PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the role of neo-rural entrepreneurs in developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem and in the sustainability of the local economy, especially in low-density territories.Design/methodology/approachThe entrepreneurial ecosystem theory, human capital theory, network theory, and the triple helix model are the theoretical underpinnings of this study. The study has a qualitative, multiple-case methodological approach using semi-structured interviews. The collected reports were submitted for content analysis with the help of the computer application for qualitative data analysis NVivo, version 11.0.FindingsAs main results, the following were found: the conviction that entrepreneurship is a vector of territorial development, the existence of elements of attractiveness to entrepreneurial activity in each territory of the study, the existence of obstacles to entrepreneurship, but also a set of institutional support coming from municipalities and polytechnic institutes and, finally, the type of entrepreneurship therefrom preponderant of necessity.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the extent that it completes gaps in the literature by focussing its analysis on a specific type of entrepreneurship: neo-rural and micro-sized entrepreneurship. It also offers contributions to local government to think of mechanisms that can attract more neo-rural entrepreneurs.
The theoretical analysis developed focuses on the most relevant conceptual and empirical research contributions on migratory flows that, associated with certain activities, projects and lifestyles, are attracted by the existing conditions in rural areas. This analysis is guided by four questions: (i) what are the images, possibilities and resources that give migratory attractiveness to rural territories? (ii) who are the migrants who move to the countryside and what are their reasons and motivations? (iii) what is the relationship between these migrations and innovation and entrepreneurship processes? (iv) to what extent and how do neo-rural flows provide gentrification processes? The review is supported by articles and books indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, being complemented with the analysis of non-indexed, but reliable works. As a result, it was found that entrepreneurial neo-ruralism is carried out by individuals who leave urban centers motivated by the search for new lifestyles and/or opportunities to develop certain economic activities. In this process they tend to foster innovation, local development processes and, often, the gentrification of rural contexts.
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