Organisational Innovation Systems for multi-actor co-innovation in European agriculture, forestry and related sectors: Diversity and common attributes

Abstract

Innovation rests not only on discovery but also on cooperation and interactive learning. In agriculture, forestry and related sectors, multi-actor partnerships for 'co-innovation' occur in many forms, from international projects to informal 'actor configurations'. Common attributes are that they include actors with 'complementary forms of knowledge' who collaborate in an innovation process, engage with a 'larger periphery' of stakeholders in the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) and are shaped by institutions. Using desk research and interviews, we reviewed, according to the Organisational Innovation Systems framework, the performance of 200 co-innovation partnerships from across Europe, selected for their involvement of various actors 'all along the process'. Many of the reviewed partnerships were composed of actors that had previously worked together and most interviewees believed that no relevant actors had been excluded. In almost all cases, project targets and objectives were co-designed to a great or some extent, and the mechanisms applied to foster knowledge sharing between partners were considered to be very effective. Great importance was attached to communication beyond the partnership, not simply for dissemination but also for dialogue, and most interviewees evaluated the communication/outreach performance of their partnership very highly. Most partnerships received external funding, most did not use innovation brokers during the proposal writing process and two thirds had access to information they needed. We discuss the implications of these findings and question whether the AKIS concept as currently interpreted by many policy makers can adequately account for the regional differences encountered by co-innovation partnerships across Europe.

An Analytical Framework to Study Multi-Actor Partnerships Engaged in Interactive Innovation Processes in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development Sector

“…An initial pool of 200 European multi-actor co-innovation partnerships in the agriculture, forestry, and rural development sector was identified within the EU H2020 research project LIAISON [13,15] and contacted by phone for a screening interview. This initial pool of 200 partnerships was selected based upon 4 criteria, including (a) being a multi-actor partnership, meaning being composed of two or more entities, (b) having a clear intention to innovate in (c) a relevant topic, and (d) featuring an engagement with practitioners.…”

“…The author of [40] notes that the key to understanding the success of interactive innovation is to consider both opportunity and the process through which a partnership has created innovation through the cultivation and leadership of a network of players with different and complementary skills. A similar combination of structures and capacities to enable the function of networks was proposed by [41] in the context of multi-stakeholder forums, which share many of the characteristics of multi-actor co-innovation partnerships [13,15]. We, therefore, added a third lens to the analytical framework that we call "overcoming challenges", which refers to how the capacities and structures combine to enable the partnership to overcome identified challenges.…”

“…Although multi-actor co-innovation partnerships are reasonably common in Europe, with more than 1300 identified by [13,15], there is insufficient understanding of how they work and, above all, how they might be supported in their efforts to enhance the development and implementation of innovation (or innovative practices). This suggests the value of a comparative analysis to identify the factors that enable or hinder their success.…”

Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems in European Union policy discourse: Quo vadis?

“…Partnerships and networks are key features or core elements of the innovation systems concept (Fieldsend et al, 2020), and the development of innovation systems theory reflects primarily the improvements in our understanding of the processes of knowledge sharing and innovation involving farmers, rather than changes in the processes themselves. In particular, whereas in the 1950s and 1960s, farmers were often perceived as being 'backward', the role of tacit (as opposed to formal, codified or explicit) knowledge in the process of innovation is now widely appreciated (EC, 2013).…”

“…In addition to facilitating sustainable intensification, innovation helps farmers to expand, change or diversify their marketable output, thereby increasing the profitability of their farms, to free up resources for use in other economic activities, or enhance the provision of important ecosystem services (FAO, 2014). But innovators rarely work in isolation and the process of innovation is fostered by knowledge sharing between actors with complementary forms of knowledge (Fieldsend et al, 2020). These actors, their organisations, the knowledge flows between them and the so-called 'enabling environment' constitute an 'agricultural innovation system' (AIS).…”