A video has been released about a conference which championed the rich diversity of the rural economy and rural businesses’ ability to be resilient and adapt in response to crisis.

The Rural Catalyst Conference 2022 was jointly organised by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) and the Rural Design Centre Innovation Project (RDCIP).

In the video, hear from keynote speakers Margaret Clark, chair of the Rural Coalition, and Professor Stephen Roper, director of the Enterprise Research Centre, who gave a national perspective, and Dinah Jackson, who provided a regional view.

NICRE director Professor Jeremy Phillipson and Simon Green, CEO of the Rural Design Centre (RDC), also reflect on the event and the progress made since the first conference in 2021, and explain more about the Rural Catalyst initiative.

The conference in Northumberland also showcased innovation in rural businesses in a series of short films.

It was part of the Rural Catalyst initiative, a collaboration between RDC, which delivers RDCIP, and NICRE to tackle the challenges facing rural areas through research, innovation, design and community engagement.