Beyond scientific contribution: Assessment of the societal impact of research and innovation to build a sustainable agri-food sector

Abstract

Due to the climate change and increased attention toward environmental management issues, the agri-food sector has been extensively relying on research, development, and innovation (RDi) to transform conventional agricultural production into a sustainable and eco-friendly industry. While the academic contribution of research has been relatively easily identified in the literature, the assessment of its societal impact remains underdeveloped. Accordingly, this study employs mixed-method evaluation approaches, mainly ASIRPA framework and Impact Oriented Monitoring (IOM) model to better understand and measure the multidimensional impacts of RDi in the agri-food sector in Spain. The objective of this analysis is to identify the impact of research on the society and the ecosystem. An in-depth case study analysis is conducted to examine the "best practices" program to promote sustainable techniques in the rice cultivation. Empirical findings suggest a standardized index to measure the economic, socio-territorial, health, political, capacity building, and environmental impacts, involving the stakeholder-network evaluation. The study highlights important implications for firm management decisions monitoring research uptake and policy design in the agri-food sector.

Innovation of Platform Economy Business Model Driven by BP Neural Network and Artificial Intelligence Technology

“…Since the government put forward the development strategy of “mass entrepreneurship and innovation,” Internet platform enterprises have always played the role of stormtroopers. Various mass entrepreneurship space platforms provide entrepreneurs with rich entrepreneurial resources, lead start-ups to make changes to the traditional industry pattern, and strive to make enterprises grow into global leaders in the industry [ 3 ]. As platform enterprises have created more and more industrial myths, platform, as a leading organizational form in the Internet information age after factories and companies, has been recognized by the industry [ 3 ].…”

“…Various mass entrepreneurship space platforms provide entrepreneurs with rich entrepreneurial resources, lead start-ups to make changes to the traditional industry pattern, and strive to make enterprises grow into global leaders in the industry [ 3 ]. As platform enterprises have created more and more industrial myths, platform, as a leading organizational form in the Internet information age after factories and companies, has been recognized by the industry [ 3 ]. As a mainstream business model, the creative destruction nature of platform economy has changed the original business logic.…”

Approaching the Social Impact of Research Through a Literature Review

“…Chams et al (2020) develop a case study in the Spanish agri-food field, more specifically to the rice cultivation of the Ebro Delta (Catalonia), applying the ASIRPA methodology, developed to analyse the trajectory of a project in real time and assess the impact of the research. This analysis highlighted various impacts such as job creation, empowerment of women in the agri-food sector and enhancing the attractiveness of the rice industry for the young generation.…”

Direct Economic Inputs from Internationally Funded Science Projects to the Abaco Islands, The Bahamas

“…The Bahamas is a country fundamentally dependent on its natural resources, and sciencebased approaches are necessary to protect and manage these resources. Although science contributions can be quantified through output metrics (such as the number of publications stemming from research in the country) and they form a direct basis for policy-making (as can be seen in codified environmental regulations), science has multidimensional societal outcomes that 6 are often less appreciated and difficult to quantify (Weisshuhn et al 2018, Moore 2019, Chams et al 2020, Marti et al 2020, Williams 2020). These outcomes include direct economic impacts associated with scientific research, the focus of the present study.…”