{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T02:31:57Z","timestamp":1771295517454,"version":"3.50.1"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"group-title":"SSRN","reference-count":78,"publisher":"Elsevier BV","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rural areas face increasing pressures from demographic decline, climate change, and the transition towards sustainable food systems. This work examines how Youth Entrepreneurship (YE), Smart Farming (SF), and Living Labs (LLs) can be integrated to revitalise rural development and agricultural transition. Drawing on European Union (EU) policy frameworks, academic literature, and insights from recent research projects, we develop a conceptual model that highlights the synergies and gaps between these three domains. We argue that SF provides technological opportunities for productivity and sustainability, while LLs act as innovation ecosystems that enable co-creation and participatory governance. Together, they can foster YE by enhancing skills, reducing uncertainty, and embedding young farmers in collaborative networks. However, significant challenges remain, including the limited adaptation of SF to diverse farming contexts, the uneven capacity of LLs to sustain innovation partnerships, and insufficient policy measures to attract and retain youth in rural areas. By synthesising technological, social, and entrepreneurial perspectives, this study contributes to the foresight debate on how digital transitions can support rural resilience and long-term sustainability. The findings are relevant to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to strengthen the role of youth in shaping the future of agriculture and rural societies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.6251830","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T01:51:56Z","timestamp":1771293116000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Towards Sustainable Rural Futures: Youth Entrepreneurship, Smart Farming and the Promise of Living Labs"],"prefix":"10.2139","author":[{"given":"Ana  Maria","family":"Ventura","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0354-0067","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Abdul M.","family":"Mouazen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2935-4972","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ludwig","family":"Lauwers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3100-463X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Cristina","family":"Cruz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"78","reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/atmos11060557","article-title":"Smart Farming Techniques for Climate Change Adaptation in Cyprus","volume":"11","author":"G Adamides","year":"2020","journal-title":"Atmosphere"},{"issue":"5","key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"639","DOI":"10.1080\/1389224X.2020.1844768","article-title":"Disentangling critical success factors and principles of on-farm agricultural demonstration events","volume":"27","author":"A Adamson-Fiskovica","year":"2021","journal-title":"The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4419-1191-9_15","article-title":"Entrepreneurship as Social Construction: A Multilevel Evolutionary Approach","author":"H Aldrich","year":"2010","journal-title":"Handbook of Entrepreneurship Research: An Interdisciplinary Survey and Introduction"},{"key":"ref4","article-title":"Can knowledge transfer speed up climate change mitigation in agriculture? 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