Creative industries for rural development

Rural areas are often characterized by small scale farming activities and at the same time, have a rich cultural heritage that could provide excellent opportunities for local economic development.

UNIDO works at strengthening the productivity of MSMEs, entrepreneurs and cooperatives in rural areas through technology transfer, creativity and innovation and capacity building development, drawing upon the unique cultural heritage of the area for design as well as branding of the products. This creative process is further supported with market access activities in order to promote the products and to reach regional and international markets. Through these activities, the local MSMEs/cooperatives are no longer dependent on local markets for their products, and creative talents can find appealing career perspectives also in their local communities.