One of the determining factors of the countryside’s competi ti veness are innovati ve enterprises. Through their development programmes they boost the use of the countryside’s own resources and reprogram the knowledge bases, which open new spaces for development by building on countryside traditi ons. The innovator is a key factor in this process. The innovator is capable of realising the need for change, is capable of renewal and holds the competencies that determine the success of his enterprise and thereby the competi ti veness of his environment and that of the countryside.