This document outlines a plan to study innovation and entrepreneurship in rural agriculture and agro-industry sectors in Portugal. It involves 7 tasks: 1) Analyzing successful international and national cases; 2) Selecting a sample of 100 farms and 50 agro-industrial companies to study; 3) Developing surveys to collect data; 4) Administering surveys and collecting answers; 5) Analyzing the data on the impact of innovation practices; 6) Defining the best innovation and entrepreneurship models based on results; 7) Promoting the best models through guides, seminars, and an online platform. The goal is to understand the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in rural development and economic growth.

1. Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas
Identification and dissemination of good practices in
agriculture and agro-industrial sectors

2. Introduction .
Actually Innovation and Entrepeneurship play a keyrole on economic and soocial
development, in all activities sectors, and the rural sector is not an exception.
Studies about Innovation and Entrepeneurship in agriculture or agro-industry
sector are rare, and a systematic analysis about their impact is trully needed.
It is important to understand if our farmers and agro-industries are innovating,
and what are the true results of that effort.
Aside from the collected data, it is important to understand the results, and
express the real impact of innovation and entrepeneurship in the sector and
rural population life quality improvement.

3. Task 1 – Analysis of successful cases of Innovation and Entrepeneurship
In order to be able to analyze and understand the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in
rural development, it is essential to consider which models and good practices that have
been defined and implemented in this area, nationally and internationally.
Agriculture and Agro-Industry models
and good practices identification
10 international Information from
15 national visits
visits (2 countrys) secondary sources

4. Task 2 - Identification and selection of a sample for best practices and
models of innovation and entrepreneurship analysis
Selection of a representative national sample of agricultural and agro-industrial companies,
approximately 100 farms and 50 agro-industrial companies (in fruit and vegetable, olive oil
and wine sectors). To ensure access to economic and financial detailed and rigorous
information, it is important to ensure that all companies use management software for at
least five years. This information will complement the data collected through questionnaires.
100 Farms
National Management
Companies Software
50 Agro-Industries

5. Task 3 – Survey Preparation
Development of a survey on the adoption of innovation and entrepreneurship practices on
farms / businesses / farmers / entrepreneurs linked to fruit and vegetable, olive oil and wine
sectors. The survey should be structured to allow, based on information gathered, an
economic, technical, spatial and temporal analysis of the real impact of innovation and
entrepreneurship in selected farms / companies performance.
Field Visits
Interviews
Questionnaire
Development

6. Task 4 – Submit the survey and colect answers
Submit the survey and colect answers from all the selected entities in the sample. All the
surveys are conducted in person, and confidentiality must be kept.

7. Task 5 – Data Analysis
Results analysis of the innovation / entrepreneurship practices impact on farms and agro-
industrial companies. To ensure that the analysis is carried out systematically and uniformly,
assessing the real impact of models and best practices in economic and financial companies,
will be necessary to cross the survey results with data collected over the years by the
management software.

8. Task 6 - Development of models and good practices
Analysis and interpretation of data, carried out in the previous paragraph, will assess the
impact and contribution that the innovation and entrepreneurship activities, have played in
the development of rural areas in Portugal, particularly in agriculture and agro-industrial
companies. The results of this analysis will determine which models and best practices of
innovation and entrepreneurship, contribute the most to the development of rural areas
nationwide.
Profit
Practical Innovation Growth
Results
Market
Leader

9. Task 7 - Promotion
Dissemination of models and best practices defined shall be made in the following ways:
7.1. Production of an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support Guide, in Rural Areas,
available digitally and on paper.
7.2. Four regional seminars to disseminate innovation and entrepreneurship best practices
and models that contribute the most to rural areas development.
7.3. National workshop for good practice and models dissemination of innovation and
entrepreneurship that contribute the most to rural areas development.
7.4. Creating an online benchmarking platform (associated with the National Rural Network
website).