Multi-actor rural innovation ecosystems: Definition, dynamics, and spatial relations

Innovation Ecosystems (IE) is an emerging concept that highlights the evolution of a group of actors working around common practices, products, processes, actions, and initiatives. While we can find various definitions of urban innovation districts/ecosystems and common traits that coherently define them at the urban level, only a few scholars have focused on understanding and further defining Innovation Ecosystems in the rural context. While rural communities and territories can be a generative ground for Innovation Ecosystems, housing resources and capacities to become vibrant centres of innovation based on local heritage and resources, the activation of multi-actor Rural Innovation Ecosystems in these areas still remains a challenge. This article presents a proposal for defining Rural Innovation Ecosystem, departing from the main differences with the urban IE highlighting common traits and main differences in order to accelerate and better disseminate their establishment. The rural contexts present relevant characteristics in which innovation can thrive, such as dependencies and relationships represented by geographies, area of interested corresponding to sectors, and social, human and cultural capitals which harness the potential of all community members. • Rural communities and territories house capacities to become vibrant centres of innovation based on local resources. • Innovation Ecosystems have different traits depending on their location in urban or rural areas. • Rural Innovation Ecosystems play a crucial role in addressing rural socio-spatial disparities in rural areas.