Land 2023 , 12 , 305
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with their knowledge resources, networking possibilities or funding, not all projects depend on this external support. Larger companies may have such resources in-house but may as well benefit from institutional actors who are of particular importance in more complex projects and in scaling-up processes [43].
Figure1. Analysis of NWFPs innovation cases (number in circles illustrate number of cases fitting into the category). 3.2. Type of Knowledge The results show (Figure 1) the eminent importance of the traditional knowledge about NWFPs although only one case can well be characterized as a poor sectoral forestry innovation (ATXMAS)—and even here the world travelling experience of one of the owners may have had a crucial role. The other rural cases were cross-sectorally initiated and/or supported. In most of the combined cases (10), the impulse came from the urban sphere, e.g., from non-rural entrepreneurs or institutions. The NWFP innovations, thus, are pre- dominantly initiated from urban actors or knowledge (12) although they then strongly depend on acquiring the necessary rural knowledge. One of the urban examples did not significantly rely on traditional know-how (SLCLI), for the other cooperation with forestry was still important (ESRES). Thus, mutual understanding of values or preferences, exchange of knowledge or combination of skills, or initial collaboration of urban and rural actors was found important in almost all cases (18). 3.3. Type of Sector As presented in Figure 1, only one of our cases was initiated purely from forestry, while more than half of the cases were initiated through a cross-sector interaction between forestry and other sectors, e.g., with butchers (ATGAME, DEGAME), foods or drinks (ESRES, ITMAR), nature conservation (ATNPS), tourism (ESHOT), cosmetics or chemicals (ESRES, ITTURP), handcrafting (FIGIFT), or multiple collaborations (ATLEAD). Eight innovations were from outside, for instance, entrepreneurs with various backgrounds. Such entrepreneurs may have had relevant backgrounds (e.g., working in a state forest company before (SRBTEA)) for their new business such as horticulture (UKPICK), food technology (UKFINE), but many come from other fields such as graphic designers or former
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