The focus of the RUR-09 call is identifying innovative business models that are developing in rural areas, have significant potential to create added value, social cohesion and jobs and are likely to be up scaled to or replicated in other areas. Proposals in the context of this call should produce practical and business-oriented tools such as for example a collection of business cases for new entrepreneurs. Communication and transnational approach are two crucial factors.

LIVERUR aims at expanding an extremely innovative business model called Living Labs among the rural regions. Living labs are user-centred, open-innovation ecosystems often operating in a territorial context, integrating concurrent research and innovation process within a public-private partnership. The basis for the strategic development of a rural Living Lab is in establishing a sustainable stakeholder partnership; users, policy-makers, companies, researchers enter into agreements on the basis of which they may engage in longer term collaboration. However, a successful Living lab business design can be expected to be highly affected by the specific context of the Living Lab rural environment and by its specific objectives and ambitions. LIVERUR project identifies Living Labs as innovative business models that are currently developing in rural areas, and it will undertake socio-economic analysis to identify, describe and benchmark differences between the new Living Lab approach and more entrepreneurial traditional approaches (mass production, development of prices, optimising the cost structures with the enterprises, rationalisation). LIVERUR project pays particular attention to Living Labs, since they foster a more sustainable mobilisation of resources, improved cooperation between operators along the value chain and lead to new services. Living Lab utilizes the open innovation concept in a wider sense, with success/failure rate determined by empirically based research key factors. Since there is still a lack of empirically grounded studies, the short term objective of LIVERUR is to improve knowledge of business models growing in rural areas, including a through understanding of their potential. In the long term the project will increase the potential for rural economic diversification.

Project outputs:

1. Extensive report on the comparison between entrepreneurial traditional approaches, advantages and disadvantages, and the new revolutionary approach of Living Labs

2. Strategy for gradual shift toward the Living Lab approach

3. Training activities for entrepreneurs and regional development energy on the new concept of open innovation and Living Lab approach

4. One business-oriented tool: collection of business cases targeting new entrepreneurs and offer them guidance and benchmark solutions

5. Communication plan to capitalize the project across Europe

Project target group:

• rural entrepreneurs

• policy-makers for fostering investments in the area

Project results:

• Deep knowledge of the new approach called Living Labs

• Implementation of shifting plan from traditional to more innovative approach in the rural sector

• Increase of entrepreneurs knowledge about rural business models and alternative approaches

• Business case tool creation

• Transnational of the project to solve a common European issue: food security and sustainable use of the resources