New indicators, for the first time developed at a sufficiently granular level to capture the differences between urban, intermediate, and rural regions, confirm a persistent urban-rural gap, but also pinpoint rural areas which stand out. This excellence is often connected to specialised industries, public research facilities or nearby urban innovation hubs, according to a JRC analysis.
The results are published in a JRC study which explores the variety of innovation performances across EU territories, drawing on newly developed granular metrics on R&D investment, patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. While innovation activity remains highly concentrated in urban regions, evidence points to diversities among rural territories and pockets of rural regions with strong innovation capacity.