Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 3
Written by Liviu MARCUTA, Valentina Constanta TUDOR, Miruna Daciana CIUBUC (ION), Iulian Virgil GHIULEANU, Alina MARCUTA

The present research aims to analyze the relationship between innovation and sustainable economic development in the rural areas of the European Union, in the context of the transition towards a knowledge-based economy and territorial balance. The main aim of the paper was to identify to what extent factors such as education, employment, logistics infrastructure and economic structure influence the innovation capacity of European rural regions. The methodology applied was based on a comparative quantitative analysis, using official statistical data for the period 2018–2023, extracted from Eurostat sources, and focusing on five relevant indicators: gross domestic product per capita, employment rate, share of the population with tertiary education, employment in industry and agriculture, and volume of road freight transport. The analysis included both comparisons between Member States and correlations between indicators, applied to annual series and multi-annual averages, in order to capture both recent dynamics and structural patterns. The research results show the existence of clear differences between the European Union Member States regarding the conditions that support rural innovation. Western and northern European countries are distinguished by high GDP per capita, high levels of tertiary education, dynamic labour markets and an efficient logistical infrastructure, which favour the rapid adoption of modern agricultural technologies. Southern and eastern countries present structural imbalances: a high employment rate in agriculture, a low level of skilled human capital and low economic performance, which limit the diffusion of innovations and maintain vulnerabilities. Correlational analysis confirms these findings and leads to the conclusion that rural innovation depends on a combination of economic performance, human capital and infrastructure, which requires differentiated policies to reduce the gaps. The overall conclusions indicate the need for integrated European strategies, able to capitalise on the advantages of developed regions and mitigate the structural deficits of those lagging behind, in order to ensure innovative convergence and the sustainability of European agriculture.

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