Abstract
Contemporary Slovene rural areas as multifunctional localities with heterogeneous and mosaic structures and, exposed to enormous restructuring, are trapped between traditional processes and structures on one side and modern development processes on the other. Goriška (predominately a rural area) is part of a strongly integrated cross-border region with a very diverse geographical structure, huge historical, cultural and natural heritage and a significant share of LFAs with increasing levels of inter-regional disparities. This paper focuses on networking of SMEs in these Slovene rural areas. The results confirm the complex nature of the relationships between favourable business environments (built-up and supportive business milieu) and processes of embeddedness and international integration.