A new European initiative working to identify the vital ingredients for developing rural entrepreneurship and successful business models in high potential sectors such as food and agriculture, bio-based value chains and services. RUBIZMO believes that a new set of dynamics means rural economies are ripe for change. New communication technologies to support collaboration, shifting value chains and a growing acknowledgement of biodiversity and climate change mitigation all present significant opportunities as well as challenges. Experts from across Europe will be examining how ‘hot spots’ for business success in this environment can be nurtured and eventually recreated elsewhere. Three key elements to help make this happen: • Identifying and analysing promising business models and collaborative networks fertile for up-scaling and replication • Providing easy access overviews of these rural ‘hot spots’ of business innovation and practical support tools for entrepreneurs, local networks and policy makers to adopt them And most importantly, • Active coaching of entrepreneurs and peer-to-peer training focusing on creating the novel collaboration patterns RUBIZMO assessment has identified as key for improved competitiveness and sustainability of the business model. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme