Abstract:

The role of rurality in the prosperity of the European Union (EU) is widely acknowledged; however, rural areas face challenges in an increasingly urbanizing world. Despite the diversity in socio-economic performances, natural characteristics, and cultural heritage, many rural areas exhibit intrinsic fragility in social, economic, and environmental aspects, leading to common challenges and underutilization of opportunities.

Common structural vulnerabilities, including distance, lack of critical mass, and low population density, are exacerbated by the recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change. Rural entrepreneurs grapple with increased complexity and uncertainty, necessitating a comprehensive approach to maximize opportunities for transformation.

Education emerges as a pivotal factor for enhancing rural business efficiency, yet few programs specifically target rural entrepreneurs' needs. The OREN project (E+ 2021-1-IT02-KA220-ADU-000033510), an Erasmus+ initiative, aims to bridge this gap by developing an interactive learning platform offering sustainable rural business models, simulation tools, and managerial courses tailored to agricultural entrepreneurs. The platform seeks to equip participants with advanced managerial and business skills.

To achieve the objective the OREN partnership relies on a multi-echelon approach: Firstly, best rural, business practices have been collected and analyzed. This activity provided the opportunity to collect data and important factors of success and failure from various areas of rurality in different countries. In addition, a repository of System Dynamics simulation models has been developed and collected that serves a dual purpose:
(1) to develop interactive learning environment where rural entrepreneurs can test different scenarios about their actual business and
(2) the model platform and the models themselves can act as learning materials where rural entrepreneurs can learn how to develop their own simulation models and test various policy options for their businesses in a consequence-free environment.

The culmination of the OREN project is the development of a course targeted and dedicated to rural entrepreneurs. The course will be available for free, use the insights that where revealed from successful business models and offer courses on the following subjects:
(1) European and national rural policy frameworks
(2) Business Management Skills
(3) Sustainable Innovation Skills
(4) Modeling and Simulation skills and
(5) Communication and Soft Skills.

The potential impact of the OREN project extends to two categories. Firstly, for rural entrepreneurs, acquiring these skills is expected to enhance their expertise in analyzing successful business scenarios and understanding potential good practices. Secondly, the OREN educational program serves as an illustration of non-traditional vocational training, combining advanced modeling and simulation techniques with traditional business management lectures, providing a holistic and experiential learning approach beyond the limits of traditional education styles.

Keywords:

Rural entrepreneurship, vocational training, Erasmus project.