of Free Spectrum and Telecommunication Development in Rural Ghana
Ghana's rural areas lack adequate telecommunications infrastructure despite the technology's economic importance. The paper argues that free spectrum policies can incentivize small telecom operators to expand services into underserved rural regions. Using Ghana as a case study, the author demonstrates how spectrum allocation policies can drive universal access to telecommunications across sub-Saharan Africa.
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Facilitating the Production of Place-Based Knowledge for Participatory Community Development in Rural Pennsylvania
This case study examines how three rural Pennsylvania communities—Selinsgrove, Sunbury, and Danville—generated local knowledge through participatory planning processes to guide community revitalization. The research shows how inclusive engagement of adults and children in identifying local assets and priorities produces place-sensitive development outcomes. The findings demonstrate that community-generated knowledge improves development practice by grounding decisions in local context and values.
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Renewable Energy Market for Rural Electrification in Developing Countries: Country Case Nepal
Nepal's renewable energy market for rural electrification relies on solar home systems and micro-hydro technology to overcome geographical barriers to grid extension. While awareness and willingness to pay for electricity have grown, a significant financial gap prevents poor households from accessing these technologies. Market expansion is uneven, with solar PV remaining unaffordable for the poorest. Stakeholders identify credit access and subsidy delivery mechanisms as critical barriers requiring innovation to reach more rural populations.
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Technology Adoption by Small Urban and Rural Transit Agencies
A national survey of rural transit agencies receiving federal Section 5311 funding examined technology adoption patterns. Larger agencies with bigger budgets and fleets adopted technologies like automatic vehicle location, scheduling software, GPS systems, and mobile data terminals at higher rates. Manager education, conference attendance, vendor interaction, and training participation significantly influenced adoption decisions. The findings help identify which agencies would benefit from technology investments and reveal unexpected adopters worth studying.
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The Role of Decentralized Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification. Maharashtra case study, India
Decentralized renewable energy can electrify remote villages in Maharashtra, India where grid extension is infeasible. The study finds that while DRE offers social and economic benefits, current implementation remains limited to small-scale domestic use. Success requires overcoming barriers including weak government policy support, poor community perception, and challenges around business models, maintenance systems, and raw material sustainability.
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Development status and trend of rural renewable energy in China
Rural China faces growing energy demand that commodity energy alone cannot meet. The country possesses abundant renewable resources including solar, wind, small hydropower, geothermal, and biomass energy. The paper identifies significant gaps between urban and rural energy consumption and regional disparities. It recommends improving policy frameworks, removing market barriers, increasing investment, diversifying energy sources, and establishing service systems to develop rural renewable energy.
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Microfinance and Poverty Reduction: Is there a Trade-Off? A Case Study from Rural Bangladesh
Microfinance institutions in rural Bangladesh prioritize financial sustainability over poverty reduction, leading them to exclude the poorest households and serve wealthier borrowers instead. The study of ASA, a major microfinance organization, reveals that rigid lending practices fail to accommodate borrowers with limited financial skills and repayment capacity. The author argues MFIs must redesign their methodology to serve the poorest effectively and achieve genuine poverty reduction.
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<i>Rural Finance in Contemporary Times: Interface with Microfinance</i>
Indian rural finance suffers from state interventions like loan write-offs and interest subsidies that undermine banking system sustainability. Microfinance institutions reach poor clients but face regulatory neglect and cannot access commercial capital for growth. Both bankers and microfinance practitioners identified significant untapped rural markets in non-agricultural sectors like construction, handloom, and garment clusters. Removing regulatory barriers and clarifying the state's positive role could enable financial service innovations and better serve excluded poor populations.
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The Impact of Digital Infrastructure on Rural Household Financial Vulnerability: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from the Broadband China Strategy
China's Broadband China pilot policy significantly reduced financial vulnerability among rural households between 2012 and 2020. The policy strengthened financial resilience particularly for female-headed and spousal-headed households in regions lacking advanced digital finance infrastructure. Digital infrastructure increased household income through land transfer opportunities and boosted non-farm employment and financial literacy, creating pathways to greater financial sustainability in rural areas.
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Agritourism as a catalyst for sustainable rural development: Innovations, challenges, and policy perspectives in the post-COVID-19 era
This study examines agritourism in Thailand, identifying how farms have adapted post-COVID through diversification, technology adoption, and sustainability focus. Key innovations include immersive learning experiences, precision farming, hydroponics, and cultural tourism models. The research finds that policy frameworks, infrastructure investment, and community empowerment are essential for success. Recommendations include targeted subsidies, capacity-building, and regulatory harmonization to overcome financial and infrastructure barriers.
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Rural Energy Poverty: An Investigation into Socioeconomic Drivers and Implications for Off-Grid Households in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
This study examines energy poverty among off-grid households in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, identifying key socioeconomic drivers. Female-headed households face greater vulnerability to energy poverty, while larger households experience less. Education alone does not improve energy access due to infrastructure gaps. Social grant dependency correlates strongly with energy poverty. The research calls for gender-responsive policies addressing both infrastructure and socioeconomic barriers to energy access in rural areas.
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Analysis of rural broadband adoption dynamics: A theory-driven agent-based model
Rural broadband adoption lags behind demand, especially after COVID-19 exposed digital divides. This paper develops an agent-based model grounded in behavioral theory to predict how rural residents adopt broadband internet. The model shows that adoption rates rise when more neighbors already use internet and when prices drop. Policymakers and internet providers can use such simulations to target infrastructure investment and design subsidies that effectively reduce the digital divide.
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Digital Divide & Inclusive Education: Examining How Unequal Access to Technology Affects Educational Inclusivity in Urban Versus Rural Pakistan
Rural Pakistan faces severe digital divides that exclude learners from quality education. The paper compares urban and rural areas, finding stark disparities in technology infrastructure, internet access, and computer literacy. Government policies have failed to close these gaps. The authors recommend expanding digital infrastructure in rural regions, training teachers in technology use, and implementing equitable resource policies to ensure all Pakistani students can access educational technology.
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Place-based rural development programs and the labor allocation of farm households
A rural development program in Taiwan increased labor supply among farm household members, particularly for off-farm work. Non-heads of households and female members benefited most. Subsidies supporting cultural and promotional activities produced larger effects. The study uses administrative data and instrumental variables to establish causal impacts on how households allocate labor in response to place-based development policies.
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Retaining Permanent and Temporary Immigrants in Rural Australia: Place‐Based and Individual Determinants
Australia's regional visa schemes successfully attract skilled migrants to rural areas but fail to retain them long-term, with only 40% remaining after nine years compared to over 50% for other migrant categories. Retention is higher in regions with diverse job markets and ethnic networks, but lower where housing costs are high. Less-educated and lower-income migrants, including humanitarian arrivals, stay longer in rural areas, revealing a pattern of socio-spatial inequality and labor market segmentation.
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The role of agriculture for achieving renewable energy-centered sustainable development objectives in rural Africa
This paper models how renewable energy and agricultural development interact in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Using integrated assessment models linking water, energy, and agriculture, the authors show that expanding irrigation and agricultural productivity makes renewable energy infrastructure more economically viable and helps achieve universal energy access. They also analyze business models and policy conditions needed to make small-scale renewable energy systems feasible for rural development.
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Assessing the Viability and Impact of Off Grid Systems for Sustainable Electrification of Rural Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa
Off-grid solar minigrids offer a viable solution for rural electrification in sub-Saharan Africa, where centralized power systems have failed to reach communities. The research identifies key barriers to adoption including high capital costs, land expenses, and long break-even periods. Techno-economic analysis reveals that economic viability, regulatory frameworks, and technical challenges—measured through levelized cost of electricity—determine whether these systems succeed in rural areas.
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Using I-Hubs for Bridging The Gap of Digital Divide in Rural Kenya
Innovation hubs in Kenya bridge the digital divide by providing rural residents with internet access, mentorship, and resources to develop ideas and innovations. The research shows these hubs successfully connect previously excluded communities to digital economy opportunities. However, the government must establish more hubs in underserved rural areas to expand digital business development and increase ICT-driven GDP growth.
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Can place-based policies reduce urban-rural income inequality? Evidence from China’s Old Revolutionary Development Program based on county-level data
China's Old Revolutionary Development Program, a place-based policy targeting underdeveloped regions, reduced urban-rural income inequality by an average of 11.2% between 2010 and 2019. The effect worked primarily through government intervention and financial development. The policy proved more effective in western and central China than eastern China, and had stronger impacts in less developed counties. This demonstrates that well-designed place-based policies can meaningfully reduce income gaps between urban and rural areas.
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Rural Electrification and the Uptake of Renewable Energy in Nigeria: Lessons from Kenya
Nigeria's rural electrification programs fail to achieve meaningful renewable energy adoption due to four key barriers: insufficient funding, high upfront technology costs, lack of community involvement, and no dedicated agency to drive renewable energy promotion. Without addressing these obstacles, rural electricity access will remain limited. Kenya's experience offers comparative lessons for overcoming these challenges.
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America or India: Identifying a Suitable Off-Grid Rural Electrification Model for Nigeria.
Nigeria's rural electrification lags because grid expansion is slow and centralized. This paper compares American and Indian approaches to rural electrification. America built a robust national grid, while India rapidly expanded rural access through decentralized, renewable energy-based off-grid systems. India's model proves faster and more effective for rural electrification in developing countries like Nigeria.
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Financial Intermediation by Microfinance Banks in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Financial Intermediation Theoretical Approach
Microfinance banks in rural Uganda improve financial inclusion of poor households through two key mechanisms: market penetration and service quality. These factors together explain 22 percent of variation in financial inclusion. Both dimensions independently show significant positive effects on bringing poor rural households into the formal financial system. The study recommends policies strengthening financial intermediaries in rural sub-Saharan Africa where traditional banks are scarce.
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OVERVIEW PAPER ON MICROFINANCE THROUGH SELF-HELP GROUP-BANK LINKAGE PROGRAM FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN RURAL INDIA
India's Self-Help Group-Bank Linkage Program, established by NABARD in 1992, delivers microfinance to rural poor communities. The program reduces poverty and financially empowers rural women, increasing savings, asset creation, and school enrollment. However, challenges remain including high interest rates, transaction costs, skill gaps, and inconsistent implementation across regions.
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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Local Finance and Development Strategies. Case of Urban and Rural Areas in the Mazovia Region
COVID-19 reduced local government revenues across urban and rural areas in Poland's Mazovia region while expenditures rose, creating a fiscal squeeze. Rural and urban local administrative units responded differently to this crisis, with their distinct characteristics shaping their resilience and recovery strategies. The pandemic forced local governments to adjust development plans based on their financial capacity.
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The Concept for the Development of Biogas as Renewable Energy in Rural Indonesia
Indonesia's energy policy targets 5% renewable energy by 2025. Jimbaran Village, where 1,663 families raise dairy cattle, produces substantial animal waste currently dumped untreated into the environment. The authors propose converting this livestock waste into biogas through a communal system. Energy performance analysis shows the biogas system generates over 100% of required energy, with surplus capacity to replace grid electricity and produce compost for agricultural use.
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REVIEW ON RURAL ENERGY ACCESS POLICIES
Rural energy access remains neglected in developing countries, leaving nearly two billion people without electricity or clean cooking. This systematic review examines rural energy policies as solutions to energy poverty, analyzing challenges, barriers, and alternatives. The authors argue that comprehensive rural energy policy is essential for achieving universal energy access and sustainable development, with particular focus on Latin America and the health and environmental impacts on rural communities.
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Microfinance as a Mechanism against Financial Exclusion in the European Rural Areas – an Inspiration for the Czech Republic
Microfinance institutions in Europe show better repayment performance in rural areas than urban areas, according to analysis of a European microfinance database. The Czech Republic lacks microfinance infrastructure, forcing rural entrepreneurs to rely on expensive consumer credit. The authors recommend that policymakers develop legal frameworks supporting microfinance systems to reduce financial exclusion and disparities between rural and urban regions.
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Rural Development Research and Policy: Perspectives from Federal and State Experiences with an Application to Broadband
Rural economies persistently face disadvantages despite changing over time. This paper examines rural development research and policy at federal and state levels, drawing on broadband work experience. The author argues that better integration among federal and state governments, academia, and the private sector is essential for solving rural economic challenges. Stronger relationships between researchers and field practitioners would help anticipate future needs and enable timely problem-solving support.
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EUROPEAN UNION REGIONAL POLICY SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN RURAL AREAS OF THE MAZOVIAN VOIVODSHIP
EU regional policy funding supported renewable energy investments in rural Poland's Mazovian Voivodship, but only wind and solar projects by local governments and enterprises received support. The study finds that eligible cost ceilings and low EU funding shares forced projects to rely heavily on non-EU sources. Insufficient funding emerged as the primary barrier to rural development, causing authorities to prioritize other initiatives over renewable energy.
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Evaluation of rural broadband network based on broadband universal service management system
China's rural broadband universal service program successfully expanded network access to villages in impoverished areas. Evaluation using key performance indicators shows that average network speeds reached 60 Mbps, significantly exceeding the 12 Mbps service obligation. The telecom industry's coordinated efforts have substantially increased broadband penetration in rural regions.
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Affordable Broadband with Software Defined IPv6 Network for Developing Rural Communities
This paper examines how software-defined networking with IPv6 can deliver affordable broadband to rural communities in Nepal. The authors demonstrate that transitioning from legacy networks to software-defined IPv6 networks reduces energy consumption by 31.50% on switches and 55.44% on links, lowering operational costs for service providers. These savings enable more affordable broadband services for rural customers while addressing deployment challenges around technology choice, policy, skilled labor, and costs.
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Agroecology and integral microfinance: recommendations for the Colombian post-conflict avoiding the financialization of rural financing
Colombia's post-conflict recovery requires sustainable rural development for peasant families affected by armed conflict. The paper argues that agroecology combined with integrated microfinance—rather than financialized microfinance—offers the most effective approach to support small producers. This combination creates sustainable scenarios for rural livelihoods while avoiding extractive financial practices that undermine agricultural communities.
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Disciplinary Technologies of Microfinance: Fictitious Proximity, Visibility and Surveillance in Rural Microfinance in Bangladesh
This paper examines how microfinance programs in rural Bangladesh use disciplinary and surveillance techniques to ensure loan repayment. Loan officers maintain strict control over borrowers through detailed record-keeping, monitoring of family and economic activities, and differentiation between compliant and non-compliant borrowers. The research reveals that financial success in microfinance depends on these governing practices rather than genuine development outcomes.
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Sharia-compliant Financing of Infrastructure Development in Rural Area
This paper examines how Islamic financing mechanisms can fund rural infrastructure development. The authors surveyed rural residents to identify infrastructure needs, finding solid waste treatment as the priority. They determined that sharia-compliant financing through donations and musharaka (profit-sharing) schemes, managed by local community organizations, can sustainably finance rural infrastructure while avoiding interest-based lending and speculative practices.
