IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/eurcou/v11y2019i4p475-496n1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Information and Communication Infrastructures and New Business Models in Rural Areas: The Case of Molise Region in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Ievoli Corrado

    (Dipartimento Agricoltura Ambiente Alimenti, Università del Molise, Campobasso, Italy)

  • Belliggiano Angelo

    (Dipartimento Agricoltura Ambiente Alimenti, Università del Molise, Campobasso, Italy)

  • Marandola Danilo

    (Centro Politiche e Bioeconomia, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria. Roma, Italy)

  • Milone Pierluigi

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile ed Ambientale, Università di Perugia, Italy)

  • Ventura Flaminia

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile ed Ambientale, Università di Perugia, Italy)

Abstract

The paper deals with the role of ICT and the related infrastructures to induce innovations for sustainable rural development. In particular, it focuses on the innovations induced by ICT in farms and in new rural firms, and on how digital infrastructures support and generate social innovation mechanisms, leading to the consolidation of entrepreneurship and dissemination of ICT-based innovation in rural areas. The hypothesis is that the presence of digital infrastructures generates a double effect: overcoming the concept of geographical proximity (relevant for remote rural areas) and promoting social innovation. In particular, this paper examines the role of social innovation to create a new demand for products, services and organisational models for farms and rural enterprises, promoting further innovation. To target the objectives, the work analyses three case studies of new business models (BMs) based on ICT innovation. The analysis focuses on the most important interactions, learning and organisational processes within the new enterprises and among the new farms/enterprises and the other economic and institutional actors, and on how they were shaped and changed by the use of ICT, relating them to a conceptual model. These three cases, although pioneering, are important since they give an original response to some of the main problems and needs of remote and inner rural areas, as for the access to high value segment of food market, the information deliveries about attractiveness of landscape and countryside for foreigners, investors and tourists and the creation of new stable relation with consumers/citizens in the urban areas. The three cases have been analysed with the aim to identify how the ICT, and the related innovations, create an interconnection between four characteristic elements of the BMs (value creation, supply chain, customer interfaces, financial model) and the restructuring of proximity dimensions (cognitive, institutional, social, geographical, organizational). The work shows how these three cases have several communalities, but also different aspects with respect to our objective of analysis: there are different ways in which the four characteristic elements of the BM are constructed and also different in the role that the different dimensions of proximity play in structuring the innovation process in each one of them. More generally, the results of the work also lead to consider a new role for public investments in ICT infrastructures: public administrations should intervene in order to create a coherence within projects of public and private initiatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Ievoli Corrado & Belliggiano Angelo & Marandola Danilo & Milone Pierluigi & Ventura Flaminia, 2019. "Information and Communication Infrastructures and New Business Models in Rural Areas: The Case of Molise Region in Italy," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 11(4), pages 475-496, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:eurcou:v:11:y:2019:i:4:p:475-496:n:1
    DOI: 10.2478/euco-2019-0027
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2019-0027
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/euco-2019-0027?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Corrado Ievoli & Angelo Belliggiano & Danilo Marandola & Giuseppe Pistacchio & Luca Romagnoli, 2019. "Network Contracts in the Italian agri-food industry: Determinants and spatial patterns," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 21(2), pages 275-306.
    2. William J. Baumol & Robert D. Willig, 1981. "Fixed Costs, Sunk Costs, Entry Barriers, and Sustainability of Monopoly," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 96(3), pages 405-431.
    3. Meyer, Samantha B. & Coveney, John & Henderson, Julie & Ward, Paul R. & Taylor, Anne W., 2012. "Reconnecting Australian consumers and producers: Identifying problems of distrust," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 634-640.
    4. repec:dar:wpaper:64420 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Terry Marsden, 2010. "Mobilizing the regional eco-economy: evolving webs of agri-food and rural development in the UK," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 3(2), pages 225-244.
    6. Ewa Ziemba & Monika Eisenbardt, 2015. "Examining Prosumers’ Participation In Business Processes," Polish Journal of Management Studies, Czestochowa Technical University, Department of Management, vol. 12(1), pages 219-229, DEcember.
    7. Amendola, Mario & Bruno, Sergio, 1990. "The behaviour of the innovative firm: Relations to the environment," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 419-433, October.
    8. Navarro Francisco & Labianca Marilena & Cejudo Eugenio & de Rubertis Stefano & Salento Angelo & Maroto Juan Carlos & Belliggiano Angelo, 2018. "Interpretations of Innovation in Rural Development. The Cases of Leader Projects in Lecce (Italy) and Granada (Spain) in 2007–2013 Period," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 10(1), pages 107-126, March.
    9. Raphael Amit & Christoph Zott, 2001. "Value creation in E‐business," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 493-520, June.
    10. Henrik Berglund & Christian Sandström, 2013. "Business model innovation from an open systems perspective: structural challenges and managerial solutions," International Journal of Product Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 18(3/4), pages 274-285.
    11. Ievoli Corrado & Basile Roberto Giovanni & Belliggiano Angelo, 2017. "The Spatial Patterns of Dairy Farming In Molise," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 9(4), pages 729-745, December.
    12. Saccani, N. & Johansson, P. & Perona, M., 2007. "Configuring the after-sales service supply chain: A multiple case study," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(1-2), pages 52-69, October.
    13. Ron Boschma, 2005. "Proximity and Innovation: A Critical Assessment," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 61-74.
