Building an entrepreneurial environment in rural regions: a possible way to develop human and social capital

The main hypothesis behind the paper is that creating an entrepreneurial team learning environment is a way to increase\udhuman and social capital in rural regions. Our work, based on literature review and primary research, tries to show that this\udprocess could support a shift in people’s attitudes from being reactive to creative and also interdependent. The results of a\udDelphi survey show that all four ‘spheres’ of the Quadruple Helix model in rural development (government, science/university,\udbusiness/industry and civil society) should play a role in the development of a learning environment, but that more importance\udshould be attached to ‘pull’ type of learning designed to draw out people and resources as needed to address opportunities\udand challenges. In a second survey, among farmers in the Hungarian settlement of Mezőcsát, we found significant differences\udin the use of information channels by different age groups. Personal meetings are preferred by older farmers and the Internet\udby younger farmers. With regard to the Quadruple Helix model spheres, from the government sphere farmers’ advisors play\udthe most important role while from the business/industry sphere the most important relationship for farmers is with their peers.\udWe conclude that the four spheres must create an ‘outside-in’ and ‘inside-out’ partnership. As creating entrepreneurial culture\udis a slow process, existing elements, such as the LEADER programme, building on those farmers who are ready to take part\udin rural development and the preferred usage of the Internet by the younger generation, have to be used