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Renewable Energy – Implications for Agriculture and Rural Development in Poland
Rural areas in Poland significantly contributed to renewable energy targets between 2005–2014, with renewable energy's share of primary production doubling from 5.8% to 12.1%. Biomass dominated initially, but wind and solar grew rapidly after 2010. However, Poland's subsidy system favors large hydroelectric plants and co-combustion over citizen-led renewable initiatives, limiting economic potential in small installations and community energy development.
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Rural resilience and renewable energy in North-East Groningen, the Netherlands: in search of synergies
This paper examines whether Dutch government policies recognize renewable energy's potential to strengthen rural resilience and address socio-economic decline. The authors analyze governance at multiple levels in North-East Groningen, a coastal rural region facing peripheralization while positioning itself as an energy hub. They investigate whether formal government institutions anticipate and support renewable energy's role in rural development alongside growing local renewable energy initiatives.
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Promotion of Sustainable Livelihood through Skill Development Among Rural Youth - Role of Micro-Finance in Developmental Paradigm
Skill development alone fails to generate sustainable livelihoods for rural youth in India without addressing broader well-being and social structures. The paper examines how skill development institutions, policies, and programs linked to micro-finance can better support rural youth employment. It argues that micro-finance, operating within social relationships and collective norms, offers a more comprehensive approach than employable skills training alone to promote inclusive development.
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The New Telecommunications Sector Foreign Investment Regime and Rural Broadband
Canada's new foreign investment rules and wireless spectrum auctions aim to increase competition but will likely fail rural communities. Analysis shows new entrants prefer urban markets, and current regulations weaken the government's ability to meet telecommunications policy goals. The authors argue Canada needs a comprehensive national broadband plan rather than relying on market forces to deliver 4G services to rural and remote areas.
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Techno-economic analysis for Rural Broadband Access Networks
This paper develops a techno-economic cost model for deploying broadband networks in rural areas worldwide. It identifies major benefits and challenges of rural broadband access, presents factors affecting costs and revenues, and proposes a technology selection strategy that incorporates technical, economic, regulatory, and funding considerations. The authors create an empirical model to calculate total costs and benefits, illustrated through a Germany case study.
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Indigenous Knowledges Driving Technological Innovation
Indigenous peoples use geospatial technologies to protect tribal self-determination and preserve cultural knowledge. However, Western geospatial tools misrepresent Indigenous ontologies and epistemologies. The authors advocate developing new technologies aligned with Indigenous ways of knowing to better express and preserve cultural heritage while supporting cultural survival.
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The Case for the Development of Public Transit in an Urban Boundary Rural Area
A survey of commuters in a rural area bordering a metropolitan region reveals that people would use public transit if available, driven by concerns about fuel costs and pollution. Educated and younger residents show the strongest preference for transit, challenging assumptions that rural populations inherently prefer automobiles.
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43 nd European Regional Science Association Congress "Peripheries, Centres, and Spatial Development in the New Europe" University of Jyväskylä, Finland, August 27 th -30 th 2003 Innovation and Business Performance in Rural and Peripheral Areas of Greece
This study examines innovation patterns in two mountainous Greek regions and their effect on business performance. Surveying 100 manufacturing and service enterprises, the researchers found that product and market innovation varies between the more accessible and remote areas. Business networks, entrepreneurial characteristics, and firm-specific factors drive innovation, which in turn improves business performance. The findings support territorially tailored innovation policies for peripheral rural areas.
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Bridging the digital divide: how does rural digitalization promote rural common prosperity?
Rural digitalization in China significantly promotes common prosperity by improving economic and social outcomes across provinces from 2011 to 2021. Government transfer payments strengthen this effect, while strict pollution fees can weaken it. Digital rural development creates spillover benefits for neighboring regions, though these advantages decrease with distance. The impact varies substantially by region, sector, and time period.
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Evaluation and Obstacle Factors of Renewable Energy Substitution Potential in Underdeveloped Rural Areas of China
This study evaluates renewable energy substitution potential in underdeveloped rural areas of Gansu Province, China, using multi-objective analysis and obstacle factor modeling. The research finds that renewable energy substitution potential is generally low with significant spatial and temporal variation. Key obstacles include limited renewable energy resource endowment, low irrigated agricultural area, insufficient agricultural machinery, and small rural populations. The authors recommend strategic planning of renewable energy development models and coordinated regional approaches to enhance economic value.
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Cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies
This paper evaluates cost-effectiveness of rural energy access strategies in sub-Saharan Africa by comparing on-grid electrification, off-grid solar, mini-grids, and improved cooking technologies. The authors find that on-grid electrification delivers disappointing results relative to costs, while stand-alone solar systems and energy-efficient biomass cookstoves emerge as the most cost-effective options. Mini-grids face unresolved sustainability challenges that undermine their viability.
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Integrating Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge with Modern Practices for Sustainable Farming and Food Security
Farmers can achieve sustainable farming by combining traditional ecological knowledge with modern agricultural practices. A mixed-methods study found 45% of farmers fully adopted this integrated approach, while others adopted it partially. Key barriers include lack of institutional support, funding constraints, and inadequate policies. The research shows that combining traditional methods like intercropping and organic pest control with modern precision farming improves soil health, water retention, and farm profitability. Policymakers must provide training, financial support, and regulatory frameworks to increase adoption.
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Mapping and Spatial Analysis to Expand Rural Broadband Access
Rural broadband access remains limited despite its importance for economic development and precision farming. This paper presents GIS and remote sensing methods to identify where broadband expansion would have the greatest agricultural impact and to locate vertical infrastructure assets that could support network expansion. Applied to Illinois counties, the approach quantifies crop production potential in unserved areas and automates mapping of suitable tower locations using LiDAR data to guide broadband investment decisions.
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Digital Divide or Digital Bridge? Evaluating the Impact of ICT Integration in South Africa’s Rural Schools
South Africa's policy to integrate ICT into rural schools through laptops and tablets has failed to bridge the digital divide. Teachers lack training to use these technologies effectively, and implementation remains uneven, favoring urban smart schools over rural ones. The study recommends comprehensive teacher training, wider device distribution to primary schools, curriculum reform, and independent professional development to achieve meaningful ICT integration across all schools.
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ICT adoption, commercial orientation and productivity: Understanding the digital divide in Rural China
Chinese smallholders who adopt information and communication technologies—smartphones and internet-connected computers—increase their commercial farm orientation and boost productivity significantly. Land productivity rises 21.3% and labor productivity 28.2% with ICT adoption. Commercial orientation itself improves labor productivity by 35.9%. Young farmers and small-scale operators benefit most. The study recommends policymakers invest in ICT training, digital infrastructure, and support for commercial smallholder production.
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Relying on LEADER? A place-based policy approach to the rural development of Finnish municipalities
Finnish municipalities play a modest role in rural development despite place-based policy frameworks that should empower them. This study identifies three causal factors: the ideology of responsible local communities, shrinking-municipality development policies, and projectification challenges. The research finds that increased village involvement in rural development actually discourages municipal participation, and municipalities struggle to trust rural potential when focused on economic growth. LEADER groups dominate because they face fewer projectification obstacles than other municipal projects.
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The temporalities and externalities of ancillary infrastructure in large-scale renewable energy projects: Insights from the rural periphery
Large-scale renewable energy projects require ancillary infrastructure like roads, worker camps, and water systems that create distinct social and environmental impacts separate from the power plants themselves. In rural peripheral areas of the Global South, these infrastructures can harm communities but also provide significant benefits. The authors develop a framework analyzing how ancillary infrastructure's timing and externalities affect local acceptance, using a Kenyan geothermal project as a case study, and offer policy recommendations to maximize positive outcomes.
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Navigating emergent effects in off-grid systems: Ostrom's design principles and rural energy policy implications
This study examines how Ostrom's Design Principles work in governing rural off-grid energy systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using systems thinking and feedback analysis, the research identifies emergent problems—poor infrastructure access, weak local economies, and community disengagement—that undermine the framework's effectiveness. The author maps reinforcing feedback loops driving governance failures and proposes balancing strategies to improve sustainability, concluding that integrating Ostrom's principles with broader external support is essential for long-term viability of community-owned off-grid systems.
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A techno-economic model for future deployment of fixed broadband services to stimulate development across rural Africa
This paper develops a techno-economic model for deploying fixed broadband services across rural Africa. The authors analyze capital and operating costs for terrestrial and high-altitude platform networks, then simulate deployment scenarios. They find that broadband expansion is financially feasible in rural Africa, with high-altitude platforms proving more cost-effective than ground-based networks. The model provides cost estimates per person and household.
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Rural development: People-centered and place-based approach
This paper advocates for rural development strategies that prioritize people and place-based approaches. Rather than top-down policies, the work emphasizes community-centered methods that account for local conditions, resources, and needs. The author argues that sustainable rural innovation requires understanding specific regional contexts and engaging local populations as active participants in development processes.
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Regional Planning and Optimization of Renewable Energy Sources for Improved Rural Electrification
Rural electrification in developing regions requires balancing competing interests between policymakers promoting renewable energy and power operators protecting profits. This paper develops a bi-level optimization model that accounts for investment costs, carbon emissions, efficiency, and incentives. Using Malaysian case studies, the authors show that cost minimization alone favors expanding existing plants over renewables, but strategic incentives of $1.4 million annually can shift operators toward decarbonization while meeting rural electricity demand.
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Impact evaluation of broadband investment on coverage and household internet use in rural areas
Spanish rural municipalities that received broadband investment subsidies significantly increased their high-speed internet coverage between 2013 and 2019, narrowing the rural-urban divide. However, improved broadband coverage alone did not substantially increase household internet use in rural areas. The study reveals a persistent digital divide, with rural coverage at 38% compared to 90% in urban areas, suggesting that infrastructure investment must be paired with other interventions to drive actual adoption.
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Bridging the rural divide: The impact of broadband grants on US agriculture
The Community Connect Grants Program, which funds broadband infrastructure in rural US communities since 2002, increased crop productivity by 9.3 percent within three years of receiving grants. Low-income areas saw even larger gains, ranging from 6.3 to 13.8 percent. The study demonstrates that expanding high-speed broadband in rural regions directly boosts agricultural productivity.
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A Bridging the Digital Divide in Education: Disparities in Google Classroom Utilization and Technical Challenges among Urban and Rural Teachers
Rural teachers in Indonesia face significantly greater technical barriers and use Google Classroom less frequently than urban teachers, reflecting a persistent digital divide in school infrastructure and internet connectivity. The study surveyed 395 secondary teachers and found rural areas lack adequate ICT resources. The authors recommend region-specific interventions including targeted digital literacy training and equitable device distribution to enable inclusive online learning across geographical areas.
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Bridging the digital divide in rural Thailand: Understanding potential factors influencing Starlink's satellite internet adoption
This study identifies factors influencing Starlink satellite internet adoption in rural Thailand. Analyzing 806 survey respondents, researchers found that age, education, device ownership (tablets and wearables), and social media engagement significantly predict service adoption. The findings enable policymakers and service providers to design targeted strategies that increase rural broadband access and digital inclusion, supporting socio-economic development in underserved Thai communities.
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Indian rural livelihoods and renewable energy interventions – A critical analysis for a bottom-up approach for sustainability from an energy-water-food nexus context
This study examines renewable energy interventions in Indian rural communities through an energy-water-food nexus lens. The research finds that top-down renewable energy policies have failed to measure livelihood outcomes effectively. Solar pumps emerge as the most successful intervention, delivering benefits across energy, water, and food production. The analysis shows decentralized renewable systems outperform grid extensions economically, and that interventions succeed when communities possess strong social, financial, and human assets. Bottom-up approaches tailored to local livelihoods prove more effective than standardized programs.
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Digital Divide: Facilitating Conditions and Usage of Google Classroom for Teachers in Rural and Urban Secondary Schools in Malaysia
Rural teachers in Malaysia face greater technical obstacles and use Google Classroom less frequently than urban teachers, despite similar network and infrastructure challenges. The study surveyed 395 secondary school teachers and found significant differences in technical issues and platform usage between rural and urban settings. The authors recommend targeted technical support, training, and resource allocation to rural schools to reduce educational inequality.
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Homeowners’ Motivations to Invest in Energy-Efficient and Renewable Energy Technologies in Rural Iowa
Rural Iowa homeowners adopt energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies primarily to reduce energy costs, driven by local availability of products and environmental concerns. High upfront costs, lack of information, and limited local access to appliances and contractors create barriers to adoption. Rural households face disproportionately high energy burdens, making these technologies valuable but underutilized in rural areas compared to urban regions.
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Towards a low-cost sustainable broadband solution in rural areas of low and middle-income countries: Tanzania’s backhaul perspective
This paper compares microwave and broadband over power line (BPL) technologies for rural backhaul infrastructure in Tanzania. Both technologies deliver adequate broadband capacity, but BPL costs significantly less—one microwave link costs roughly six times more than a BPL link. The findings suggest BPL offers a more economically viable solution for extending broadband to remote rural areas in low and middle-income countries.
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Quadruple Helix Model in Building Communalism and Social Resilience in Handling Poverty in Rural Communities
This study examines how the quadruple helix model—involving government, business, academia, and civil society—reduces rural poverty through social resources and community solidarity. The research finds that social institutions and collective action strengthen communalism and social resilience, enabling rural communities to address poverty more effectively than structural government approaches alone.
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Village Fund for Renewable Energy Development: A Case Study of Rural Area in Indonesia
Indonesia's Village Fund program allocates government resources to rural energy development. This case study examined fund allocation from 2018–2020 and found that Kalimantan and Sulawesi invested most heavily in renewable energy, while Java lagged significantly. The research concludes that current funding levels fall short of meeting Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets and recommends increased government support for affordable clean energy access in villages, not just infrastructure projects.
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Analyzing the Progress and Disparities in Access to Clean Energy Technologies: A Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Areas of India
Between 2010 and 2020, India made progress expanding access to clean cooking fuels and electricity, but rural areas lagged significantly behind urban areas. Rural populations faced slower adoption of clean cooking technologies and lower electricity access rates. The study identifies persistent energy poverty in rural regions and calls for targeted policies to ensure equitable clean energy access across both rural and urban areas.
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Perceived quality of home- and community-based services and urban-rural disparities in aging-in-place intentions: evidence from Chinese older adults
This study examines how older adults in China perceive home and community-based services and how these perceptions affect their desire to age in place. Rural and urban older adults respond differently to service gaps: rural residents tolerate limited service quantity but struggle with poor quality and distance, while urban residents are more affected by provider shortages and proximity issues. The findings show that context-specific policies addressing these distinct urban-rural challenges are essential to support aging in place.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Advancing Equitable Internet Access in Rural Kenya for Sustainable Development
Kenya has achieved 85% internet penetration through cellular networks and government initiatives, but rural areas remain underserved due to infrastructure gaps, high costs, and low digital literacy. The paper evaluates connectivity models including community networks, wireless ISPs, and satellite internet, identifying affordability and regulatory barriers as persistent challenges. It proposes integrated strategies combining infrastructure investment, affordable services, and digital literacy programs through government, private sector, and community collaboration to achieve equitable rural access.