    14. Labianca, Marilena & De Rubertis, Stefano & Belliggiano, Angelo & Salento, Angelo, 2016. "Innovation in rural development in Puglia, Italy: critical issues and potentialities starting from empirical evidence," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 118(1), pages 1-9, April.
    15. Kevin Morgan, 2004. "The exaggerated death of geography: learning, proximity and territorial innovation systems," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(1), pages 3-21, January.
    16. Danilo Marandola & Angelo Belliggiano & Luca Romagnoli & Corrado Ievoli, 2019. "The spread of no-till in conservation agriculture systems in Italy: indications for rural development policy-making," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-22, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. İlkay Unay-Gailhard & Mark A. Brennen, 2022. "How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: a review study focused on farming as a career option," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1491-1508, December.
    2. Davidmac O. Ekeocha & Jonathan E. Ogbuabor & Anthony Orji, 2022. "Public infrastructural development and economic performance in Africa: a new evidence from panel data analysis," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 931-950, May.
    3. Angelo Belliggiano & Letizia Bindi & Corrado Ievoli, 2021. "Walking along the Sheeptrack…Rural Tourism, Ecomuseums, and Bio-Cultural Heritage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    4. Sept Ariane, 2020. "Thinking Together Digitalization and Social Innovation in Rural Areas: An Exploration of Rural Digitalization Projects in Germany," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 12(2), pages 193-208, June.
    5. Unay-Gailhard, İlkay & Brennen, Mark A., 2022. "How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: A review study focused on farming as a career option," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 39(4), pages 1491-1508.
    6. Unay‐Gailhard, İlkay & Brennan, Mark A., 2023. "Young farmers in “The New World of Work”: The contribution of new media to the work engagement and professional identities," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 88(2), pages 426-460.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Belliggiano Angelo & Sturla Alberto & Vassallo Marco & Viganò Laura, 2020. "Neo-Endogenous Rural Development in Favor of Organic Farming: Two Case Studies from Italian Fragile Areas," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 1-29, March.
    2. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Riccardo Crescenzi, 2008. "Mountains in a flat world: why proximity still matters for the location of economic activity," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 1(3), pages 371-388.
    3. Martin M�ller & Allison Stewart, 2016. "Does Temporary Geographical Proximity Predict Learning? Knowledge Dynamics in the Olympic Games," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 377-390, March.
    4. Li, Yin & Arora, Sanjay & Youtie, Jan & Shapira, Philip, 2018. "Using web mining to explore Triple Helix influences on growth in small and mid-size firms," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 76, pages 3-14.
    5. Hyeon Chang Kim & Woojin Yoon, 2019. "Study On Types Of Technology Cooperation Partner And Innovation Performance: Focusing On Incremental And Radical Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(01), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Joris Knoben, 2006. "A Relational Account of the Causes of Spatial Firm Mobility," ERSA conference papers ersa06p1, European Regional Science Association.
    7. Ron Boschma & Simona Iammarino, 2009. "Related Variety, Trade Linkages, and Regional Growth in Italy," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 85(3), pages 289-311, July.
    8. Franz Tödtling & Alexander Auer, 2021. "Knowledge bases, innovation and multi-scalar relationships: which kind of territorial boundedness of industrial clusters?," Chapters, in: Dirk Fornahl & Nils Grashof (ed.), The Globalization of Regional Clusters, chapter 7, pages 163-188, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. N. Yu. Zamyatina & A. N. Pilyasov, 2017. "Concept of proximity: Foreign experience and prospects of application in Russia," Regional Research of Russia, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 197-207, July.
    10. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2017. "Nothing is in the Air," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 22-39, March.
    11. Hennemann, Stefan & Rybski, Diego & Liefner, Ingo, 2012. "The myth of global science collaboration—Collaboration patterns in epistemic communities," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 217-225.
    12. Zhao, Shuliang & Wang, Junchen & Ji, Jiaojiao & Vincent Ekow, Arkorful, 2024. "Proximity or alienation? Can knowledge type influence the relationship between proximity and enterprise innovation performance?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    13. Massimo G. Colombo & Massimiliano Guerini & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra & Andrea Bonaccorsi, 2022. "The “first match” between high-tech entrepreneurial ventures and universities: the role of founders’ social ties," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 270-306, February.
    14. Maietta, Ornella Wanda, 2015. "Determinants of R&D University-Frim Collaboration and Its Impact on Innovation: a Perspective from the Italian Food and Drink Industry," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 225668, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Santamaría, Luis & Nieto, María Jesús & Rodríguez, Alicia, 2021. "Failed and successful innovations: The role of geographic proximity and international diversity of partners in technological collaboration," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    16. Soetanto, Danny & van Geenhuizen, Marina, 2019. "Life after incubation: The impact of entrepreneurial universities on the long-term performance of their spin-offs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 263-276.
    17. Ceci, Federica & Iubatti, Daniela, 2012. "Personal relationships and innovation diffusion in SME networks: A content analysis approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 565-579.
    18. Jiawei Wu & Yehua Dennis Wei & Wen Chen, 2020. "Spatial proximity, localized assets, and the changing geography of domestic mergers and acquisitions in transitional China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 954-976, September.
    19. Maietta, Ornella Wanda, 2015. "Determinants of university–firm R&D collaboration and its impact on innovation: A perspective from a low-tech industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(7), pages 1341-1359.
    20. Marina Van Geenhuizen & Pieter Stek, 2015. "Mapping innovation in the global photovoltaic industry: a bibliometric approach to cluster identification and analysis," ERSA conference papers ersa15p697, European Regional Science Association.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:eurcou:v:11:y:2019:i:4:p:475-496:n:1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.