Mid Sweden University

The aim is to explore how agricultural entrepreneurs are innovative and generate newbusiness opportunities, particularly by transforming their farms into tourism experiences. The study was conducted as a qualitative multiple case study with eight caseswithin agricultural industries in Europe. Data were collected through observations, interviews and documentary studies. A conclusion is that co-creation with customersdrives business development forward. By involving customers in the value co-creationprocess, new solutions and ideas for selling products as well as services emerge. Implications include the need for enterprises to diversify themselves from their competitorsand try to find their own uniqueness.

Europe is undergoing a green transition, while large industrial parks are simultaneously being established. Large industry parks are important contributions to regional development, especially in rural regions. In Asia, large industrial parks have emerged quickly during the past 20 years, but it is only now that a similar development is occurring in rural Europe. Many of the industrial parks are placed in rural areas, where there is access to cheap land and green energy. It is often about the rural region needing economic growth and jobs. The aim is to explore what challenges and opportunities that industrial parks in rural Europe have experienced concerning competence supply. The study was designed as a casestudy where five rural areas in Europe was chosen. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews, secondary data and observations. The results shows that competence supply presents a significant challenge. Many companies highlight that offering a good workplace leads to positive word-of-mouth, attracting more individuals to work for them. This has proven particularly successful for establishments where English has been the primary language used. The municipality must think strategically aboutcompetence building. Not only in terms of acquiring the right skills for the industry but for retaining the local population. In rural municipalities, especially young women, move away from the area, mainly during their university studies. If there are no attractive job opportunities in the municipality, so that the young people who have moved away choose to return, they are usually gone for good.

This is a study of industrial parks in Europe and their impact on the places where they are established. The European Union's strategy, the Green Deal, is pushing the green transition in Europe, and large-scale industrial parks are being established in territorial regions in the name of this transition. The aim of this chapter is to explore the challenges and opportunities with industrial parks from the perspective of sustainable territorial development. The study was conducted as a case study where five territorial areas in Europe (located in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia and Italy) were studied. Data collection was conducted with semi-structured interviews, internet sources, and on-site observations. The results show the importance of communication and interaction between the stakeholders. Another result is that culture and language play a significant role in this process. Moreover, when building sustainable communities, well-functioning infrastructure and good services are essential. This study contributes to knowledge about challenges and opportunities when establishing industrial parks. Both managers and officials from municipalities can benefit from this study.

The aim is to explore what sustainability values entrepreneurs in nature-based businesses highlight in their online communications with stakeholders. What kind of sustainability value is communicated online to the stakeholders of nature-based businesses in Sweden? Is there a difference in what sustainability information nature-based businesses from different categories focus on? The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Data were collected from 100 nature-based businesses in Sweden. The selected companies belong to these industries: agriculture, food producers, forestry, garden, and contract work. Data were collected from secondary sources, such as websites, printed materials, and annual reports. The results show that there are differences between the different categories of companies, and the companies are grouped into two types. The practical implication is that nature-based businesses should use environmental sustainability as a marketing tool to gain even more customers. Customers today are increasingly aware of and interested in sustainability issues.

In this book, we take stock and reflect on what roles might be created to enable a sustainable economy. Sensitivity to corporate social responsibility, and ideas, agendas, principles, practices, and arrangements of sustainability are areas that require creating new roles and entrepreneurial approaches. We address emerging roles of existing businesses, markets, approaches, and practices for a sustainable economy. The first part deals with digitalization, green businesses, and sustainability, then we discuss social entrepreneurship and the role of SMEs in different sectors, and finally we end with the key organizational challenges in achieving sustainable development and how these might be overcome.

The purpose of the case is to learn more about how to use digital marketing to create increased customer value in a traditional industry such as nature-based businesses. The case addresses issues such as digital marketing, where communication via social media becomes necessary to maintain relationships and reach new customers. There is also a focus on sustainability issues, such as how the farm can use sustainability in its digital marketing strategy.