Connecting rural entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs to urban investment and innovation networks
Nov 26, 2025 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Conference room
Description
Rural entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs are vital for job creation and diversification but often face limited access to finance, skills, and markets. Connecting rural businesses to urban investment and innovation networks expands access to capital, knowledge, and markets while stimulating collaboration in different sectors including agri-tech, green energy, and creative industries. Integrating rural and urban resources—from skills and advanced services to local products—enables regions to leverage complementary strengths and foster diversified growth. University–industry partnerships, trade facilitation, and collaborative R&D projects also provide effective pathways for rural entrepreneurs to absorb innovation and build capacity. Building investment pipelines that reach rural entrepreneurs is crucial to balancing opportunities and reducing dependency on grants or subsidies. This session examines how stronger rural–urban linkages can help scale up innovative ideas, diversify rural economies, and enhance the rural SME ecosystem.