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Bridging The Digital Divide : The Role of Technology in Enhancing Rural SMES in Indonesia
Rural small and medium enterprises in Indonesia face a significant digital divide caused by limited infrastructure, low digital literacy, and weak government support. While digital technology could boost their competitiveness and revenue, adoption remains limited. The study recommends stronger collaboration between government, technology providers, and SMEs to accelerate technology adoption and improve rural business competitiveness in the digital economy.
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A Registered Report on Place-Based Resentment: Exploring Urban-Rural Tensions in Sweden
This Swedish study reveals significant urban-rural tensions despite the country's egalitarian welfare state and equalization policies. Rural respondents showed stronger in-group identification, greater place-based resentment, and more negative stereotypes of urban people than vice versa. However, these tensions did not translate into systematic bias when evaluating political statements from rural versus urban politicians, suggesting regional identity matters for political discourse without creating systematic partisan divides.
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The double disadvantage of rural place-based policies
Rural regions face a double disadvantage under current place-based policies: they lack the agglomeration economies and institutional capabilities that urban areas possess. This scoping review of 2008–2022 literature shows that place-based policies, particularly the urban-centric smart specialisation model, fail to address rural needs. The authors argue that effective rural policy must move beyond urban templates, strengthen rural institutions, accept that growth isn't essential, and develop genuinely tailored strategies recognizing peripheral regions as valuable assets.
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Complementarity and Substitution Effects of Investments in Renewable Energy and Global Economic Growth: Strategic Planning Opportunities for Development of Rural Areas
Renewable energy investments drive global economic growth and create jobs in rural areas where land and resources are abundant. The authors analyze how renewable energy investments complement or substitute for other economic activities and examine strategic planning approaches across countries. They find that renewable energy investment boosts economic growth and that different nations prioritize rural renewable development differently in their policy frameworks.
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Place-based strengths and vulnerabilities for mental wellness among rural minority older adults: an intervention development study protocol
Rural minority older adults in the United States face severe depression inequities driven by economic insecurity, trauma, transportation gaps, and limited service access. This study examines protective place-based factors like social support and community attachment alongside vulnerabilities among American Indian and Latinx older adults in New Mexico. Researchers will conduct surveys, interviews, and network analysis to understand how these factors shape depression experiences, then develop a community-driven intervention addressing place-based causes of mental health disparities.
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Conceptualizing RRI from a Global South perspective through Indigenous innovation practices in Aotearoa New Zealand’s high-tech science sector
This paper examines Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) through Indigenous Māori perspectives in New Zealand's high-tech science sector. The authors show that Vision Mātauranga, a national policy integrating Māori knowledge with Western science, drives RRI in practice through specific micro-practices: open innovation, capacity development, and absorptive capacity. A decolonized RRI approach extends responsible innovation beyond European frameworks, creating new science governance models that align with Global South contexts.
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Analysis of Rural Microfinance Sustainability: Does Local Insight Driven Governance Work?
This study examines sustainable microfinance models in rural western Rajasthan, India, surveying 480 respondents across three districts. The research finds that social, economic, governance, and environmental factors significantly influence microfinance sustainability. Sustainable microfinance delivers financial stability, better risk management, improved reputation, and competitive advantage for managers while creating long-term benefits for borrowers and rural communities.
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The importance of education innovation and degree of innovative practices by principals in rural secondary schools in South Africa
Rural secondary school principals in South Africa's Vhembe District understand the importance of educational innovation and actively implement new leadership and management practices to improve student achievement. The study surveyed 70 principals and found they recognize innovation's role in enhancing instruction quality and school performance, despite obstacles facing rural schools. These findings suggest that promoting educational innovation can strengthen learner outcomes and education quality in rural South African secondary schools.
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Renewable energy adoption and rural livelihoods in Ethiopia
A study in Ethiopia shows that subsidizing biogas digesters by 10% shifts household energy use toward renewable sources and reallocates labor from fuelwood collection to farming. The subsidy increases net household incomes by 0.93% for wealthier households and 3.44% for poorer ones, with benefits exceeding program costs. Crop production patterns remain largely unchanged despite competition for resources.
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‘Just’ access to electricity: Energy justice in Indonesia’s rural electrification (LISDES) program
Indonesia's rural electrification program (LISDES) fails to deliver just access to electricity due to three types of injustice. Distributive injustice stems from unequal incomes, geography, and population spread. Procedural injustice arises from poor information sharing, weak participation by local actors, and inadequate legal frameworks. Recognition injustice reflects failure to understand electricity's role in welfare and to acknowledge Indonesia's diverse socioeconomic conditions. Addressing all three requires clear long-term program goals.
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Bridging the digital divide: a comparative study of digital literacy and access in rural communities in China and Nigeria
Rural communities in China and Nigeria face significant digital divides shaped by infrastructure, policy, and socioeconomic factors. Nigeria experiences greater barriers to digital access and literacy than China, particularly among older populations. The study reveals that policy responses and living standards differ markedly between countries. Culturally and linguistically tailored digital literacy campaigns targeting older rural residents could improve digital inclusion and access.
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Bridging the digital financial divide: the role of financial literacy in rural–urban disparities in mobile money account ownership in Tanzania
Financial literacy is a major driver of rural-urban disparities in mobile money adoption in Tanzania, accounting for 22.6% of the ownership gap. While digital infrastructure has expanded, capability to use these services remains unequally distributed. Higher-income users convert financial knowledge into adoption more effectively than poorer groups. Addressing inequalities requires integrating targeted financial literacy programs into digital finance policy alongside infrastructure expansion.
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Indigenous knowledge for innovation and sustainable livelihood in Ghana’s informal economy
Indigenous knowledge drives innovation in Ghana's informal economy. A study of 300 informal-sector workers found that 90% rely on indigenous knowledge, with 85% using it to develop new products and services. Apprenticeship and museum archives best preserve this knowledge. Indigenous knowledge significantly improves food security, health, and environmental sustainability. However, lack of government support and poor integration with modern technology remain major barriers. The research demonstrates indigenous knowledge is essential for grassroots innovation but needs stronger policy backing.
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Indigenous Innovation in Orthopedic Robotics: Making Joint Replacement Affordable in India
Robotic joint replacement surgery improves precision and recovery but remains inaccessible in India due to high costs and limited training. Indigenous robotic platforms engineered locally can reduce expenses while maintaining accuracy, aligning with India's self-reliance goals and adapting to local anatomical and economic conditions. Achieving equitable access requires collaboration between clinicians, industry, insurers, and policymakers to transform robotic surgery from a premium service into scalable standard care.
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EXPANDING RURAL BROADBAND IN AMERICA: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Rural areas in the United States lack reliable, affordable broadband access, creating economic, educational, and social inequities. This paper examines barriers to rural broadband deployment and identifies solutions including community-led initiatives, public-private partnerships, and federal programs like BEAD. The author recommends sustainable funding models, improved regulations, and emerging technologies to achieve universal connectivity and reduce digital disparities.
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Bridging the digital divide: exploring undergraduate students’ experiences with learning management systems in a rural South African University
Undergraduate students at a rural South African university face significant barriers to using learning management systems, including poor digital infrastructure, limited digital literacy, and inconsistent faculty engagement. While students recognize potential benefits like learning flexibility, their actual experience depends heavily on institutional support for technology and culturally responsive teaching. The study recommends infrastructure improvements, digital training, and pedagogical integration to bridge the digital divide in under-resourced settings.
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Digital rural development and the alleviation of the urban-rural digital divide: An analysis based on the theory of co-production
Digital village initiatives in China significantly reduce the urban-rural digital divide through multi-actor collaboration involving institutional reform, resource allocation, and adaptive governance. Analysis of 30 provinces from 2013–2021 identifies three effective pathways: service-space optimization, digital-infrastructure resilience, and digital-industrial co-evolution. Success requires balancing technology with institutional equity and spatial rebalancing, particularly in central and western regions.
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Bridging the digital divide to promote inclusive education in Zimbabwean rural secondary schools: A case of Mwenezi District
Rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe's Mwenezi District lack digital infrastructure, network coverage, and ICT equipment needed to implement the updated national curriculum. The study identifies the digital divide as a major barrier to inclusive education in remote and resettlement areas. Researchers recommend improving network coverage, installing solar projects, and providing hardware and software support to enable rural teachers and learners to meet 21st-century curriculum demands.
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Digital divides and youth cultural participation in rural contexts in Ecuador
Rural youth in Ecuador's Zone 5 face digital divides that prevent cultural participation. Young people with stable internet and digital skills training show higher technological confidence and engage more in online cultural communities. Those with unstable connections and basic devices struggle to access digital cultural opportunities. The study reveals digital exclusion involves more than infrastructure—it requires addressing education, cultural barriers, and symbolic access through targeted public policies.
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Bridging the Divide: Digitalization and Young Rural Women in Bulgaria
Young rural women in Bulgaria face significant barriers to digital engagement, with 73% experiencing unreliable internet access and 67% lacking adequate digital literacy training. Structural inequalities rooted in limited infrastructure, gender norms, and educational gaps prevent these women from participating in the digital economy. The study calls for gender-sensitive policies expanding broadband access and digital skills programs to enable social mobility and regional economic growth.
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Age-friendly Rural Communities: A Multi-Case Study on Public Space Innovations for Active Aging
China's rural areas face aging populations while traditional public spaces neglect elderly needs. This study examines three rural communities to identify age-friendly design principles for public spaces. Researchers found that accessibility, safety, comfort, social interaction, and digital infrastructure significantly improve elderly quality of life, health, and social participation. Success requires policy support, community-specific design approaches, and active elderly involvement in the design process.
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Place-based resources as a means for local economic development – local planning in shrinking rural areas
Local planning in shrinking rural areas can actively shape economic development by engaging with place-based resources and global economic demands. Using a Swedish municipality case study, the authors show how planning functions as a proactive, socio-materially distributed practice rather than simply reacting to external pressures. Local planning agencies directly influenced spatial and economic transformation through their engagement with resource extraction projects.
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Place-Based Diminished Returns of Economic Resources in Rural America: A Framework for Understanding Geography-Conditioned Inequality
Rural residence in the United States weakens the protective effects of socioeconomic status on health, education, and behavioral outcomes, even for non-Hispanic White populations. The authors extend the Marginalization-related Diminished Returns framework to show that structural disadvantages in rural areas reduce how effectively education, income, and other resources translate into improved outcomes. Policy interventions must address place-specific constraints that limit opportunity rather than simply increasing resources.
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Navigating Deep Learning Pedagogy in Rural Classrooms: A Qualitative Study on Teacher Readiness and Innovation in Indonesian Elementary Schools
Teachers in rural Indonesian elementary schools lack sufficient understanding of deep learning approaches and struggle to implement digital innovation in classrooms. Limited training, inadequate infrastructure, weak institutional support, and low self-efficacy create systemic barriers. The study calls for context-specific teacher training programs and supportive school policies to enable sustainable digital transformation in low-resource rural environments.
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The Role of Advanced Biofuels in Promoting Energy Access and Economic Growth in Rural Areas
Advanced biofuels from agricultural residues, algae, and waste can reduce energy poverty and create economic growth in rural developing countries. Case studies from India and Brazil show that decentralized biofuel plants improved energy access, generated local jobs, and strengthened agricultural value chains by converting crop residues into farmer income. Key barriers include limited infrastructure, financing, and policy support. The authors recommend scaling adoption to enhance energy security and rural development.
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Responding to domestic and family violence in resource-constrained contexts: a case study on rural policing innovations in Melanesia
Police in four Melanesian countries innovate to address domestic and family violence in resource-constrained rural areas. The study finds that effective responses require stronger partnerships across sectors, increased police presence, and integration of indigenous strategies. Current efforts struggle with limited resources, low prioritization, and cultural barriers to gender reform.
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Broadband and rural development: Impacts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Broadband Initiatives Program on saving and creating jobs
The USDA's Broadband Initiatives Program reduced employment losses in rural areas compared to non-program regions, with stronger effects in metropolitan counties and service sectors. Businesses in program areas showed better survival rates than those outside the program, though impacts varied by location, business type, and industry.
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The Obstacles of Women Entrepreneurship on Empowerment in Rural Communities KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Women entrepreneurs in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa face three main barriers to business expansion: limited access to finance, lack of formal education, and inadequate infrastructure. The study surveyed 250 female business owners and found these obstacles are surmountable through targeted interventions including alternative financing mechanisms, focused training programs, and infrastructure development. Removing these barriers could empower women entrepreneurs and reduce rural poverty.
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The spatial interplay between productive and destructive entrepreneurship: do institutions meet expectations in rural areas?
In rural Colombia, destructive entrepreneurship (coca cultivation) and productive entrepreneurship (coffee cultivation) directly displace each other. Despite the presence of coffee-supportive institutions like extensionists, these institutions fail to prevent destructive entrepreneurship from crowding out productive activities. The study reveals that institutional support alone is insufficient to control this substitution effect in weak institutional environments.
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Defence innovation ecosystems and rural economic development: pathways to sustainable growth and military adaptation
Latvia is integrating rural regions into its defence innovation ecosystem to strengthen military capabilities and economic development. The study finds that while government investment and policy frameworks exist—including test sites in Latgale and dual-use technology grants—rural participation remains limited by infrastructure gaps, weak SME involvement, and unequal funding distribution. The authors recommend targeted policies to boost rural innovation capacity while aligning with NATO and EU standards.
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EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOCIAL INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY OF ECOTOURISM HOMESTAYS IN SABAH
Ecotourism homestays in Sabah represent Indigenous-led social innovation that empowers communities by redistributing ownership, knowledge systems, and decision-making power. Community-driven co-creation processes strengthen social networks, local leadership, and livelihoods across governance, economic, cultural, and environmental domains. However, the study warns that ecotourism alone cannot sustain empowerment without equitable governance, ethical frameworks, and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. Only fully community-led models meaningfully redistribute benefits; external dominance risks reproducing inequality.
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Bridging knowledge systems synergies gaps and drivers of Indigenous and scientific knowledge integration for sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia
Ethiopian farmers rarely integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific agriculture, despite potential benefits. The study of 197 farmers found that social networks, belief in indigenous knowledge, contact with agricultural extension agents, and religious participation all strengthen integration. Formal education actually discourages it by emphasizing only modern science. The researchers recommend revitalizing extension services and creating community platforms that combine both knowledge systems into agricultural policy.
