IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i8p6612-d1122871.html

Winding Pathways to Rural Regeneration: Exploring Challenges and Success Factors for Three Types of Rural Changemakers in the Context of Knowledge Transfer and Networks

Author

Listed:
  • Krzysztof Janc

    (Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Sylwia Dołzbłasz

    (Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Andrzej Raczyk

    (Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Robert Skrzypczyński

    (Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, 50-137 Wrocław, Poland)

Abstract

The regeneration of rural areas is a multifaceted process driven by a variety of actors operating in diverse contexts. Understanding specific barriers faced by these actors—as well as factors that contribute to the success of their initiatives—therefore seems to be a prerequisite for designing policies that can effectively support rural changemakers and thus promote rural regeneration. The goal of this exploratory paper is to identify key challenges and success factors for three types of rural changemakers—rural newcomers, new entrants into farming, and farming successors—based on empirical data gathered in three case studies conducted as part of the Horizon2020 project “RURALIZATION” in Poland in 2021. The results of the study show that one of the most important determinants of the success of rural changemakers’ activities is having adequate formal and informal knowledge. This is important in the context of knowledge transfer, interacting with and functioning in the local environment, and consequently laying the foundations for rural regeneration. Rural regeneration must be treated as a complex and long-term process that is strongly linked to the activation of knowledge transfer mechanisms.

