Strengthening rural innovation is one of the key goals to have stronger rural areas by 2040. The analysis that backed the EU rural vision highlighted the lack of specific knowledge and data on innovation in rural contexts. The work launched by OECD on rural innovation helps to fill the gap. This first of a series of thematic and country reports explores the multi-facetted innovative practices that are already occurring in rural places, and proposes alternative indicators beyond the traditional science and technology measures to capture them.