ABSTRACT
This chapter contains two case studies carried out in two different Portuguese rural regions: Baixo Alentejo and Oeste. Following a short description of the Baixo Alentejo and Oeste regions, it assesses the processes of entrepreneurship and innovation in the two areas studied, based on face-to-face interviews carried out using three complementary methodologies: a Population Survey, an Entrepreneurship Survey and in-depth interviews of those in charge of the main companies, co-operative entities and local public institutions. Innovations implemented in any given area naturally reflect the different entrepreneurial profiles in that area. The short description of the regions helps to understand how their history and location affect today's values, attitudes and types of behaviour in relation to entrepreneurship, learning and innovation. The chapter also contains a typology of Portuguese rural areas, based on three categories: marginal rural areas, peripheral rural areas, and urban-rural areas.
