How cultural heritage and innovation empower rural areas: the case of textiles in the central region of Portugal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0221e.43759Keywords:
cultural heritage; innovation; inland territory; textile industryAbstract
Introduction: Rural regions preserve traditions and collective memories that sustain local identity. Traditional clothing, beyond its economic value, represents a symbolic resource that reinforces social cohesion and expresses cultural, social, and emotional meanings rooted in rural ways of life.
Objective: To investigate the role of cultural heritage and innovation in the textile industry in promoting rural territories, particularly from the central region of Portugal.
Methods: The study adopts a qualitative approach, conducting a content analysis of the websites of four initiatives linked to the textile sector in Portugal’s interior centre region.
Results: Innovation — related to product and service creation, organizational, communication, and institutional dimensions —serves as a tool for territorial regeneration, not through a break with the past, but through its creative and sustainable reinterpretation. It is also an innovation grounded in tradition, where cultural resources and intangible heritage are transformed into competitive and distinctive assets.
Conclusion: Integrating innovation into the creation and communication of products and experiences not only strengthens local identity but also stimulates sustainable socioeconomic development, ensuring the authenticity of smaller regions distant from major urban centers.
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