This paper assesses the extent to which cooperation impacts innovation performance of firms in rural regions characterized by a solid economic performance despite a low-technology industrial structure. Particular emphasis is placed on the spatial and functional dimension of cooperation. Generic...

Scientists and the general public agree that the rural world is characterized by a strong attachment to traditional values, and lacks a sense of initiative, creativity and innovation. This, supposedly, is why the rural world is lagging behind in development. Even if rural people are typically...

The paper emphasizes the role of social capital in some particular rural clusters like the French "Poles d'Excellence Rurale" (PER) and the U.S. Rural Knowledge Clusters (RKC). The recent revival of the literature on social capital considers this resource as highly valuable when considering the...

The current international migration has transformed the morphology, the social structures and the local economies in many rural areas, often helping to reverse a long-term demographic and social decline. Analyzing two experiences of Southern Italy, affected by depopulation and deficit of social...