Structural change and value chains in rural regions

Since 2015, the federal government has been aiming to promote the preservation of rural regions as attractive economic and living spaces with the Federal Rural Development Program (BULE). Innovative concepts for the development of rural areas and their implementation in field trials and pilot projects are intended to contribute to the creation and safeguarding of equal living conditions in rural areas.

The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) initiated the research project "Structural Change in Rural Regions" to accompany and substantiate these practice-oriented concepts and projects. In three sub-studies, this project aims to create a scientific basis for describing and analysing the initial conditions and development opportunities of rural areas in Germany. For this purpose, the three thematic areas "structural change", "business demography" and "value chains" will be investigated.

The thematic area "value chains", which was worked on at the IAW, deals with the question of the integration of rural areas into regional, national and international value chains. The following questions were examined on the basis of literature analyses, the creation and evaluation of an interregional input-output table and the investigation of examples of good practice:

• To what extent and in what way are different regions in Germany involved in value chains at different regional levels?
• Which characteristics distinguish regions with a stronger interregional and international integration from other regions?
• How do certain types of infrastructure shocks affect the structure and dynamics of regional development in rural areas (simulation models)?
• What are the perspectives and possibilities for action regarding the integration of rural areas into value chains?