Innovation as a key factor in sustainable rural and agricultural development

The paper is concerned with the distinctive issues (challenges, opportunities, needs and problems) of implementing innovations in rural and agricultural development, in order to describe and analyze the general context as well as the specificities of the situation in Slovakia. The paper is based on a document analysis and is divided in several thematic sections. The conceptual framework, basic characteristics and key questions addressed in the first section relate to the role of innovation and knowledge that is required to support the future prosperity of rural areas and agriculture based on the principles of the new paradigm of their development. The changes in strategic orientations that have resulted in the reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and new rural development policy of the EU are characterized, particularly in terms of the shift from the modernisation paradigm to a sustainability perspective. Secondly, the specificities of rural areas and agricultural sector in relation to the transfer of innovations are discussed emphasizing the systemic, cross-sectoral and territorial aspects of innovation processes. Next parts of the paper are aimed at presenting the performance and types of innovation in modernising rural economy and agriculture, and at describing the general principles of innovation policy. The fifth section of the paper is dedicated to explaining the important role of different actors in promoting innovations in contemporary rural and agricultural development. Finally, the authors interpret the policy measures, indicators and key information about the innovation performance in the EU.