Project description
Innovative business models for modern and sustainable rural economies
Rural entrepreneurs in the bioeconomy find it difficult to access funding, skilled employees and innovation support networks. The EU-funded RUBIZMO project will identify innovative business models (developed or identified in projects under the Seventh Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, Interreg, Central Europe, etc.) with significant potential to support modernisation and sustainable growth in rural economies. These will also be relevant to the food sector, bio-based value chains and ecosystem services. The selection and classification of models will be deployed for the creation of a virtual library of business cases, the drafting of guidelines for public authorities and policymakers, a cooperation toolkit for efficient networking and a transformation support tool for novice entrepreneurs.
Objective
RUBIZMO will identify business models with high potential for empowering rural communities to take advantage of the opportunities arising from improved value chain optimisation. It will directly supporting the creation of sustainable jobs and growth in rural economies, supporting a multi-actor approach for generation of shared-value. Ultimately, the project looks to contribute to rural development in Europe, supporting the Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, as well as supporting Regional and Rural Development policy.
To do this, the project will identify innovative business models (developed or identified in existing projects under FP7, H2020, Interreg, Central Europe, etc.) with a significant potential to support modernisation and sustainable growth in rural economies, and relevant to the food sector, bio-based value chains and ecosystem services. Business models with the potential to contribute to the modernisation and sustainable growth of rural economies will be selected, packaged and classified according to their nature, comprising technologies, services, business support structures, financing mechanisms, etc.
This will result in the creation of four practical, user-oriented tools:
- Virtual library of business cases, to inspire and inform potential entrepreneurs about business opportunities;
- Guidelines on creating favourable conditions for the deployment of innovative business models, to help public authorities and rural networks create adequate framework conditions for rural innovation;
- Toolkit for clustering and network development in rural areas;
- Transformation support tool, to help individual entrepreneurs understand which business models are best adapted to their situation, and how to go about implementing change.
The project will then prepare Europe-wide upscaling and replication in rural areas using real life cases, taking account of the complexity of transferring value chains.
Fields of science
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementinnovation management
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managemententrepreneurship
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsbioeconomy
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.3. - Empowerment of rural areas, support to policies and rural innovation
- H2020-EU.3.2.2.3. - A sustainable and competitive agri-food industry
- H2020-EU.3.2.4.1. - Fostering the bio-economy for bio-based industries
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
501 15 Boras
Sweden