Changes in new technologies and innovation require parallel structural transformations in the economy, particularly in the development of knowledge-intensive services, which are a key vehicle of innovativeness. Previous research has focused primarily on urban areas, while the role of rural areas in these processes has been examined far less frequently. This article aims to identify changes in the structure of economic entities in Poland towards knowledge-intensive services and to assess the extent to which rural areas participate in knowledge-based economy processes over the period 2010-2023. The study was conducted at the county level (cities with county rights and land counties), using data from the REGON register and a classification of knowledge-intensive services consistent with OECD and Eurostat guidelines. A structural and comparative analysis was applied, including an assessment of changes in the share of knowledge-intensive services in the enterprise structure. The results indicate a clear increase in the importance of knowledge-intensive services in the Polish economy, along with the gradual integration of rural areas into these processes, while structural asymmetries in urban-rural relations persist. The findings support interpreting the development of knowledge-intensive services as an empirical manifestation of the new multifunctionality of rural areas in Poland.
