Globalization, migration trends, information’s, changes in rural policies and theemergence of important non-farm niche markets put rural regions in direct competitionconfronting them with threats and opportunities that require new policy approaches at thenational and sub-national level....

Discourses matter. They help to shape institutions and policies. A new discourse has emerged in recent EU innovation policy centred on the idea of a knowledge-based bio-economy (KBBE). It is officially defined as ‘the sustainable, eco-efficient transformation of renewable biological resources...