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Centre for Rural Economy
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Rural economy and innovation

Rural businesses contribute considerably to national and regional economies. They keep pace with or exceed urban growth.

Blind spot in policy

But rural firms have been a blind spot within policy analysis and government policy.

Agricultural production is just one, relatively small, part of this diverse rural economy.

A trade show for rural businesses

Our research

We need more research to ensure rural firms, small or home-based, reach full potential. They play their part in growing the national economy.

For example, the internet has given rural firms access to much greater markets at home and abroad. More of them say they have goods they could export than are currently doing so.

As Brexit approaches, it is particularly important. Policymakers in the UK need to have a better understanding of:

  • how this variety of rural businesses operate
  • how the whole rural economy knits together
  • what they can do to tap into their potential for innovation and growth

Rural enterprise can add value to economies in the UK, within Europe, and across the world.

Projects

Urban-Rural analysis of the Longitudinal Small Business Survey - Funding: BEIS and Enterprise Research Centre (2016-2017) - Project team: Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Prof Matthew Gorton, Dr Sara Maioli, Dr Robert Newbery, Dr Pattanapong Tiwasing, Roger Turner

INNOGROW: Regional Policies for Innovation driven Competitiveness and Growth of Rural SMEs - Funding: European Commission Interreg (2016-2020) - Project team: Prof Matthew Gorton, Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Dr Pattanapong Tiwasing

RuralGrowth - increasing Competitiveness of SMEs in Rural Visitor Economy - Sector Funding: European Commission Interreg (2016-2020) - CRE Project Team: Guy Garrod, Dr Menelaos Gkartzios, Marian Raley

Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN) - Funding: Economic and Social Research Council (2016-2018) - CRE input: Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Dr Amy Proctor, Frances Rowe, Anne Liddon 

Rural Enterprise UK - Initiated with financial support from Newcastle University and the Higher Education Innovation Fund (ongoing) - CRE input: Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Dr Pattanapong Tiwasing, Katie Aitken-McDermott, Ian Merrell

Landbridge: A Knowledge Exchange Network for Rural Professionals - Funding: ESRC (ongoing) - Project team Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Dr Amy Proctor, Anne Liddon, Prof Philip Lowe

Rural Business Knowledge Exchange and Innovation: The Contribution of Rural Enterprise Hubs - Funding: ESRC (ongoing) - Project team: Ian Merrell, Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Prof Matthew Gorton, Dr Paul Cowie

Exploring the Capacity for Social Enterprise in the Rural Communities of County Durham - Funding: ESRC (ongoing) - Project team: Katie Aitken-Mcdermott, Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Prof Matthew Gorton, Dr Elizabeth Oughton 

The Rural Economy and Land Use Programme (RELU) - Funding: UK Research Council, DEFRA, Scottish Government, (2004-2013) - Project team: Prof Philip Lowe, Prof Jeremy Phillipson, Anne Liddon