16 Nov 2021
EC launches Start-up Village Forum to help to boost R&I in rural areas
On 16 November 2021, the European Commission (EC) launched the Start-up Village Forum to gather insights on challenges for and potential of rural start-up companies. As part of the EU's June 2021 long-term vision for rural areas and the Commission Action Plan for Rural Areas, the annual Start-up Village Forum is intended to contribute to boosting research and innovation in rural communities and help build up a more innovative entrepreneurship to attract more young and talented people.
According to the Commission, the Forum aims at becoming an open space where local, regional, national and European institutions and stakeholders can meet, discuss and shape action for start-up-driven innovation in rural areas. The Forum for rural innovation will connect rural innovation actors across the EU and enhance the development of rural innovation ecosystems. The Start-up Village Forum seeks to provide knowledge on rural innovative start-ups, the types of innovations they are involved in, the gaps in the services that they expect from innovation ecosystems and how these could be strengthened in the future.
The broader objectives of the Start-up Village Forum are to:
- Support the further development of rural innovation ecosystems;
- Identify and analyse triggers for innovation in rural areas;
- Connect rural innovation actors across the EU, with a focus on start-ups; and
- Provide a common understanding of the concept of Start-up Village and highlight the link with the concept of smart village.
For more information: