Researchers at the RAU understand that land and landscape are a dynamic entity, the product of millennia of human curation, in the countryside and small rural towns.
The rural economy includes industries traditionally associated with rural areas, such as agriculture, forestry and sectors such as creative industries, technology orientation across businesses and the service industry.
To sustain a balanced outcome, a delicate relationship between productive activity – that includes farming and rural enterprise – and the conservation of the environment (both historic and landscape) needs to be maintained. We are particularly well positioned to support the needed changes as a result of Brexit (May, Arancibia, and Manning, 2020) and Covid-19 with our research. We have a unique blend of specialists that undertake research on rural enterprise and regeneration, including economists, strategists, marketers, geographers, planners and heritage and agri-business specialists. And we have a dedicated interest in the growing research field of rural creative and culture industries, and a particular interest in artisan and craft entrepreneurs.
We are part of the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) along with the Universities of Newcastle, Warwick, and Gloucestershire, supported by Research England and industry partners. The NICRE research stream on rural Creative Cultural Industries is co-led with partner Dr Frances Rowe, Newcastle University.
Cluster members
Sophie Lingham |
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| Professor Mark Horton | William Leschallas |
| Associate Professor David O'Connor | Dr Ayodeji Owoeye |
| Dr Beverley Hill |
Doctoral and MScR research projects
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Matthew Rogers-Draycott PhD |
‘Think narratives in family businesses: An exploration of entrepreneurial discourse’ |
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Joseph Timpre Preyor PhD |
‘Social protection and value-added agribusiness as solutions to unemployment and poverty among educated Nigerian youths’ |
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William Leschallas MScR |
‘The role of housing availability in farmer retirement decisions’ |
| Rachel Lipscombe | ‘Housing in rural Britain’ |
Academic collaborators: Dr Inge Hill, in collaboration with Newcastle University’s Dr Frances Rowe and Sussex University’s Science Policy Research Unit (Dr Jorge Velez-Ospina) and Dr Josh Siepel from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC)
Funding source: NICRE Research and Innovation Fund
Dr Inge Hill in collaboration with Newcastle University’s Dr Frances Rowe and Sussex University’s Science Policy Research Unit (Dr Jorge Velez-Ospina) and Dr Josh Siepel from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) won funding from the NICRE Research and Innovation Fund to examine the make-up of clusters of creative industries in rural areas and their contribution to, and relationship with, the rural economy. A further strategic stakeholder is NESTA.