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Implementation of Islamic Microfinance through Marketing Strategy for Financing Rural Communities in Cirebon Region
Islamic microfinance institutions in Indonesia's Cirebon region successfully serve rural communities through targeted marketing strategies. The study finds that sharia-based microfinance improves access to capital for female entrepreneurs, increases business sales, and reduces poverty and unemployment. The approach emphasizes justice and social welfare while facing challenges including limited capital, low financial literacy, and regulatory gaps.
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Microfinance as a Catalyst for Poverty Reduction: Assessing Credit Access, Entrepreneurship, and Income Resilience in Marginalized Rural Economies
Microfinance institutions provide crucial financial access to low-income rural households in marginalized areas. This study of 400 microfinance participants in southern Punjab, Pakistan shows that credit access directly improves entrepreneurial performance and financial stability. The effect strengthens significantly when combined with financial skills training and social network support. Microfinance enables business creation, income resilience, and poverty reduction at scale, with policy recommendations for sustaining long-term program benefits.
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Research on the Mechanism and Development Path of Green Finance Enabling Rural Revitalization under the Goal of "Double Carbon"
Green finance, particularly carbon finance instruments, can drive rural revitalization by promoting industrial development, improving rural governance, and creating sustainable environments. The paper identifies barriers in current green financial markets and proposes developing carbon financial derivatives linked to forest projects as a mechanism to achieve rural revitalization goals while meeting carbon reduction targets.
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High speed broadband and the employment quality of rural migrant workers in China
High-speed broadband expansion in China improved employment quality for rural migrant workers by increasing wages, reducing overtime, and boosting job stability. The effect operated primarily through enabling remote work flexibility. Younger, female, and more educated workers experienced larger gains. The policy shift toward faster internet and lower rates around 2015 drove measurable improvements in working conditions across multiple dimensions.
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Innovations of Rural Areas as a Necessity of Green Economy and Sustainable Development
Rural innovation in Serbia requires applying green economy principles to increase agricultural competitiveness and ensure sustainable development. The paper examines plum production as a case study, revealing unstable market placement and declining rural populations. Serbia's EU accession demands alignment with environmental standards. Success depends on state support, institutional frameworks, farmer training, advisory services, and promotion of innovation through shorter marketing channels and knowledge exchange.
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Local Economic Resilience: A Qualitative Study of Development Innovation in Rural Areas
This qualitative study examines how rural areas build economic resilience through development innovation. The research shows that rural communities strengthen their economies by adopting sustainable practices, leveraging digital technologies, and fostering community-based innovation. Local adaptation strategies and government support play key roles in helping rural areas respond to global economic trends and create new opportunities for business growth.
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The Role of Islamic Values in Sustainable Development Innovation to Support the SDGs in Rural Communities
Islamic principles, particularly Maqasid Syariah, offer a framework for sustainable development in rural communities that addresses poverty, inequality, and climate action. The study finds that Islamic values like social justice and environmental stewardship, combined with mechanisms such as zakat and waqf, can advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Integrating these religious values into development policy creates more inclusive and equitable rural development outcomes.
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Analysis of China's Policy on Bridging Urban-rural Digital Divide Based on the Mixed-Scanning Model
China's policies addressing the urban-rural digital divide show gaps in coverage and effectiveness. Using the Mixed-Scanning model, this analysis identifies that STEM education and rural internet training can bridge educational divides, while farmers need support finding digital roles in the big data economy. The government must address technical barriers and gender gaps through combined governance involving government, market, and citizens. AI technology offers promise for closing the cognitive divide.
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Bridging The Digital Divide: A Comprehensive Analysis Of ICT Infrastructure In Rural Schools Of Jharkhand, India
Rural schools in Jharkhand, India lack adequate ICT infrastructure and resources. The study surveyed schools across the region using surveys, interviews, and observations, finding significant gaps in technology access and use. These deficiencies prevent effective digital learning in elementary education. The authors recommend targeted interventions to bridge the digital divide and provide practical policy recommendations for improving ICT adoption in rural schools.
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Place-Based Collaborative Action as a Means of Delivering Goods and Services in Rural Areas of Developed Economies
Rural communities in developed economies deliver goods and services through household, community, and third-sector provision alongside market and state actors. The paper identifies three types of place-based collaborative action, driven by different motivations. Using Scotland as a case study, it demonstrates that community-led initiatives in land management, renewable energy, and social care can succeed when supported by effective public policy, challenging assumptions that such efforts cannot overcome class-based constraints.
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An Investigation of Renewable Energy Solutions for Off-Grid Sustainable Housing in Rural Nigeria
Solar photovoltaic systems are the most widely adopted renewable energy technology in rural Nigerian off-grid housing, significantly improving health, economic activity, and education. Income, education level, and awareness strongly predict adoption, with awareness mediating the relationship between socioeconomic factors and technology uptake. The study recommends comprehensive policies, community engagement, capacity building, and financial support to scale renewable energy adoption and maximize its benefits.
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Enterprises’ response strategies towards a mission-oriented innovation initiative – a reflection on China’s indigenous innovation
Chinese enterprises adopt distinct response strategies to government-led mission-oriented innovation initiatives. The study examines how firms engage with indigenous innovation policies, revealing differentiated approaches based on firm characteristics and sectoral contexts. Enterprises balance compliance with policy objectives against competitive pressures, demonstrating varied levels of commitment to state-directed innovation goals.
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INNOVATION IN INDIGENOUS TOURISM: LESSONS FROM EN OORU TRIBAL HERITAGE VILLAGE, WAYANAD, KERALA
The En Ooru tribal heritage village in Kerala demonstrates how indigenous tourism preserves tribal culture while generating economic benefits. The project successfully combines preserved indigenous architecture, customs, and traditions with visitor attractions, drawing significant tourism revenue to the local economy. Government collaboration between Kerala's Tourism and Scheduled Tribe Development departments proved essential to the project's success, showing that institutional partnerships effectively support both cultural preservation and tribal community development.
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The Impact of Microfinance on Poverty Alleviation in Rural Communities
Microfinance in rural communities generates positive economic impacts by funding income-generating activities, raising household incomes, and empowering marginalized groups, particularly women. Group lending models build trust and cooperation among borrowers. However, microfinance alone cannot address structural barriers like poor infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Sustainable poverty alleviation requires integrating microfinance with broader rural development strategies, stronger regulation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
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Digital Finance Helps “Five-in-one” Rural Revitalization Development
Digital finance can drive rural revitalization across five dimensions: industrial prosperity, ecological livability, cultural development, governance effectiveness, and living standards. The paper analyzes China's rural challenges and demonstrates how digital finance mechanisms support integrated rural development, offering practical recommendations for policymakers addressing the country's agricultural and rural areas.
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Research on the Impact Mechanism of Green Finance on Rural Revitalization from the Perspective of Digital Economy Development Level
Green finance and digital economy development both substantially accelerate rural revitalization in China, according to analysis of provincial data from 2012 to 2020. Regional disparities in these dimensions narrowed over time. Increased rural cultural and recreational spending also correlates with rural development gains. The study recommends policymakers prioritize digital green finance initiatives to support rural revitalization and achieve common prosperity.
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Features of Funding Rural Communities and Territories Development Financed by EU Common Budget
EU budgetary policy funds rural development through structural funds and national budgets, addressing challenges like demographic decline, poor infrastructure, unemployment, and limited services. The paper argues that integrated approaches combining European and local cooperation, efficient resource use, infrastructure investment, and innovation support create conditions for sustainable rural development and improved quality of life.
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The Multilateral Development Banks and Rural Climate Finance: Adaptation, Mitigation, and Resilience
Multilateral development banks emphasize climate adaptation and mitigation in their governance documents as essential for equitable outcomes and poverty reduction. However, analysis of 140 governance documents and 284 lending operations reveals they predominantly finance climate resilience projects that focus on reducing agricultural and rural income vulnerability to climate change rather than pursuing transformative adaptation or mitigation strategies.
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ENABLING INNOVATION IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Rural development requires innovation to achieve sustainable development goals, but rural areas face resource constraints that limit their capacity for change. The paper proposes a three-dimensional model combining pro-social technological innovation policy, rural innovation governance, and dynamic networks connecting rural and urban innovation systems. Frugal, inclusive, and social innovation types suit rural contexts better than traditional approaches. Examples from China demonstrate how rural areas can leverage urban technologies, networks, and resources to create new economic growth engines.
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Agricultural Chambers in the Process of Transfer of Knowledge and Innovations for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas in Poland
Agricultural chambers in Poland function as part of the EU's Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System, facilitating technology and knowledge transfer to farms. Research across Polish regions shows these chambers significantly influenced EU Rural Development Program fund absorption. However, Polish chambers prove less effective at driving agricultural development than counterparts in other EU countries. The study recommends chambers strengthen their roles in policy formation, income stabilization, information dissemination, and farmer advocacy.
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Research on the Innovation of Institutional Mechanisms for Urban-Rural Integration Development in Henan Province in the Context of New Urbanization
This paper evaluates urban-rural integration development in Henan Province, China during 2010–2020 using an indicator system and entropy weighting method. The analysis shows the integration index rose from 0.15 to 0.86, with strong coupling between new urbanization and rural-urban development systems. The authors recommend institutional innovations tailored to local conditions that integrate production and urbanization to improve coordinated growth efficiency.
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A FRAMEWORK FOR GOVERNMENT POLICY, ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP, AND MANAGEMENT INNOVATION THAT EFFECT TO THE SUCCESS OF SMES IN CHINA'S RURAL COMMUNITIES
This paper develops a framework showing how government policy, entrepreneurial leadership, and management innovation work together to drive success for small and medium-sized enterprises in rural China. The analysis identifies how these three factors interact and provides recommendations for policymakers and business owners to improve rural SME performance and support sustainable economic development in rural communities.
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Place-based generosity during the pandemic: Innovative rural philanthropic organizations’ responses to COVID-19 and (re-)building resilient rural communities in Canada
Rural philanthropic organizations in Canada adapted their operations during COVID-19 to address emerging community vulnerabilities. Interviews with leaders across Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and British Columbia reveal that these place-based organizations pivoted services and developed innovative strategies to meet changing rural needs. The findings highlight their commitment to building resilient communities and offer insights for strengthening philanthropic sustainability and rural recovery policy.
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Challenges Regarding Access to Higher Education among Rural Women in Punjab Pakistan: Impact & Implication
Rural women in Punjab, Pakistan face significant barriers to higher education. The study of 384 participants found that household income, family size, and distance to educational institutions directly limit access. Families with greater financial resources enable daughters to pursue higher education, while larger families struggle to allocate resources for girls' schooling. Distance from home to institutions creates additional obstacles. The research calls for targeted policies and interventions to improve educational access for rural women.
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Motives and Challenges for Participating in Open and Distance Learning in Higher Education in Tanzania: A Case of Rural Women
Rural women in Tanzania pursue higher education through open and distance learning primarily to improve their socio-economic status and advance their careers through promotions and better employment opportunities. They face significant barriers including poor infrastructure, limited financial resources, socio-cultural constraints, and inadequate learning materials. The study identifies rural infrastructure development as critical to enabling greater participation of women in higher education.
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Integrated Management Framework for Performance Challenges in Rural Off-Grid Microgrids: Addressing Deterioration in Electrification Systems
Rural off-grid microgrids in developing countries face early failure due to interconnected financial, community, and technical challenges. This study develops a management framework identifying how funding gaps and poor stakeholder communication cascade into component deterioration and power system degradation. The framework helps operators and managers systematically address these deterioration risks during microgrid operation.
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A mixed-methods study on the determinants of solar home systems utilization in rural, off-grid Nigeria
This study examines what drives rural Nigerian households to adopt solar home systems in off-grid areas. Using surveys of 400 households and interviews, researchers found that higher income and education increase adoption, while gender creates disparities. Surprisingly, satisfaction with current energy sources reduces interest in solar systems. Households farther from the electrical grid show stronger willingness to pay for solar. The findings suggest policymakers need tailored strategies addressing household differences to boost solar adoption.
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PROMOTION AND PRESERVATION OF EU AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FROM INDIGENOUS SPECIES AND ITS TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
The paper examines how intellectual property rights can protect local livestock breeds, plant varieties, and traditional knowledge associated with them in EU agriculture. Preserving these indigenous agricultural resources and their cultural practices requires legal mechanisms to control access and ensure communities benefit from their use.
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“Empowering Rural Bihar: The Role of Microfinance In Economic Development”
Microfinance institutions in rural Bihar provide crucial financial services to underbanked populations, enabling small-scale entrepreneurs—particularly women—to start and expand businesses. The study finds that microloans increase household income, employment, and economic resilience. The research recommends policy interventions to scale microfinance initiatives and integrate them with other development programs to drive inclusive growth.
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Examining the Impact of Digital Divide on Rural Multidimensional Poverty: Evidence From China
China's rural households face persistent multidimensional poverty despite income poverty reduction, worsened by digital inequality. Using household survey data from 2016–2018, the study finds that the digital divide significantly increases rural multidimensional poverty risk, with effects varying by internet use, access mode, region, and household head age. The digital divide constrains non-agricultural employment, weakens social networks, and reduces credit access—three key pathways linking digital exclusion to poverty.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Exploring ICT Applications for Inclusive Education of Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Rural Zambia
A qualitative study in rural Zambia examined how ICTs support inclusive education for pupils with special educational needs. Researchers found that diverse technologies—from radios to assistive devices—enhance lesson delivery and personalized learning when integrated into classrooms. However, uneven implementation persists due to infrastructure gaps, inadequate teacher training, and misaligned curriculum policies. Realizing ICT's potential requires systemic reforms addressing digital inequality and teacher capacity.
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Bridging the Digital Divide through E-Governance: An Empirical Study of Rural Inclusion and Service Accessibility in Madhya Pradesh, India
This study examines why rural people in Madhya Pradesh, India fail to use government digital services despite infrastructure investment. Using surveys of 360 rural residents, researchers found that digital literacy, institutional trust, and service quality—not just internet access—determine whether people adopt e-governance platforms. The study concludes that solving rural digital exclusion requires skills training, local support, and trust-building alongside technology deployment.
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The impact of the three-level digital divide on the mental health of rural residents: A study from China
Rural residents in China experience three interconnected digital divides—unequal access to internet, insufficient usage skills, and limited perceived utility—that harm mental health through distinct mechanisms. Access gaps reduce fairness perceptions, usage gaps lower perceived social class, and utility gaps diminish both social class and economic status assessments. Education and regional location moderate these effects, with impacts varying across social groups.
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Implementation Realities of NEP 2020: Infrastructural Gaps, Teacher Shortages, and the Digital Divide in Rural India
India's National Education Policy 2020 aims to transform education through technology and flexibility, but rural implementation faces severe obstacles. The study finds that only 57% of rural schools have working computers, 54% have internet access, and 35% have smart classrooms. Teacher shortages exceed 846,000 positions nationwide, concentrated in rural areas. While 7 million teachers received digital training, they struggle to integrate it into teaching. Without fixing these infrastructure and staffing gaps, the policy will worsen rural-urban educational inequality.
