Characterization of Innovation Situation in a Remote Rural Region

Abstract

Innovation debates dealing with regional economic development have generally focused on densely populated, technologically advanced areas and areas around university cities, undervaluing rural regions and their integration in national innovation systems. However, some statistics indicate that remote and rural regions may also have good innovation potential. This study examines more closely the innovation situation of the firms located in a remote rural region in Finland. The study is based on a structured survey including four main questions describing the innovation situation in the firms. The study outlines the most important features regarding the innovation, correlations between the main results and differences between the firm size categories and sectors. In general, the results indicate, e.g., high importance of a firm's own innovation activities, and reveal some marketing goals of innovation and financial barriers. A correlation analysis reveals several significant correlations between the main results of the survey.