Strengthening agricultural innovation capacity: are innovation brokers the answer?

Abstract

SummaryTaking the case of Dutch agriculture as an example, this paper examines the role of innovation brokers in stimulating innovation system interaction and innovation capacity building, and reflects upon their potential role in developing countries' agriculture. It concludes that innovation brokerage is likely to be relevant in emerging economies, that public or donor investment may be needed to overcome inherent tensions regarding the neutrality and funding of such players in the innovation system, and that stimulating the emergence of innovation brokers requires a policy that supports institutional learning and experimentation to ensure that the brokers become contextually embedded.

Leadership and Teamwork in Innovation Ecosystems

“…In this context, the innovation brokers, individuals, or entities (i.e., accelerators, knowledge transfer organizations, or economic development agencies) are key in an innovation economy due to the capacity to connect strengths and values from the regional ecosystem to facilitate the creation of new businesses, jobs, and wealth [22,23]. These brokers are able to manage the mentioned tensions and paradoxes at community level between the diferent stakeholders, such as structure and improvisation, learning and performance, or conlict and support [24].…”

Innovacion para el desarrollo: Enfoques y experiencias de Papa Andina.

“…El perfil bajo de Papa Andina ayudó a fortalecer la imagen pública de los socios estratégicos, pero puede haber limitado el nivel de reconocimiento de los alcances e impactos de su trabajo. La dificultad para medir o atribuir impacto a los facilitadores de procesos de innovación, tales como Papa Andina, dificulta la movilización de recursos cuando los donantes esperan que sus proyectos generen impacto tangible en el corto plazo (Klerkx et al 2009 (Thiele y Devaux 2002), se publicó al poco tiempo del establecimiento de Papa Andina. Describe la lógica de un enfoque basado en recursos locales para mejorar el bienestar de los agricultores de papa en los Andes, apoyándose en dos de sus recursos más importantes: el conocimiento local y la biodiversidad de las papas nativas.…”

“…Las experiencias de Papa Andina, y de otras iniciativas similares, enfatizan dos retos principales para la sostenibilidad de los programas colaborativos que facilitan procesos de innovación y que involucran no solo a organizaciones de investigación sino a otro tipo de organizaciones, incluyendo actores económicos (Klerkx et al 2009). …”

Using social network analysis to evaluate the impacts of the research: on the transition to organic farming in the Camargue

“…Social capital is constructed through three main underlying mechanisms (Aldrich, 2012): bonding (horizontal links within a group), linking (vertical links among actors), and bridging (horizontal links between groups). The role of knowledge brokers is seen as crucial in enabling innovation as they bring together stakeholders and facilitate their interaction in the wider innovation system (Klerkx et al, 2009). Furthermore, Krugman (1991) stressed the positive role played by clusters of actors on innovation and economic development via, in particular, increased information flow and knowledge spillovers.…”