Strengthening the Role of Academic Institutions and Innovation Brokers in Agri-Food Innovation: Towards Hybridisation in Cross-Border Cooperation

Abstract

Existing research suggests that regions can develop their long-term competitive advantage through well-functioning interregional innovation cooperation. In this article, we use the example of innovation in small and medium-sized agri-food enterprises (SMEs) to scrutinise and compare regional innovation approaches on each side of the Dutch-German border and explore how they can converge into a cross-border innovation space. Particular attention is paid to the role of academic institutions and innovation brokers in creating a common innovation space. We explore how differences between two cross-border regions can be harnessed to enhance the impact of innovation, and how this may lead to what we describe as hybridisation effects. In the empirical analysis, we apply the concept of hybridisation to a cross-border innovation space, something that, as far as we are aware, has not been done before. We empirically ground the concepts of a cross-border innovation space and hybridisation and illustrate how relative regional strengths can lead to hybridisation effects. We conclude that differences in economic structures, institutional set-ups, visions and identities inherent in cross-border spaces are not only hindrances, but also opportunities, and we highlight the importance of these complementary strengths and the potential for their strategic use by regional innovation actors. Our findings are highly relevant for the further development of the Interreg Europe programme and the implementation of the EU’s Territorial Agenda 2030.

Cross‐border cooperation: A response to the challenges facing agri‐food cooperatives in Southern European countries

“…An analysis of the reasons that lead cooperatives to adopt cross‐border models reveals that they are similar to those driven by changes in the industry which force large companies to go international (Nilsson & Madsen, 2007). Thus, one of the major benefits of these processes for cooperatives is the chance to take advantage of different skills and alternative ways of looking at things in different regions (Knickel et al., 2021).…”

Determinants of Sustainable Cross-Border Cooperation: A Structural Model for the Hungarian Context Using the PLS-SEM Methodology

“…However, it is not only joint innovation that contributes to the cooperation of neighboring countries. The potential for cooperation of neighboring countries in the field of innovation is determined by the costs of R&D, expertise, development, and technological innovation at the core of contemporary European problems, such as R&D in the field of renewable energy, an innovative infrastructure [37].…”

“…Recent studies have suggested that collaborative development of agri-food innovations is at the core of sustainable cross-border cooperation, with an increasing role for academic institutions and innovative brokers [37].…”

International Trade in the High-Tech Sector—Support or Obstacle to Start-Up Processes at the Macro Level in European Union Countries?

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