Experiences with interactive innovation approaches in European countries

1. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches in European countries Reflections of SCAR AKIS 1 and 2 Anne Vuylsteke

2. Content • Background of SCAR AKIS strategic working group • AKIS concept • Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • Conclusions

3. Background of the SCAR AKIS strategic working group • Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (1974, renewed 2005) • Drivers for a working group on Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) • 2006, Krems: request to include advisory services, education, training and innovation • 2008, Communication “Towards a coherent strategy for a European Agricultural Research Agenda”: use SCAR to identify agricultural knowledge structures in each MS • SCAR foresight • 1st (2007): call for a review of the links between knowledge production and its use to foster innovation • 2nd (2009): agricultural knowledge systems unable to absorb and internalise the fundamental structural and systemic shifts that have occurred

4. Background of the SCAR AKIS strategic working group • 2009: start of the working group • Collaborative working group AKIS 1 and 2: chaired by NL and FR • Strategic working group AKIS 3: chaired by NL and BE • Working method • A network of civil servants and researchers from the Member States and the European Commission • No budget, except for some studies in collaboration with EU projects • Reports • AKIS 1 (2012): Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems in Transition – a reflection paper • AKIS 2 (2013): Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems towards 2020 – an orientation paper on linking innovation and research

5. AKIS Concept • AKIS … • exist • are quite different between countries / regions • were restructured considerably in some countries • are governed by public policy but consistent overarching AKIS policies are not apparent • AKIS components are governed by quite different (and sometimes conflicting) incentives

6. AKIS Concept within the food chain

7. AKIS Concept 7 functions of knowledge and innovation systems: • Knowledge development and diffusion • Influence on direction of search and identification of opportunities • Entrepreneurial experimentation and management of risk and uncertainty • Market formation • Resource mobilisation • Legitimation • Development of positive externalities (c) M. Hekkert et al.

8. Science versus innovation driven research

9. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • Innovation as a process has strong learning aspects: learn how to do new things, bottom-up • Alternative: force (or pay for) quality standards, mandates • Thematically-focused learning networks of different actors can help • Generating learning and innovation through interactions between the involved actors • Members can include farmers, extension workers, food industry, researchers, government and ngo representatives and other stakeholders

10. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • The European perspective of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) “Agricultural productivity and sustainability” • Operational groups, thematic networks, multi-actor projects • Co-creation and cross-fertilisation as keywords Farmers NGOs Advisors Operational Group Agri-business Researchers "Operational Groups" are no stakeholder networks, no stakeholder boards, no thematic coordination groups, nor discussion groups An OG = actors working together in a project targeted at innovation and producing concrete results

11. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • Incentives for coordination between AKIS subsystems • Agreenium (France) • Innovation Network (the Netherlands) • European Technology Platforms • Floriculture technology and Innovation Network (Belgium) • Agricultural Research Advisory Board (Turkey) • Examples of interactive innovation approaches – programs • RMT + Innovation and Partnership projects - CASDAR (France) • Better Farm Programme (Ireland) • LINK programs (UK)

12. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • The example of CASDAR • Funded by the sector, managed by the ministry • 2 examples of tenders • Joint Technological Network • Strengthen interactions of actors in development, research and education to promote innovation and knowledge transfer (since 2006) • Basic and applied research institutes, education, advisors and various development actors • Work around themes of common interest and strong challenged for the sector • RMT propose concrete interactive innovation projects • Innovation and partnership projects • Mobilize stakeholders in agricultural and rural development on applied research and innovation actions • Produce operational results in a user-friendly way to farmers and to have an adequate partnership for the project work • Conducted in partnership between development and advisory services, research and training agencies, including groups of farmers

13. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • Examples of interactive innovation approaches – projects • KarkaKompassi (Cow Compass, Finland) • Improve the quality of Danish beans by heat treatment (Denmark) • Control of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Spain) • Riduca reflui (Italy) • Organic Farmers’ Networks (Belgium) • Farmersandclimate.nl network (the Netherlands) • Good Fruit (Estonia & Latvia) • Système Terre et Eau

14. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • The example of organic farmers’ networks • One pillar of the Flemish Organic Research & Knowledge Network • Characteristics • 7 farmers’ networks: dairy cattle, beef cattle, vegetable & arable crops, goats, poultry, berries and greenhouse crops • Coordination by BioForum, the sector organization of the organic sector in Flanders • Close cooperation with different actors and networks • Topics are all farm-related ( technical, marketing related) • Process • Problem setting • Asking the right questions, relating to existing knowledge, relating to individual problems • what is needed to tackle the problem? Co-creation • funding project idea • Working together to tackle the problem and disseminating interim and final results • Evaluation and further steps to take • Taking it further

15. Experiences with interactive innovation approaches • Lessons learned • Drivers or motivations at the start differ • Problem, risk or challenge, need, opportunity, strategic (policy) choice • Key success factors • Composition of the group and way of working • Facilitation • Outcomes • Framework conditions • Availability of tools and learning methods • Appropriate funding model (public and private) • Good experiences with cross-border collaboration But often not easy to realize

16. Conclusions • Several elements are needed to come to a policy that stimulates interactive innovation: • Incentives for research, development and innovation • Stimulation of knowledge exchange, adoption of innovation, technical application in the production process; • Support to the activities of facilitators, innovation brokers and tutoring paths for farmers to implement innovations; • Valuation of the input and knowledge of farmers; • Stimulation of cross-border interactions; • Investment in AKIS-subsystems that have been underdeveloped • Special attention is needed to incentivize research to be responsive to the needs of innovation processes • More can be done than research to promote innovation • EU market for research and innovation to stimulate cross-border cooperation