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A Review on Digital Divide and Its Impact on Physiotherapy Delivery in Rural Settings
Digital physiotherapy effectively delivers care to underserved populations, but rural areas face severe disparities. Poor network coverage, device affordability, low education levels, and limited awareness of telerehabilitation prevent rural residents from accessing digital health services. This review synthesizes literature on the digital divide's impact on rural physiotherapy delivery, identifies key barriers and research gaps, and recommends changes to clinical practice, research, and policy to ensure equitable access.
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Roots and reach: Place-Based processes for polycentric governance in rural South Africa
Civil society organisations in rural South Africa's former homelands enable polycentric governance and systemic change through nine interconnected place-based processes. Research with seven established organisations reveals a core trajectory from focused effort to credibility-building to learning, amplified by feedback loops and shaped by tensions between autonomy and embeddedness. The study demonstrates these organisations function as crucial nodes for rural agency and innovation, requiring sustained investment.
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Localising the Sustainable Development Goals. A Place‐Based Analysis of Sustainable Development in Rural and Urban Areas
This paper creates a Sustainable Development Index for rural and urban areas in Ireland using 33 indicators across 13 SDGs. Using high-resolution geographic data and GIS analysis, the authors find that rural areas near cities show the strongest sustainable development outcomes, while remote rural areas and major cities perform worse. The research demonstrates that examining rural-urban connections matters for achieving the SDGs and supports using geographic methods to design targeted, place-based policies.
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Place-Based Economic Development as a Strategy for Rural Revitalization: An Assessment of Saskatchewan’s Policy Environment and the OECD’s New Rural Paradigm (1990—2024)
Saskatchewan's rural policy from 1990 to 2024 lacks a coherent place-based development strategy despite its potential for revitalizing struggling communities. The province relies on sector-specific, market-driven approaches managed through municipal revenue funds rather than integrated place-based policies aligned with OECD frameworks. Political considerations and failure to separate rural policy from other sectors have undermined effective rural revitalization efforts.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: A Framework for Sustainable Distance Learning in Rural Uganda
Rural Uganda faces severe barriers to distance learning, including unreliable electricity and high data costs. The study of 150 teachers and education officers across three districts found that sustainable solutions require low-tech approaches like radio instruction and USB distribution rather than internet-dependent platforms. Effective rural distance education demands hybrid delivery models, teacher training for low-connectivity settings, and public-private partnerships to reduce data costs.
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Linking energy service access and human capabilities to assess energy justice in the rural Sahel
Energy infrastructure in rural Senegal reaches some communities but leaves others behind, including semi-nomadic and low-income populations. The authors show that expanding energy access alone doesn't guarantee equitable benefits—local energy service access and end-use equipment matter equally. New energy services sometimes create social tensions over resource management. Energy policies must account for population diversity and unintended consequences across sectors.
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Harmonizing Solar Energy Access and Affordability in Nigeria: The Role of Policy and Energy Management in Rural Electrification
This study examines how policy and energy management can improve solar energy access and affordability in rural Nigeria. Using case studies in Abuja, Kaduna, and the University of Abuja, the researchers assess current strategies for deploying decentralized solar systems, optimizing energy efficiency, and financing renewable energy. They compare approaches from India, Egypt, China, and Germany to identify deployment solutions and propose policy reforms that expand rural electrification while reducing emissions.
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Reframing Electricity Access in Rural Latin America: An Energy Justice Analysis
This paper analyzes electricity access in rural Latin America through an energy justice lens. The author examines how power systems are distributed and who benefits from energy infrastructure, revealing inequities in rural electrification. The work reframes electricity access beyond simple availability metrics to address fairness, participation, and control over energy resources in rural communities.
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Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) for Off-Grid Rural Electrification: A Comprehensive Review of Components, Optimisation, and Real-World Applications
Hybrid renewable energy systems combining solar, wind, and biomass with storage technologies improve rural electrification in off-grid areas. Recent systems achieve 30-40% higher reliability, 10-25% lower costs, and 40-60% emission reductions compared to diesel alternatives. Key barriers include high upfront capital costs, battery degradation, and financing challenges. AI-based controls, hybrid battery-hydrogen storage, and digital twin technology enable better system optimization and predictive maintenance for scalable rural energy access.
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Representation of Indigenous Agriculture Knowledge and Practices in the Zimbabwe Secondary School Agriculture Curriculum: Prospects and Opportunities for Inclusion
Zimbabwe's secondary school agriculture curriculum largely excludes Indigenous agricultural knowledge and practices, reflecting Western knowledge dominance. The study proposes integrating Indigenous approaches through participatory curriculum development involving teachers, lecturers, extension officers, and farmers. This inclusion would make agriculture education contextually relevant, support sustainable practices, and preserve local heritage while addressing curriculum gaps.
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Women's Contribution to Indian Agriculture through Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Practices, and Impact on Sustainable Rural Development
Women drive Indian agriculture through indigenous knowledge systems, managing seed preservation, organic farming, and water conservation while maintaining ecological balance. Despite their critical role in food production and biodiversity protection, women face barriers in resource access, education, and decision-making. The paper calls for policy interventions to recognize and mainstream women's traditional knowledge, empower them with resources, and strengthen their participation in agricultural decisions to build sustainable, resilient farming systems.
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Institutional Finance and Its Role in The Development of Agribusiness Enterprises: A Study of Bengaluru Rural District, Karnataka
Institutional finance is critical for agribusiness enterprises in rural areas to adopt modern technology and improve productivity. This study of Bengaluru Rural District found that while institutional financial institutions address agribusiness funding needs, procedural delays, collateral requirements, and lack of awareness hinder efficient credit use. The research recommends improving financial literacy, streamlining loan processes, and providing institutional support.
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LEVERAGING GREEN FINANCING FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
Green financing in rural Africa faces significant barriers including policy uncertainty, regulatory instability, and financial-sector constraints that limit awareness and accessibility for rural enterprises. The study identifies that successful green financing requires policy clarity, alignment with global climate architecture, and inclusive programs integrating skills development, small businesses, and gender inclusion to improve rural welfare and support sustainable development.
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Satellite promises: An open-source investigation and footprint analysis of SGDC-1’s quest in delivering broadband to public rural schools in Brazil
Brazil launched the SGDC-1 satellite in 2017 to deliver broadband to rural public schools. This study analyzes government documents, news coverage, and satellite footprint maps to reveal how the project functions both as infrastructure and as a political narrative. The satellite serves underserved rural populations but faces challenges from public-private partnerships, militarization, and outage risks. The authors call for stronger civic oversight and new policies to ensure the project's long-term viability.
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Assessing the Impact of China's Broadband Village Pilot Project on the Consumption Patterns of Rural Households
China's Broadband Village pilot project in western regions increased rural household spending on both essential and non-essential goods, boosting consumption and economic growth. The effect was stronger among younger consumers and liquidity-constrained households, and depended on households' attention to information. The findings support expanding internet-based sales infrastructure while accounting for local socio-economic conditions.
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Research on Agricultural Economic Management Innovation and Sustainable Development Paths in Rural Areas under the Rural Revitalization Strategy
Rural areas face critical challenges transitioning from traditional to modern, high-quality agricultural economies. This paper identifies core obstacles—labor migration, slow technology adoption, and narrow industry structures—and analyzes how agricultural economic management drives improvements in production efficiency, market expansion, and sustainability. The authors propose implementation pathways through institutional innovation, technological advancement, and industry integration to address rural development bottlenecks and support rural revitalization.
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Does Industrial Integration Development Drive Rural Innovation? An Empirical Study under the Perspective of Rural-urban Linkage
Industrial integration at the county level significantly drives rural innovation in China, according to analysis of 1,837 counties from 2014 to 2021. The mechanism works primarily through increased labor mobility between sectors. The effect is strongest in eastern and central regions but absent in western regions. These findings support county-level industrial integration as a strategy for rural revitalization.
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Rural Innovations in Action: Implementing Sustainable Development Goals at the Village Level
This study examines how village governments in Central Java, Indonesia allocate and manage funds to support sustainable development goals. Researchers analyzed planning, implementation, and accountability processes across villages using a decision-making framework. Priority programmes focused on economic recovery, health, education, and poverty reduction. The findings show that villages can better align financial management with national and global sustainability targets by following core principles of humanity, justice, and equity.
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From Rural Underdevelopment to Innovation: The Strategic Role of Skilled Labor in the South-East Development Region of Romania
Romania's South-East Development Region struggles with rural skilled labor shortages and uneven human resource development across its six counties. Constanța and Galați have stronger educational infrastructure and labor market connections, while Tulcea and Vrancea lag in vocational training and youth employment. The region underperforms compared to Romania's Centre Region, which has successfully implemented dual education and public-private partnerships. The paper identifies factors affecting skilled labor availability and proposes strategic directions for balanced regional development.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: The Transformative Role of AI-Driven Infrastructure in Rural Connectivity
Artificial intelligence and cloud-native technologies can bridge the digital divide by optimizing rural network infrastructure, reducing costs, and enabling remote management. AI-driven solutions including network optimization, predictive analytics, and edge computing improve connectivity for telemedicine and online education. Telecommunications providers have demonstrated practical success with these innovations, though regulatory frameworks and collaborative models remain necessary for sustainable rural digital inclusion.
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IMPACT OF DIGITAL DIVIDE ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN RURAL POPULATIONS
Rural populations in Pakistan face severe digital health disparities that directly harm health outcomes. The study found that 72.5% had primary education or less, 39.2% owned smartphones, and only 28.3% had home internet access. Participants with higher digital literacy reported significantly better health scores. Digital exclusion, dependency on others for access, and preference for face-to-face care emerged as major barriers. Bridging this divide requires integrated efforts in infrastructure, education, and policy reform.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Determinants of Technology Adoption Among Rural MSMEs
Rural micro, small, and medium-sized businesses face barriers to adopting digital technology. This study surveyed 327 MSME owners to identify adoption drivers: perceived usefulness, government support, trust, and financial assistance. Perceived usefulness emerged as the strongest predictor of adoption, while government support had the least influence. Trust and financial aid also significantly affect technology uptake. The findings emphasize that rural MSMEs need targeted financial incentives, trust-building efforts, and government interventions to accelerate digital transformation.
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The Impact of Digital Divide on Women: A Rural Community Case
Women in rural communities face significant barriers to economic development and gender equality due to limited access to information and communications technology. This qualitative case study found that inadequate internet connectivity, limited access, and high data costs are the primary obstacles preventing rural women from participating in digital opportunities. The research recommends governments and businesses invest in rural digital infrastructure by providing free Wi-Fi to enable socioeconomic growth and empowerment.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Reimagining e-governance for empowering Rural India
This paper analyzes how Indian rape laws have evolved from the Indian Penal Code to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, examining changes in definitions, procedures, and judicial interpretation. It documents how legislation responded to public pressure and feminist advocacy following high-profile cases, but argues that despite modernizations in punishment and procedure, significant gaps remain—including the marital rape exception, low conviction rates, and weak enforcement that prevent survivors from accessing justice.
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Role of NGO-Led Digital Literacy Initiatives in Reducing the Urban–Rural Digital Divide
NGO-led digital literacy programs in India are effectively reducing the urban-rural digital divide by delivering tailored training through mobile labs and women-led enterprises. The research shows that community ownership, customized curricula, and public-private partnerships significantly improve digital competency among marginalized rural populations. The author recommends integrating these grassroots NGO innovations into national policy frameworks to achieve sustainable digital inclusion across India.
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Bridging the digital divide for empowerment of rural women entrepreneurs in Tumkur District: An empirical study
Digital access gaps severely limit rural women entrepreneurs in India, with only 25% having internet access versus 49% of men. Social organizations, training programs, and government initiatives significantly improve digital literacy and entrepreneurial outcomes by expanding market access, financial services, and business networks. Despite persistent infrastructure, cost, and cultural barriers, targeted digital inclusion strategies drive business performance and socio-economic empowerment, requiring customized policies and community support for sustainable rural development.
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Bridging the digital divide: Determinants of mobile payment adoption and continuance intention in rural retail contexts
Green innovation significantly increases firm value in Indonesian mining and energy companies, with profitability amplifying this effect. Environmental costs alone do not meaningfully impact firm value, and profitability cannot moderate their relationship. The findings suggest companies should prioritize transparent green innovation strategies aligned with profitability to enhance shareholder value, as stakeholders do not yet view environmental spending as a long-term strategic investment.
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Bridging the Rural–Urban Digital Divide in Education through ICT Interventions
ICT interventions can reduce rural-urban educational disparities by addressing infrastructure gaps, teacher training, and curriculum adaptation. The study finds that e-learning platforms, mobile apps, and digital literacy programs improve learning outcomes and attendance in rural schools. Success requires government-NGO-corporate collaboration, community engagement, and strategies to overcome connectivity and cost barriers. Closing the digital divide demands policy support and socioeducational commitment, not just technology.
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Digital Divide Among Marginalized Rural Communities in Developing Countries: Strategies and Practices to Reduce the ‘Proxy Use of ICTs’ for Rural e-Governance
Marginalized rural communities in developing countries rely on intermediaries to access e-governance services because they lack direct ICT skills. This study identifies strategies and practices that enable direct ICT use among these populations. The research reveals that software designed for easy setup, digital inclusion for insurance services, improved interface design, and targeted awareness campaigns reduce dependence on proxy intermediaries and advance digital inclusion.
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The “Double-Edged Sword” Effect of Digital Technology: How Does the Digital Divide Influence Rural Income Differentiation?
Digital technology widens income gaps within rural areas rather than reducing them, according to analysis of Chinese provincial data. The digital divide exacerbates rural income differentiation, particularly in eastern regions. E-commerce participation acts as a key mechanism—areas with poor digital access see lower e-commerce engagement, which amplifies income inequality. The study recommends eastern regions share digital benefits more broadly while western areas need better digital infrastructure and skills training.
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Rural Development: Using Digital Technologies to Bridge the Urban-Rural Divide, Promote Economic Opportunities, and Support Sustainable Livelihoods
Digital technologies including broadband, mobile applications, e-commerce, and precision farming can bridge the urban-rural divide by reducing transaction costs, expanding market access, and decentralizing knowledge and finance. The paper argues that targeted digital interventions reverse traditional urban bias and create economic opportunities and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas.
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Understanding the digital divide: Contributing factors and their negative effects on rural students’ academic performance
Rural students face significant academic disadvantages due to limited digital technology access. The digital divide reduces classroom participation, lowers achievement, and reinforces existing educational inequalities. The paper recommends governments and school leaders invest in technological infrastructure, provide teacher training, distribute devices equitably, and build digital literacy skills to close this gap.
