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Innovation and small fast-growing knowledge-intensive enterprises are often described as a potential engine for development of rural economies of the post-socialistic countries, struggling with problem of depopulation, decline of agriculture, monostructural economic base, overexploitation of natural resources and many others. However, we still know too little about, how private innovation emerge in underdeveloped space or how knowledge-intensive economic activities can successfully operate in small municipalities, providing almost non business services, basic infrastructure or potential for local networking. Thus, in this regional case study, we wanted to shed a light on a phenomenon of private innovation emergence in small rural settlements, provide baseline knowledge about motivation and determining factors of development of the innovative business in the rural, local economies. Special attention was devoted to examining the relationship between family entrepreneurship, residence of entrepreneur, interest to contribute to solution of local challenges and localization of knowledge-intensive business in rural municipality.

Nowadays, we live in an accelerated, complex, globalized world, where expectations are high for everyone. The child of today has to train a lot to be successful. The enlargement of the European Union and the expansion of the Schengen zone opened gates to society and economy that were not dreamed before by the countries of Central and Easter Europe. Many businesses were able to develop and grow, and they could achieve the goals they set until the end of the '90s. The situation has changed since the turn of the millennium. The global markets, the easily accessible products and services, the convenience of the World Wide Web, the growing competition, the multinational companies and foreign chains, the high consumer expectations and the requirements and standards of EU have resulted the end of many businesses. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the impact of European Union support funds on the business of family enterprises in the southern districts of the Slovak Republic. The research material was obtained from primary sources. Data were subject of deeper analysis by statistical methods. Subsequently hypotheses were formulated and verified by use quantitative methods. According to results, in a group of businesses not supported by EU programs more than half of the respondents could not develop in the last 3 years, they had negative results. It can be stated that if external support and consultancy are present in family business life, the younger generation will find the family business more dynamic, innovative and attractive and therefore they will continue to run the family business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and shrinking supplies of fossil energy resources mean that lately more and more attention is given to issues of environmental technologies and renewable energy sources not only at the level of national governments of the EU countries but also worldwide organizations such as the OECD and the UN. The use of renewable energy sources significantly reduces emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, especially CO2, which is also one of the objectives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The farmers are not only food producers but also those who can efficiently produce electricity and heat through renewable energy sources, and can also utilize renewable energy themselves. This article deals with the RESNET project in the frame of EU Leonardo da Vinci - Transfer of Innovation. The project is focused on the important area of the utilization of renewable energy sources, with emphasis on landscape development. The main aim of the project is to prepare an online course consisting of five modules focused on the use of renewable energy sources for landscape development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]