Supporting enterprise development in rural areas

Abstract

There are many types of rural areas – each with their own distinctive development needs and resource potentials. Consequently, enterprise development strategies need to avoid a ‘one size fits all approach,’ and must take into account the differences within and between rural areas at the regional and sub-regional levels. Policy and practice experiences over recent decades demonstrate the advantages that accrue from a mix of approaches that involve all tiers of government from the national to the local, and which allow for significant local adaptation and bottom-up inputs. Both Irish and international experience demonstrate the merits of place-based solutions over sectoral strategies. These imply that decision-making processes are collaborative, and require the promotion of multi-level governance.