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Digital Divide And Educational Media Use In Nigerian Teacher Training; A Mixed-methods Study Of Urban Vs Rural Institutions
This study compares digital media access and use among teacher educators in urban versus rural Nigerian institutions. Urban teachers report significantly better broadband access and digital skills than rural counterparts, who rely on low-bandwidth tools like WhatsApp due to connectivity constraints. The research identifies infrastructure gaps, affordability barriers, and inadequate digital literacy training as key drivers of regional inequality. The authors recommend targeted investments in infrastructure, subsidized devices, and peer-learning networks to achieve equitable digital integration in teacher training.
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Bridging the digital divide: ICT empowerment of rural women in Karnataka toward 2030 SDGs
ICT adoption empowers rural women in Karnataka across education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, advancing gender equality and reduced inequalities. The study of 100 rural women across four revenue divisions found that digital tools improve socioeconomic outcomes, but infrastructure gaps, low digital literacy, and cultural barriers limit uptake. Policymakers and NGOs must prioritize region-specific digital literacy programs and gender-sensitive policies to maximize ICT benefits for rural women.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: An Empirical Study on Digital Payment Adoption among Rural Retailers in Tiruchirapalli
Rural retailers in Tiruchirapalli, India show strong intention to adopt digital payments when they expect performance benefits, have reliable infrastructure, and perceive good value. However, perceived risk and lack of awareness significantly block adoption. The study identifies digital illiteracy, poor internet connectivity, and fraud fears as major barriers, while highlighting opportunities for increased sales and better business records. Success requires improved infrastructure, financial literacy programs, and user-friendly systems.
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The Role of Mobile Phones in Bridging the Digital Divide for Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Nepal
Mobile phones improve rural women's financial autonomy and decision-making in Nepal, but technology alone doesn't ensure empowerment. Patriarchal norms, low digital literacy, and poor infrastructure limit their potential. The study argues that women need agency, resources, and social support to use technology meaningfully. Gender-sensitive literacy programs and inclusive policies are essential for sustainable empowerment.
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Revisiting the Digital Divide: Mobile Technology and the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal
Mobile phones increase rural women's communication, financial access, and income opportunities in Nepal, but structural inequalities, patriarchal norms, and digital illiteracy limit full empowerment. The study argues empowerment results from social processes, not technology alone. Effective progress requires gender-sensitive digital inclusion strategies, literacy programs, and community-based initiatives tailored to local contexts.
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Digital Platforms, the Digital Divide, and Women’s Empowerment: A Rural–Urban Comparative Study of Digital Financial Inclusion
Digital financial inclusion programs in India reach both rural and urban women, but with stark differences. Rural women in Odisha districts depend on family members to access services and face security concerns and access restrictions, limiting their independent use. Urban women use digital financial products more independently. The study reveals that trans women remain almost entirely excluded, showing that digital pathways alone cannot overcome structural barriers without targeted, gender-inclusive policies.
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Can EdTech Bridge the Educational Divide? A Study of Digital Learning in Rural Chinese Schools
Educational technology has potential to reduce China's urban-rural education gap, but faces significant obstacles. National initiatives like Smart Education of China have made progress, yet infrastructure deficiencies, inadequate teacher preparation, and low student engagement persist. The paper recommends context-sensitive policies and sustained investment to make EdTech interventions more effective and inclusive in rural schools.
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Effects of Digitalization on Cybersecurity of U.S Hospitals: The Roles of Urban-Rural Divide and Religious-Secular Mission
Hospital digitalization reduces cybersecurity breach risk, but the relationship is complex. Breach likelihood initially rises as hospitals digitalize, peaks at moderate levels, then declines at high digitalization. Urban and secular hospitals show higher peak risks and delayed improvements. Religious hospitals experience lower peak risks, particularly in rural areas. The findings show that governance and security investments must be sequenced strategically alongside digital maturity.
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Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Education: Bridging Gaps Through Innovation
Rural education in India faces systemic barriers including poor infrastructure, teacher shortages, and high dropout rates, particularly among girls. This study examines socio-economic and cultural factors limiting educational equity and evaluates existing programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Digital India. The research identifies EdTech and community-based models as promising solutions for bridging resource gaps and improving accessibility, proposing scalable approaches to infrastructure, teacher retention, and digital learning in resource-constrained rural settings.
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The gratification paradox: Teacher innovation in urban and rural anti-corruption education
Indonesian teachers implementing anti-corruption education face different barriers in urban versus rural areas. Urban educators struggle with environmental constraints while rural educators lack resources, each developing distinct innovations. The study reveals a paradox: teachers understand gratification intellectually but deny practicing it, reflecting tension between legal norms and cultural gift-giving traditions. Cognitive-only education fails; context-sensitive policies and ethics-focused teaching methods are needed.
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Enhancing Health Care Access in Rural and Remote Communities: An Environmental Scan of Virtual Health Innovations in British Columbia
British Columbia has implemented 70 virtual health innovations in rural and remote communities over the past decade, including Real Time Virtual Support pathways for emergency and maternity care. These initiatives operate largely in isolation across regions. The paper argues that stronger partnerships among policymakers, health authorities, researchers, industry, and communities are essential to integrate these efforts and improve healthcare access and equity in underserved areas.
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Bridging Tradition and Innovation: Indigenous Knowledge, Technology, and Rural Development under State Governance in Sabah, Malaysia
This study examines how indigenous knowledge and technology adoption shape rural development in Sabah, Malaysia under state governance. Researchers surveyed 150 rural households across three districts and interviewed community leaders and elders to understand technology use, agricultural productivity, and socio-economic outcomes. The findings reveal how traditional practices like tangaa farming knowledge integrate with modern innovation to drive community development.
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Place-Based Approach to Rural Development: Ethiopia in Context
This study analyzes rural development in Ethiopia using panel data from 2018/19 and 2021/22, applying a place-based framework that accounts for unique socioeconomic features shaped by human and institutional interactions. The research finds that both rurality and entrepreneurial ecosystems significantly affect rural development outcomes. The findings challenge Ethiopia's policy approach, which relies too heavily on geographic factors while ignoring the complex socio-spatial formations that actually drive rural development.
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Place-Based Diminished Returns of Parental Education on Adolescents’ Inhalant Use in Rural Areas
Higher parental education typically protects adolescents from inhalant use, but this benefit disappears in rural areas. Using national survey data of 12th graders, the study finds that rural youth from highly educated families face disproportionately high inhalant use risk compared to urban and suburban peers. Geographic marginalization—limited jobs and recreation—undermines the protective effects of parental socioeconomic resources in rural settings.
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Academic Aspirations of 12th Grade Students in the United States: Place-Based Diminished Returns of Parental Education in Rural Areas
Higher parental education increases adolescents' aspirations for advanced education, but this benefit is significantly weaker in rural areas than urban or suburban settings. Rural students experience diminished returns on their parents' educational advantages, facing a dual disadvantage of lower socioeconomic resources and reduced benefits from those resources. Policymakers must implement targeted interventions to equalize educational opportunities across geographic contexts.
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Investigating high-risk rural regions for potentially preventable hospitalisations: a method for place-based primary healthcare planning
Rural communities face higher rates of preventable hospitalizations due to limited primary healthcare access. This paper develops a six-step method to identify high-risk regions and improve local healthcare pathways. The method examines service gaps, provider experiences, and patient journeys to recommend targeted interventions. Applied to ear, nose, and throat conditions in Australia, it provides a replicable framework for health agencies to plan equitable primary care services.
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Reflections on rural spatial construction based on place identity: A case study of spatial reconstruction in Xiaoshi village, Pengzhou
Rural areas in China lose local distinctiveness and community identity during urbanization. This study examines how place identity—encompassing cultural significance, economic functions, and spatial imagery—can be reconstructed through integrated approaches. Using Xiaoshi village as a case study, the authors show that reshaping public spaces, innovating industrial models, and expressing local character through coordinated spatial, economic, and cultural activation effectively rebuilds place identity and stimulates rural revitalization.
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Abstract C098: Analysis of disparities in access to modern cancer therapies based on the place of residence (rural/urban) of participants
A Polish study of 148 cancer patients in clinical trials found that rural residents made up only 28% of participants compared to 72% from urban areas. Rural men over 64 participated significantly less often than their urban counterparts. The researchers attribute this disparity to limited mobility, transportation challenges, and lower awareness of trial opportunities in rural communities. They recommend targeted education, expanded local research infrastructure, and logistical support to ensure equitable access to cancer treatments.
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Functional Index–Based Central-Place Hierarchy and Typology for Rural Spatial Strategies - Evidence from Three Counties in Jeollanam-do, Korea -
This study maps service imbalances across rural settlements in three South Korean counties using a functional index measuring ten life services: childcare, education, healthcare, welfare, culture, sports, administration, transport, commerce, and recreation. The analysis reveals severe concentration, with top-ranked centers controlling 41–54% of total service capacity while half of rural units rank lowest. Three service factors explain most variation, with population strongly linked to infrastructure and welfare but not culture. The authors propose tailored strategies for different settlement types to rebalance service provision and sustain rural populations.
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Place-Based Rural Development: A Role for Complex Adaptive Assemblages?
Rural development programs often improve measurable indicators without making residents feel their lives have actually improved. Using ethnographic research in Cornwall and Southwest Virginia, this paper develops the concept of complex adaptive region assemblages to explain this gap. The author finds that revitalization systems work better when they strengthen connections between local residents and help them navigate their communities more effectively.
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“Do you know what's underneath your feet?”: Underground landscapes & place‐based risk perceptions of proposed shale gas sites in rural British communities
Rural communities in the United Kingdom perceive risks from proposed shale gas exploration through deep, place-based knowledge rooted in generations of connection to their local landscapes, including underground features. Residents' understanding of subsurface geology shapes their concerns about how extraction threatens the distinctiveness of their places. The study shows that effective risk management for underground energy projects must incorporate local, place-based knowledge alongside technical assessments.
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Place-based rural development: building capacities, multi-actor collaborations and making sense of the local ‘place’
Place-based rural development succeeds when local actors collaborate and deliberately build capacity to connect external knowledge with local circumstances. A case study of Nova Scotia's wine industry shows how multi-actor collaboration and intentional interventions created a new industry from scratch in a region lacking initial endogenous capacity. The findings demonstrate that rural regions can develop entirely new industries through strategic knowledge recombination and coordinated capacity building.
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Stormwater Management Challenges in Rural Coastal Maine: Identifying Place-Based Solutions by Studying Current Practices
Rural coastal Maine communities face severe stormwater management challenges exposed by catastrophic 2023-2024 storms. Town officials lack formal data collection systems, mapping infrastructure, and adequate budgets, forcing reactive rather than proactive decision-making. The study identifies solutions including voluntary education, inter-town collaboration, culvert inventories, and system mapping to strengthen climate resilience and prevent costly infrastructure failures.
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Place-Based Strategies for Economic Resilience in Rural Northern Maine
Rural communities in northern Maine have adapted standard development tools to address their unique challenges following the closure of Loring Air Force Base. The research examines five interconnected development areas: housing and land use, broadband connectivity, industry recruitment, downtown revitalization, and adaptive tourism. Transportation emerges as a fundamental constraint shaping all development opportunities in these extremely rural contexts.
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Policies of Access to Higher Education: Perspectives and Experiences of Rural Youth from Orobó-Valença/BA
This study examines how higher education access policies affect rural youth in Orobó-Valença, Brazil. Researchers surveyed and interviewed young people from this farming community who entered higher education. They found that improvements in basic education directly increased young people's success in continuing to university compared to previous generations. Brazil's recent policies expanding public universities and access programs have boosted public higher education enrollment in the region, though most rural youth still attend private institutions.
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Socioeconomic Inequalities and Access to Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Urban and Rural Communities
Rural students face multiple barriers to higher education including financial constraints, limited academic support, inadequate infrastructure, and weak career guidance, while urban students benefit from stronger academic ecosystems but face rising costs and competition. The study recommends integrated policies focusing on equitable funding, digital inclusion, mentorship programs, and need-based scholarships to address these persistent socioeconomic inequalities.
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Access under Constraint: Barriers Shaping Female Participation in Higher Education in Rural Balochistan
This study identifies major barriers preventing rural female students in Balochistan, Pakistan from accessing higher education. Economic constraints, lack of institutional support, socio-cultural barriers, early marriage, and harassment significantly discourage enrollment and continuation. The research surveyed 239 female students across rural colleges and universities, finding that targeted policies addressing financial assistance, institutional support, cultural awareness, transportation, and anti-harassment measures are essential to improve educational access and gender equality.
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A case study of selected rural communities' knowledge of the law and their rights regarding their access to water, energy and food in South Africa
Rural South African households lack knowledge of their constitutional rights to water, energy, and food access. A survey of 1,184 households across three rural areas reveals that despite legal frameworks requiring local governments to provide these services, most residents depend solely on social security grants and remain unaware of their entitlements. The research shows significant gaps between constitutional protections and their practical implementation in rural communities.
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Access to electricity and development in rural Senegal : the case of solar energy in the Kolda-Vélingara-Médina Yoro Foulah (KVM) concession
Rural Senegal faces severe electricity access challenges, with over 4 million people lacking power despite strong solar potential. This study examines solar electrification efforts in the Kolda-Vélingara-Médina Yoro Foulah region through national and local analysis. Findings reveal that the Senegalese rural electrification agency (ASER) struggles with coordination among multiple actors, creating governance fragmentation that undermines project success. While households adopt solar solutions, they lack sustained, equitable implementation. The research argues for territorial, inclusive approaches that prioritize social appropriation over market logic to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.
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Techno-Economics Analysis of an Off-Grid Hybrid Power System for Rural Areas in Nigeria
This study evaluates off-grid hybrid power systems for rural Nigeria, comparing thermal generation alone against solar-hybrid alternatives in Delta State. The hybrid system reduced costs from ₦54.9 billion to ₦30.9 billion while cutting emissions by 30%, though at higher per-unit energy costs than thermal alone due to gas subsidies. The authors recommend government-industry collaboration and funding mechanisms to deploy hybrid systems in underserved rural communities.
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Off the Grid: Rural Identity, Environmentalism, and Renewable Energy Policy in Rural New England
Rural New England residents with strong environmental values still oppose renewable energy development and land-use regulation at higher rates than urban counterparts. The study of 1,400 residents reveals that rural identity itself predicts lower policy support, even among environmentalists. Place attachment combined with resentment toward cultural displacement drives opposition. Opposition stems not from economic concerns alone, but from symbolic factors: identity, belonging, and desire for local autonomy.
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Grid extension vs. off-grid systems in rural Areas: Methodologies, tools, and criteria for decision-making
This scoping review of 136 studies examines how decision-makers choose between grid extension and off-grid systems for rural electrification in developing countries. The authors find that current methodologies treat these options separately despite their coexistence in real planning scenarios. Existing frameworks fail to integrate technical, economic, social, environmental, and institutional dimensions comprehensively, and lack unified indicators for meaningful comparison. The review calls for more integrated decision-making tools that address the complexity of electrification choices in grid-adjacent rural areas.