Suggested Citation

  • Krzysztof Janc & Sylwia Dołzbłasz & Andrzej Raczyk & Robert Skrzypczyński, 2023. "Winding Pathways to Rural Regeneration: Exploring Challenges and Success Factors for Three Types of Rural Changemakers in the Context of Knowledge Transfer and Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6612-:d:1122871
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6612/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6612/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy Conley & Udry Christopher, 2001. "Social Learning Through Networks: The Adoption of New Agricultural Technologies in Ghana," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 83(3), pages 668-673.
    2. Karcagi-Kovats, Andrea & Katona-Kovacs, Judit, 2012. "Factors of population decline in rural areas and answers given in EU member states’ strategies," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 114(01), pages 1-8.
    3. Wojciech Sroka & Michał Dudek & Tomasz Wojewodzic & Karol Król, 2019. "Generational Changes in Agriculture: The Influence of Farm Characteristics and Socio-Economic Factors," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-27, December.
    4. Michael Storper & Anthony J. Venables, 2004. "Buzz: face-to-face contact and the urban economy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 351-370, August.
    5. Imre Kovách & Boldizsár Gergely Megyesi & Attila Bai & Péter Balogh, 2022. "Sustainability and Agricultural Regeneration in Hungarian Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-14, January.
    6. Adamowicz, Mieczysław & Szepeluk, Adam, 2016. "Support to Young Farmers as Part of Agricultural Policy of the European Union," Problems of Agricultural Economics / Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej 253702, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics - National Research Institute (IAFE-NRI).
    7. Andrzej Rosner & Monika Wesołowska, 2020. "Deagrarianisation of the Economic Structure and the Evolution of Rural Settlement Patterns in Poland," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, December.
    8. Letizia Bindi & Mauro Conti & Angelo Belliggiano, 2022. "Sense of Place, Biocultural Heritage, and Sustainable Knowledge and Practices in Three Italian Rural Regeneration Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    9. Meric S. Gertler, 2003. "Tacit knowledge and the economic geography of context, or The undefinable tacitness of being (there)," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 75-99, January.
    10. Stark, Oded, 2004. "Rethinking the Brain Drain," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 15-22, January.
    11. Łukasz Komorowski & Monika Stanny, 2020. "Smart Villages: Where Can They Happen?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, May.
    12. Robert Skrzypczyński & Sylwia Dołzbłasz & Krzysztof Janc & Andrzej Raczyk, 2021. "Beyond Supporting Access to Land in Socio-Technical Transitions. How Polish Grassroots Initiatives Help Farmers and New Entrants in Transitioning to Sustainable Models of Agriculture," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
    13. Arlette S. Saint Ville & Gordon M. Hickey & Uli Locher & Leroy E. Phillip, 2016. "Exploring the role of social capital in influencing knowledge flows and innovation in smallholder farming communities in the Caribbean," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(3), pages 535-549, June.
    14. Colin R. Anderson & Chris Maughan & Michel P. Pimbert, 2019. "Transformative agroecology learning in Europe: building consciousness, skills and collective capacity for food sovereignty," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(3), pages 531-547, September.
    15. Pindado, Emilio & Sánchez, Mercedes & Verstegen, Jos A.A.M. & Lans, Thomas, 2018. "Searching for the entrepreneurs among new entrants in European Agriculture: the role of human and social capital," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 19-30.
    16. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    17. Philip Cooke & Loet Leydesdorff, 2006. "Regional Development in the Knowledge-Based Economy: The Construction of Advantage," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 5-15, January.
    18. Steve Wiggins & Sharon Proctor, 2001. "How Special Are Rural Areas? The Economic Implications of Location for Rural Development," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 19(4), pages 427-436, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wanqing Wang & Yumeng Cheng & Yukihiko Saito, 2025. "Can the Relationship Population Contribute to Sustainable Rural Development? A Comparative Study of Out-Migrated Family Support in Depopulated Areas of Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-48, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Markus Grillitsch & Magnus Nilsson, 2017. "Firm performance in the periphery: on the relation between firm-internal knowledge and local knowledge spillovers," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(8), pages 1219-1231, August.
    2. Robert Skrzypczyński & Sylwia Dołzbłasz & Krzysztof Janc & Andrzej Raczyk, 2021. "Beyond Supporting Access to Land in Socio-Technical Transitions. How Polish Grassroots Initiatives Help Farmers and New Entrants in Transitioning to Sustainable Models of Agriculture," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
    3. Prince C Oguguo & Ioanna Liouka & Ioanna Deligianni, 2026. "Firm innovation in developing countries: Effects of urban agglomeration and global value chain integration," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 63(4), pages 641-663, March.
    4. Martin M�ller & Allison Stewart, 2016. "Does Temporary Geographical Proximity Predict Learning? Knowledge Dynamics in the Olympic Games," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 377-390, March.
    5. Grillitsch, Markus & Nilsson , Magnus, 2013. "Technological competencies and firm performance: Analyzing the importance of internal and external competencies," Papers in Innovation Studies 2013/24, Lund University, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research.
    6. Laurent R. Bergé, 2017. "Network proximity in the geography of research collaboration," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(4), pages 785-815, November.
    7. Charlie Karlsson & Börje Johansson & Kiyoshi Kobayashi & Roger R. Stough, 2014. "Knowledge, innovation and space: introduction," Chapters, in: Charlie Karlsson & Börje Johansson & Kiyoshi Kobayashi & Roger R. Stough (ed.), Knowledge, Innovation and Space, chapter 1, pages 1-26, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Thomas J. Hannigan & Alessandra Perri & Vittoria Giada Scalera, 2016. "The Dispersed Multinational: Does Connectedness Across Spatial Dimensions Lead to Broader Technological Search?," Working Papers 11, Venice School of Management - Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    9. Fitjar, Rune Dahl & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2013. "Firm collaboration and modes of innovation in Norway," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 128-138.
    10. Nilsson, Magnus & Mattes, Jannika, 2015. "The spatiality of trust: Factors influencing the creation of trust and the role of face-to-face contacts," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 230-244.
    11. Adam Whittle & Balázs Lengyel & Dieter F. Kogler, 2020. "Understanding Regional Branching Knowledge Diversification via Inventor Collaboration Networks," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2006, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Feb 2020.
    12. Emma Folmer & Robert C Kloosterman, 2017. "Emerging intra-urban geographies of the cognitive-cultural economy: Evidence from residential neighbourhoods in Dutch cities," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(4), pages 801-818, April.
    13. Petr Pavlínek, 2012. "The Internationalization of Corporate R&D and the Automotive Industry R&D of East-Central Europe," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 88(3), pages 279-310, July.
    14. Riccardo Crescenzi & Andrea Filippetti & Simona Iammarino, 2017. "Academic inventors: collaboration and proximity with industry," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 730-762, August.
    15. Karlsson, Charlie & Johansson, Börje & Kobayashi, Kiyoshi & Stough, Roger R., 2014. "Knowledge, innovation and space," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 367, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    16. Christopher Esposito & David Rigby, 2017. "When Buzz and Pipelines Fail," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1701, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2017.
    17. Kelchtermans, Stijn & Neicu, Daniel & Teirlinck, Peter, 2020. "The role of peer effects in firms’ usage of R&D tax exemptions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 74-91.
    18. Ibert, Oliver, 2010. "Dynamische Geographien der Wissensproduktion: die Bedeutung physischer wie relationaler Distanzen in interaktiven Lernprozessen," IRS Working Papers 41, Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS).
    19. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Rune Dahl Fitjar, 2013. "Buzz, Archipelago Economies and the Future of Intermediate and Peripheral Areas in a Spiky World," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 355-372, March.
    20. van der Wouden, Frank & Youn, Hyejin, 2023. "The impact of geographical distance on learning through collaboration," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6612-:d:1122871. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.