This paper addresses the issue how the C@R project on rural living labs has contributed to developing a policy agenda for innovation and rural development. The paper also presents recommendations to be considered in future policy agendas regarding the benefits of rural living labs as engines of innovation and rural development in Europe. The formulation of recommendations for policy-makers at the European Commission level is carried out through a cenario-based framework that considers the complexity of the socio-technical environment in which rural living labs act to stimulate rural development.