Boosting sustainable competitiveness in rural areas through innovation

Expected Outcome:Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:a better understanding of sustainable competitiveness in rural areas is achieved;rural communities have better access to services and sustainable business opportunities;entrepreneurship, innovation, and skills are promoted in rural communities, particularly among young people, to foster sustainability, competitiveness and digital literacy across various sectors of the rural economy. Scope:The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the long-term vision for EU’s rural areas, the vision for agriculture and food and its objective to foster fair living and working conditions in vibrant rural areas, climate objectives, as well as the competitiveness compass which, among its three core areas for action, aims at closing the innovation gap for the EU to boost its competitiveness.Regaining competitiveness is essential to ensuring long-term prosperity in the EU. However, not all territories have equal access to resources and opportunities. Efforts to enhance competitiveness must therefore also prioritise environmental and social sustainability ensuring that neither nature nor people are left behind in the pursuit of economic growth.Although rural areas often possess natural resources and are essential to support the provision of ecosystem services, they frequently face societal (e.g., declining and ageing populations, social exclusion and inequality) and market failures (e.g., under-provision of essential services, limited access to finance and infrastructure, digital divide, labour market mismatches) that hinder sustainable development, social inclusion, and competitiveness.Proposals should:improve the understanding of the drivers and obstacles of sustainable competitiveness in the contexts of societal and market failures in rural areas, and propose indicators to measure competitiveness that incorporate social and environmental performance;suppor