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Financial, Infrastructural, and Institutional Barriers to Renewable Energy Adoption in Nigeria’s Off-Grid Rural Communities: Policy Implications and Strategic Solutions
Financial constraints and poor infrastructure significantly block renewable energy adoption in Nigeria's off-grid rural communities, while policy clarity and community participation drive it forward. The study finds that targeted financing, infrastructure investment, capacity building, and coherent regulatory frameworks are essential to accelerate rural energy transitions and achieve energy equity across Nigeria.
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Comparative Methodologies for Off-Grid Energy System Diagnostics: A Quasi-Experimental Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Rural Ghana
Remote monitoring diagnostics for off-grid solar systems in rural Ghana detected 34% more critical failures per pound spent than technician-led checks, while community-led reporting produced unreliable data despite lower costs. The study compared three diagnostic approaches across 45 communities using quasi-experimental methods. Remote monitoring proved most cost-effective for identifying major faults, though policymakers should combine it with simplified community feedback for comprehensive system assessment.
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PERCEIVED SOCIO-ECONOMIC SPILL-OVER EFFECTS OF TRANSIT RURAL ROADS DEVELOPMENT ON RURAL FARM HOUSEHOLDS IN MAKURDI LGA IN BENUE STATE NIGERIA
Rural road development in Nigeria's Makurdi Local Government Area generates significant socio-economic benefits for farm households, including improved transport linkages, increased farmer income, and enhanced quality of life. Farmers ranked improved mobility as the top benefit, followed by income increases and economic wellbeing gains. However, corruption emerged as the primary constraint limiting road development effectiveness. The study recommends increased government budgets and stronger monitoring mechanisms to prevent fund misappropriation.
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Beyond the City Limits: Analysis of Federal Funding of Public Transit in Rural Canada
Canada's Rural Transit Solutions Fund has shifted federal funding patterns and increased transit accessibility in some rural areas, but significant gaps persist. Smaller, remote, and Indigenous communities still face disparities in accessing federal support. The fund is changing who receives funding and where money flows, yet it has not fully aligned with rural transportation needs across the country.
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RURAL VS. URBAN TRAVEL BEHAVIOR: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MOBILITY PATTERNS IN THE IZMIR URBAN RAIL MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM (IZBAN)
This study compares travel behavior between rural and urban residents using the Izmir Urban Rail Transit System in Turkey. Analysis of 606 surveys reveals urban travelers enjoy shorter trips and better public transit access, while rural travelers depend on private vehicles and travel longer distances. Socio-economic factors like income significantly influence travel patterns. The findings highlight distinct mobility challenges in each setting and provide evidence for designing equitable, sustainable transportation policies.
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Africa's Indigenous Automotive Innovation: A Focus on Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing and the Future of Electric Vehicle Marketing
Indigenous African automotive manufacturers like Nigeria's Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing are driving electric vehicle innovation despite infrastructure and cost challenges. The study shows that entrepreneurship, local systems, and government policies shape industry growth. Success requires aligned policies, education, and industrial strategies to build sustainable, globally competitive enterprises.
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Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Innovation: Sociological Perspectives on Climate Adaptation in India
Indigenous communities in India possess centuries of ecological knowledge crucial for climate adaptation. This study examines how indigenous knowledge systems integrate with scientific innovation in agriculture, watershed management, and biodiversity conservation. The research identifies power imbalances and marginalization of indigenous voices in adaptation planning, advocating for inclusive frameworks that equally value traditional and scientific approaches to build more equitable climate policies.
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The southern initiative: How indigenous values inspire social innovation and impact
The Southern Initiative, a unit within Auckland Council, demonstrates how Māori values transform public sector management and drive social innovation. The organization uses indigenous principles like mana (prestige) and whānau-centered design alongside distributed leadership to co-create place-based solutions that improve community wellbeing. This case study shows that embedding indigenous values into bureaucratic structures produces systemic change, social justice outcomes, and community resilience.
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Adaptability of Artificial Intelligence to Indigenous Knowledge of Agricultural Practices by Local Farmers in North Central, Nigeria
Local farmers in North Central Nigeria hold positive attitudes toward artificial intelligence in agriculture, but successful adoption requires culturally sensitive approaches that respect indigenous knowledge systems. The study recommends collaborative design involving technologists, anthropologists, and farmers, with government support for farmer participation in AI implementation and ongoing monitoring to ensure solutions align with local values and enhance rather than replace traditional practices.
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Research on the Development of Digital Inclusive finance and Rural Industry Integration from the Perspective of Rural Revitalization
Digital inclusive finance platforms can accelerate rural revitalization in China by enabling integrated primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. The paper examines how the 'red credit e-loan' platform addresses financing barriers for rural enterprises in Dongzhi County, Anhui Province, helping farmers move beyond traditional agriculture to build complete agricultural value chains and retain profits locally.
Media stories — 44
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Urban-Rural Innovation Divide: New Metrics Reveal Rural Regions Excel
New granular metrics reveal that while innovation activity concentrates in urban European regions, over 20% of rural areas outperform the EU average in R&D investment, patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. Rural excellence clusters around specialized industries, public research facilities, and proximity to urban innovation hubs, demonstrating that place-based policies recognizing territorial diversity can unlock rural innovation potential.
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Governor Newsom turns on largest public broadband network, California connects first rural community to internet
California activated the nation's largest public broadband network, connecting the Bishop Paiute Tribe as its first customer. The Middle-Mile Broadband Network delivers high-speed internet to rural and historically underserved communities across the state. The tribe will independently operate its broadband service, marking a major step toward closing the digital divide affecting 35% of rural Americans.
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Rural Broadband Coverage Has Many Solutions and Shortfalls
Rural broadband subscriptions jumped from 58% in 2018 to 71% by 2025, driven by nearly $47 billion in federal investment following the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite progress, challenges persist: inaccurate mapping slows expansion, some rural residents remain disconnected despite proximity to fiber lines, and adoption varies widely across regions. Multiple technologies—fiber, line-of-sight towers, satellite, and cellular—are filling gaps unevenly.
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Alaska's energy challenges demand microgrid, storage and national commitment
Alaska's isolated communities face unique energy challenges that differ fundamentally from the interconnected grid serving most of the United States. Over 200 communities operate disconnected microgrids with electricity costs several times the national average due to remote terrain, extreme weather, and small customer bases. The state's largest region depends on declining natural gas supplies and faces transmission constraints. Federal investment at scale is needed to support local generation, fuel supply, and grid modernization.
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Smart Village Dialogue Advances South Africa's First Indigenous Knowledge-Led Initiative
South Africa's Nyandeni Smart Village initiative held its second conference to advance implementation of an indigenous knowledge-based rural development model. The project integrates traditional knowledge systems with Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to create jobs, improve livelihoods, and revitalize rural communities while protecting indigenous knowledge under the 2019 Protection Act.
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Top 7 African Countries Using Partnerships for Rural Internet
Seven African countries—Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Morocco—are expanding rural internet access through public-private partnerships. These collaborations deploy solar-powered towers, satellite internet, fiber optics, and mesh networks to connect remote schools, healthcare centers, and businesses. The initiatives improve digital literacy, education, healthcare delivery, and economic opportunities in underserved communities.
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New narratives for rural transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean: towards a renewed measurement and classification of rural areas
CEPAL presents new methods for defining and measuring rurality in Latin America and the Caribbean, moving beyond outdated agricultural-focused definitions. The study recognizes that rural areas now encompass diverse economic and social activities shaped by rural-urban interactions. These redefined measurement approaches enable governments to design innovative rural development policies better aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Fostering rural innovation ecosystems: inspiring examples from Catalonia
Catalonia demonstrates how rural innovation ecosystems combat youth emigration, aging populations, and economic decline in peripheral areas. The region uses smart specialization strategies, quadruple helix partnerships, and operational groups to fund collaborative pilot projects. Since 2015, 293 agri-food and forestry projects have received €30 million, creating place-based solutions through university-industry collaboration and bottom-up governance.
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New EU Data Reveals Rural Regions Emerging as Innovation Leaders
EU research from the Joint Research Centre reveals that while cities dominate R&D investment and patents, rural regions are emerging as unexpected innovation leaders in specialized sectors. Rural areas with strong industrial clusters, proximity to urban hubs, or niche manufacturing—such as parts of Germany, Austria, and Finland—exceed EU averages in patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, suggesting place-based policies can unlock rural innovation potential.
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Europe's rural regions bridge innovation gap
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.
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Finish line in sight for $770m rural connectivity programme
New Zealand's $770 million rural connectivity investment has delivered broadband to 85,026 rural households and businesses, mobile coverage to over 4,900 kilometres of roads, and 5G services to 44 towns. Three mobile operators each contributed $24 million toward 5G expansion, with 56 towns targeted for service by March 2026. Six programmes are expected to complete in 2025/26.
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Canada is expanding high-speed Internet access in Nunavut
Canada announced over $86 million in federal funding to bring unlimited high-speed Internet to 11,650 households across all 25 communities in Nunavut. The Universal Broadband Fund investment partners Northwestel with Telesat to deliver satellite-based connectivity using low Earth orbit technology, closing the digital divide in Canada's North and supporting access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.
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Canada and Alberta are expanding high-speed Internet access in the province
Canada and Alberta announced $224.78 million in combined federal and provincial funding to bring high-speed Internet to over 82,500 households in rural and remote communities across Alberta, including 1,634 Indigenous households. The investment is part of a broader $780 million broadband partnership to achieve universal connectivity by 2030.
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Local Roots, Global Reach
Canadian Innovation Week 2026 will celebrate how local innovation across Canada scales to global impact. The theme highlights that powerful ideas emerge from community knowledge and lived experience, grow through collaboration between researchers and entrepreneurs, and reflect Canada's geographic and cultural diversity. Events run May 11–15, 2026.
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Rural Transformation: Global Health Lessons for Rural America
The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs draws lessons from decades of rural health work in Nigeria, Guatemala, and Guyana to address similar challenges in rural America. Community-centered approaches—listening to local people, building trust with peers, and adapting services to fit daily life—have improved family planning, nutrition, and disease prevention outcomes globally. These proven methods can guide the $50 billion U.S. Rural Health Transformation Program.
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January 2025: 32 new UK government-funded mobile phone mast upgrades live
The UK government activated 32 mobile mast upgrades across rural areas by January 2025, with 23 sites in Wales, 4 in Scotland, and 5 in England. The upgrades provide 4G coverage from all four major operators to previously underserved communities, improving connectivity without building new masts. Since 2020, the Shared Rural Network programme has extended coverage across 34,000 square kilometres.
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Regions across England and Wales set to receive up to £20 million each in fresh government funding to accelerate innovation and drive local economic growth
The UK government is distributing up to £20 million per region through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to boost regional innovation and economic growth. Funding targets sector-specific strengths: the South West focuses on autonomous technologies, Oxford-Cambridge on vehicles and space tech, Greater Lincolnshire on agri-tech and defence, Wales on energy and materials, and northern regions on clean energy and decarbonisation. The programme aims to translate research into commercial outcomes and build self-sustaining regional innovation ecosystems.
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Nordic countries join forces to map and strengthen their innovation ecosystems
Six Nordic and Baltic innovation organizations are collaborating to map and benchmark startup ecosystems across Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Estonia. Using an updated analytical framework, they will analyze policy, finance, research, support services, industry engagement, and startup activity across the region. Results will be presented at TechBBQ in August 2026 to mobilize cross-border innovation collaboration.
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The most recent Nordic innovations and innovation campaigns kicking off 2026
Forum Nordic surveys 18 recent innovations across Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland announced in the past six weeks. Highlights include Norway's subsea fibre sensing for ocean monitoring, Finland's quantum computing breakthroughs, Denmark's AI pregnancy screening spinout, Sweden's tech strategy roadmap, and Iceland's responsible AI policy. The roundup showcases university-industry collaborations, deep-tech spinouts, and national innovation ecosystem developments across the Nordic region.
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Innovation Critical to Sustaining Jobs and Growth in Central and Eastern Europe
Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania could boost labor productivity by 10–15 percent through wider adoption of digital technologies and AI tools, according to a World Bank report. The region must shift from trade-driven growth to innovation-led productivity gains. Smaller firms lag in digital adoption, and R&D spending remains below EU averages, limiting competitiveness and job creation.
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It's time to give agriculture the attention it deserves
Central and Eastern Europe's agriculture sector, accounting for 2–5% of GDP and employing millions, remains underinvested and undervalued compared to tech and manufacturing. The region hosts emerging agri-tech innovators like Poland's SatAgro and Lithuania's Agrokoncernas, while venture capital investment reached €3 billion in 2023. Modernizing agriculture through technology, land consolidation, and sustainability practices could boost productivity, create rural jobs, and strengthen Europe's food security.
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New opportunities for rural areas under Horizon Europe in 2026-2027
The European Commission released the Horizon Europe work programme for 2026-2027, featuring funding calls designed for rural development. Two calls directly target rural areas: one supporting innovation to boost rural competitiveness beyond agriculture, and another strengthening rural communities' resilience to economic, environmental, and climate shocks. The programme allocates over €14 billion across multiple clusters.
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M-Pesa: How Mobile Money Transformed Financial Inclusion and Redefined Development Finance
M-Pesa, Kenya's SMS-based mobile money platform launched in 2007, revolutionized financial access for rural and low-income households by eliminating the need for traditional bank accounts. The service lifted approximately 2% of Kenyan households out of extreme poverty, narrowed gender financial gaps, and enabled women to transition from subsistence farming to entrepreneurship. M-Pesa's success demonstrates how digital infrastructure can leapfrog conventional banking stages and inspire similar systems across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
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Africa needs innovation-led growth powered by data and tech
African governments must shift from input-driven growth to innovation-led development powered by data and frontier technologies to create quality jobs. The continent needs comprehensive skills development in STEM and digital literacy, industrial policies integrating emerging technologies across agriculture and manufacturing, strategic investment in data infrastructure, and new financing models for tech ventures. Countries like Kenya, Rwanda, and Egypt demonstrate this approach works when education, industrial policy, and digital strategy align.
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Uganda: African Development Bank approves €93.9 million to expand last-mile power connections under UREAP Phases I & II
The African Development Bank approved €7.33 million in additional financing to complete compensation payments for people affected by Uganda's Rural Electricity Access Project Phase I, which has connected 137,770 households to the grid. The bank simultaneously approved Phase II with €104.39 million in total funding to construct distribution networks and deliver 259,723 new connections, bringing electricity access to nearly 1.18 million people across rural and peri-urban areas.
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Kenya Unveils Draft Agricultural Data and Digital Policy to Transform Farming Sector
Kenya released a comprehensive draft policy to transform agriculture through integrated digital systems and data governance. The framework establishes the Kenya Agricultural Digital Information Centre to coordinate programmes and manage sector-wide data. It promotes advanced technologies like AI, IoT, and drones while prioritizing farmer-centric services, financial inclusion, and digital literacy for smallholder farmers, women, and marginalized communities.
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Nigeria Steps Up Rural Electrification
Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency announced major progress in expanding electricity access to unserved communities. The government is deploying 1,350 mini-grids through a $750 million renewable energy project to reach 17.5 million people. Over 900 mini-grids are already rolling out nationwide. Nigeria completed a national electrification mapping exercise identifying 150,000 communities and their power status, enabling tailored solutions for each area.
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New rural development strategy targets sustainability and innovation
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is launching a new rural development strategy for 2026–2030 that prioritizes innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable economies over traditional infrastructure. The programme aims to extend new rural standards to over 90 percent of communes, double or triple rural incomes, and pilot smart rural areas and community-based models, requiring an estimated 89 trillion Vietnamese dong in investment.
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Technology, Innovation, Digital Transformation: Vietnam's Triple Push in 2026
Vietnam's Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs is accelerating digital transformation in 2026, shifting from planning to measurable results. The ministry is building integrated ethnic and religious databases, streamlining 25 public services, and developing AI tools for minority language translation. Officials emphasize equal focus on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, with proposals for remote community economic models and disaster-resilient technologies.
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IFAD Opens New Office in Salvador and Boosts Rural Development in Brazil
The International Fund for Agricultural Development opened a new office in Salvador, Brazil, to strengthen rural development operations in the country's northeastern region. IFAD has invested approximately $1.1 billion across Brazil, supporting nearly one million families through programs focused on sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, food security, and agroecology. The expansion enhances IFAD's capacity to coordinate initiatives addressing poverty and environmental challenges in Brazil's vulnerable Nordeste region.
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In Brazil, regenerative farming advances but deforestation still pressures ecosystems
Brazil's agribusiness sector drives over 90% of deforestation through cattle ranching and soy production. The REVERTE program and similar initiatives aim to restore 40 million hectares of degraded pastureland by 2030 using regenerative farming techniques. However, experts warn that without stronger forest governance and binding private-sector commitments, productivity gains may simply enable further agricultural expansion rather than reduce pressure on the Amazon and Cerrado ecosystems.
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What Brazil Can Teach the World About Agricultural Innovation & Sustainability
Brazil's agricultural sector drives economic growth through free-market policies, investment, and innovation in biologicals, AI, and sustainable practices. The country exported $169.2 billion in agricultural goods in 2025. Brazilian agtech startups are expanding rapidly, with biologicals becoming a billion-dollar market. Trade deals like EU-Mercosur will boost market access while Brazilian farmers assert their sustainability credentials.
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Rural connectivity in Mexico
Rural Mexico faces severe internet connectivity gaps, with only 66% of rural residents having regular access compared to 85.5% in urban areas. LEO satellite technology, particularly Starlink's $89.8 million contract to provide free internet through 2026, is emerging as a solution to reach remote southern regions like Oaxaca and Chiapas. Competition from AWS Project Kuiper and OneWeb is accelerating deployment across the country.
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Mexico Advances Food, Agriculture, and Health Initiatives
Mexico is advancing multiple food and agriculture initiatives, including a proposed ban on energy drink sales to minors, opening native corn tortilla shops to achieve self-sufficiency, and partnering with Germany to develop sustainable agri-food systems. The government is also launching a food sovereignty framework with universities to address obesity and malnutrition while strengthening rural economies.
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China set plans for agricultural modernization, rural revitalization
China released its 2026 central policy document prioritizing agricultural modernization and rural revitalization. The plan emphasizes boosting farm productivity, supporting farmer incomes through price and subsidy policies, developing technology-driven agriculture, and integrating AI, drones, and robotics into farming. It also focuses on rural infrastructure, preventing poverty relapse, and expanding rural consumption to improve farmers' quality of life.
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How China advances sustainable and balanced rural revitalization
China is modernizing rural areas through agricultural technology adoption and regional clustering strategies. Solar power, livestock farming, and drone use are boosting village incomes while addressing urban-rural divides. The 15th Five-Year Plan emphasizes regular poverty prevention measures and attracting educated young people back to farming through improved living conditions and business opportunities.
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China Maps Out Rural Modernization Priorities for 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan
China's central rural work conference outlined priorities for 2026, emphasizing agricultural modernization, rural revitalization, and integrated urban-rural development. The government will focus on grain security, technological breakthroughs in agriculture, digital innovation, seed industry development, and farmer income growth. These policies signal a shift toward technology-driven, efficient agricultural production as China enters its 15th Five-Year Plan period.
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German State Pledges €1.6M to Expand Hydrogen Output for Mobility Supply
A German state government committed €1.6 million to expand hydrogen production for transportation applications. The funding supports infrastructure development to increase hydrogen supply for mobility solutions, advancing the region's clean energy transition and reducing dependence on fossil fuels for transport.
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From Smart Villages to Systemic Uptake: Shaping Policy Pathways for Rural Innovation
AEIDL is hosting the second EU Rural Innovation Forum on 9 June 2026 to help rural innovation pilots achieve lasting system-level change across Europe. The online event brings together EU institutions, policymakers, and rural innovation actors to discuss governance and ecosystem conditions enabling Smart Villages and other approaches to scale and embed across diverse territories, informing post-2027 EU programming.
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What's happening in my country: France
France implements smart villages through its Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan and LEADER programme, supporting digital capacity building, co-working spaces, and rural innovation platforms. The French Rural Network conducts research on smart villages and publishes practical guides for municipalities. National initiatives include a Digital Agency promoting high-speed internet, 'territory factories,' and 'Maison France Service' centres delivering public services in rural areas.
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From rural Spain to war: Binéfar becomes a European benchmark in military robotics
A military robotics plant in the small Spanish town of Binéfar has become Europe's largest manufacturer of ground robots for defence applications, exporting to over 20 countries. The facility employs 150 workers with plans to expand to 300, reversing rural depopulation and establishing the town as a technological hub while the parent company decentralises operations across Spain's regions.
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Fossil-fuel subsidies and high costs stall energy transition across rural Indonesia
A new report reveals that household solar energy adoption across Indonesia's 84,000 villages declined 26% between 2021 and 2024, despite cheaper technology. High installation costs, fossil fuel subsidies, and maintenance challenges in remote areas—particularly eastern Indonesia—are blocking the energy transition. Street lighting adoption increased, but household renewable energy use fell significantly.
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Precision Agriculture and AI: A Climate Solution or Corporate Consolidation?
Precision agriculture—using AI, satellites, and data analytics to optimize farming—has grown into an $30 billion global market with promises of resource conservation. However, researchers and advocacy groups now question whether it delivers environmental benefits, noting pesticide and fertilizer use have actually increased since its adoption. Critics warn that Big Tech and Big Ag consolidation reduces farmer autonomy and favors industrial monocultures over sustainable practices.
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Farm Bill 2026: Big Tech's AI and Precision Agriculture Subsidy Could Be a Trojan Horse for Corporate Control of Farming
The 2026 Farm Bill includes a provision offering farmers 90% cost reimbursement for adopting AI and precision agriculture technologies through EQIP, exceeding the normal 75% cap. However, private tech companies—not the USDA—would set standards for these technologies. Critics argue this funnels taxpayer dollars to big tech while increasing corporate control over farming, echoing concerns about proprietary equipment and seed dependency that have long constrained farmer autonomy.
Organizations — 28
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Center on Rural Innovation
A US nonprofit working to close the rural opportunity gap by helping small towns build digital economy ecosystems. Provides research, capacity-building, and an action network of rural innovation hubs.
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The Daily Yonder
Rural news, analysis, and storytelling from the United States. A program of the Center for Rural Strategies, covering rural America for a national audience.
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Center for Rural Affairs
Nebraska-based nonprofit working on rural policy, small farms, beginning farmer programs, and rural community development across the US Great Plains and Midwest. Founded 1973.
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Rural Sociological Society
International scholarly association for sociologists, social scientists, and others working on the dynamics of rural life, communities, and resource use. Publishes the journal Rural Sociology.
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Rural Health Information Hub
US clearinghouse for rural health information, funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Hosts toolkits, model programs, funding databases, and research aimed at health practitioners and rural communities.
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Center for Rural Strategies
US nonprofit working to improve economic and social conditions of rural communities through media, advocacy, and field-building. Parent organization of The Daily Yonder.
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EU CAP Network
European Union platform connecting agriculture and rural development practitioners across member states under the Common Agricultural Policy. Successor to the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD).
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Newcastle University Centre for Rural Economy
UK research centre at Newcastle University focused on the social sciences of rural change, rural economies, and rural policy. One of the longest-running rural research centres in Europe.
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World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is the largest funder of farming and agribusiness in developing countries, providing knowledge, investment, and technology to strengthen food systems and agricultural productivity. The organization works across 45+ countries to improve food and nutrition security, supporting over 200 million people and aiming to reach 327 million by 2030. Through initiatives like AgriConnect and Food Systems 2030, it helps countries transform their agricultural sectors into engines of economic growth while addressing infrastructure gaps, policy constraints, and climate resilience.
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International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
IRENA is a global intergovernmental agency that supports countries in transitioning to renewable energy systems. The agency provides data, analyses, and policy guidance on renewable energy technologies including solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, bioenergy, and ocean energy. IRENA works to advance energy access and security in rural and remote areas through the widespread adoption of renewable energy solutions that support sustainable development and economic resilience.
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Center for Economic and Community Development
Penn State's Center for Economic and Community Development conducts applied research to strengthen local and regional development in Pennsylvania and beyond. The center works directly with communities to address economic and demographic change, government policy, community capacity building, and social inequality. It produces research outputs including economic impact analyses, demographic profiles, and community engagement projects focused on food systems, active transportation, and inclusive economic development.
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Rural Development Institute
The Rural Development Institute is a research centre at Brandon University that conducts community-based projects addressing rural development challenges. It works directly with rural partners and communities to build capacity, support regional development, and inform policy makers on rural solutions. The institute focuses on topics including digital technologies, wellness, and community development in rural contexts.
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Crawford School of Public Policy
Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University conducts research on public policy challenges including rural development and livelihoods. The school examines rural youth futures and development practices in regions like South Sulawesi through collaborative research projects. It educates policy leaders and professionals while engaging in policy-driven solutions across interdisciplinary areas.
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Smart Rural 21 Project
Smart Rural 21 was a European Commission-funded initiative that ran from December 2019 to November 2022, supporting 21 villages across Europe to develop and implement smart village strategies. The project worked directly with rural communities to design and execute strategic actions addressing local challenges, from digital infrastructure to community services and cultural heritage. Through regional workshops, cross-village visits, and policy engagement, it generated evidence and recommendations to inform future EU policy on rural development.
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Rural Pact
The Rural Pact is a European platform that convenes stakeholders to address rural revitalization and development across the EU. It facilitates place-based innovation initiatives, connects rural entrepreneurs to wider innovation ecosystems, and supports policy development for rural areas. The platform publishes research on rural entrepreneurship, good practices, and policy recommendations to strengthen economic, social, and environmental outcomes in rural communities.
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Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a research organization that analyzes policy issues affecting rural communities, including broadband access and digital equity. This page examines the rural-urban digital divide in broadband infrastructure and internet access, highlighting how regulatory frameworks and funding mechanisms can address connectivity gaps that limit rural students' educational opportunities and rural residents' access to government services.
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Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group
The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group partners with rural community development practitioners and funders to strengthen rural development systems across the United States. For 40 years, the organization has worked to build regional collaboration and center equity in rural communities historically overlooked by philanthropy and policy investments. Aspen CSG emphasizes community-led development that focuses on protecting and developing the people in rural regions rather than extracting resources, and convenes diverse leaders across sectors to address shared challenges like workforce development, broadband access, and climate resilience.
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RUPRI
RUPRI is a university-based research center that conducts policy research on rural issues, with particular focus on rural health. The organization convenes stakeholders including the National Rural Health Association and other partners to identify rural health needs and develop policy approaches to improve health outcomes in rural communities.
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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is the federal department responsible for developing policies and programs that support farming and agriculture businesses across the country. The department works with provincial governments and partner agencies to advance agricultural innovation and food systems. It maintains a Canadian Agriculture Library to support research and innovation in agricultural and food sciences.
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Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Defra is a UK government department responsible for improving and protecting the environment, growing a green economy, and sustaining thriving rural communities. It supports the food, farming, and fishing industries while managing environmental policy and species recovery programs. The department works across rural affairs through 34 agencies and public bodies to address environmental challenges and rural development.
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OECD Enhancing Rural Innovation Project
The OECD's project on rural innovation works to help policymakers develop place-based innovation strategies that move beyond traditional subsidies and sector-specific approaches. Through reports, case studies, and networks, the project aims to understand the diverse motivations and innovators in rural settings and support reforms that address challenges of scale and density in rural entrepreneurship. The initiative focuses on engaging women, youth, and older workers to unlock rural areas' innovation potential for improved growth and well-being.
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OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
The OECD Centre provides comparative statistics, analysis, and policy advice on regional development, including a dedicated working party on rural policy. It convenes national governments, local leaders, and development practitioners through multiple initiatives and networks focused on inclusive growth and local economic development.
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AEIDL (European Association for Innovation in Local Development)
AEIDL is a Brussels-based association that fosters community-led innovation to revitalize local communities across Europe, with particular focus on rural development and smart rural futures. The organization learns from and supports local initiatives while providing policy analysis and evaluation of EU policies affecting rural and territorial development. AEIDL coordinates networks and projects addressing sustainable local development, territorial development, employment, and support to territorial authorities and businesses.
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United Nations Development Programme
The UN agency that helps countries reduce poverty, build democratic governance, and respond to climate, recovery, and crises. UNDP's rural innovation work spans the Sustainable Development Goals — supporting smallholder agriculture, rural livelihoods, energy access, and digital inclusion in remote communities across more than 170 countries.
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World Economic Forum
International organization for public-private cooperation, headquartered near Geneva. Through its Centre for Nature and Climate and food systems work, the WEF convenes leaders on rural innovation themes — climate adaptation in agriculture, smallholder digitization, and inclusive value chains. Publishes case studies and impact reports that frequently feature rural communities in the Global South.
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European Commission Joint Research Centre
The European Commission's in-house science service, providing independent evidence-based scientific advice to support EU policy. Its rural innovation work includes the Knowledge Centre for Territorial Policies, the Smart Rural 21 programme, and quantitative analysis of urban-rural innovation gaps across EU regions.
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The Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development
Memorial University of Newfoundland's centre for regional policy and development research, dedicated to research, education, and public engagement on the development of Newfoundland and Labrador. Coordinates regional workshops, convenes research on rural innovation, and publishes evidence-based reports on rural communities in the province.
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USDA Rural Development
Mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture providing financial programs to support essential public facilities and services, business development, housing, and broadband infrastructure in rural America. Annual investments exceed $30 billion across loans, grants, and loan guarantees — the largest single source of rural innovation finance in the United States.