This chapter shows, using six local networks as examples, how the building of institutional capacity through collaboration in networks can help to strengthen the rural competitiveness, and thus make local communities better able to handle the outside forces of change. Such external forces of change can be global or national trends such as can present both threats and opportunities at the regional or local level. Five key components of institutional capacity are discussed: Capital in the form of competence, relationships and money, and in addition the ability to mobilize and the formation of counter-networks. The data is based on interviews with key participants in five of the networks, and various others secondary material in the sixth. The networks we have studied have had varying degrees of success building institutional capacity and competitiveness. Four of them have closed well, one was moderately successful, and one was unsuccessful. We therefore have examples of both «best practice» and pitfalls in the work of handling external forces of change through networks.