Unleashing Innovation in Rural Areas: Insights from Quadruple Helix Case Studies

Melissa Spiers; Julieanna Powell-Turner; Kennedy Mutua

doi:10.2478/euco-2026-0006

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Unleashing Innovation in Rural Areas: Insights from Quadruple Helix Case Studies

European Countryside

Volume 18 (2026): Issue 2 (June 2026)

By: Melissa Spiers , Julieanna Powell-Turner and Kennedy Mutua

Open Access

|Jun 2026

Abstract

Addressing complex and highly interlinked challenges facing rural areas is paramount. Innovation is key in addressing these challenges while creating economic gain and social capital to promote sustainable development. This work reviews existing rural innovation spaces, that follow the Quadruple helix innovation framework, a tried and tested knowledge economy model in the design of innovation spaces. This research identified three place-based themes across 11 worldwide case studies that can be utilised in future innovation developments: People as the Bridge, Geographic strategy, and Local Knowledge Integration. From this review authorities, businesses, universities, and the public can implement the three-theme model (using subthemes) to build successful innovation spaces for social, environmental, and economic good. This review provides the ‘how’ to support the ‘who’ of the Quadruple helix.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2026-0006 | Journal eISSN: 1803-8417

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Language: English

Page range: 111 - 135

Submitted on: Jun 10, 2024

Accepted on: Nov 29, 2024

Published on: Jun 30, 2026

Published by: Mendel University in Brno

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

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© 2026 Melissa Spiers, Julieanna Powell-Turner, Kennedy Mutua, published by Mendel University in Brno
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Volume 18 (2026): Issue 2 (June 2026)