Collaboration through EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and their role as innovation intermediaries´

doi:10.30682/nm2103b

Abstract

In the context of EU rural development policy, one of the proposed actions is the formation of Operational Groups (OGs). These OGs are part of the framework of the European Innovation Partnership on Agricul-tural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). The objective of this policy is to promote sustainable and applicable solutions to agricultural problems. OGs can be thought of as innovation intermediaries. Their functions have been addressed in the literature on agricultural innovation systems. To advance the research in this area, the objective of this study is to identify the innovation intermediary functions of Spanish OGs by drawing upon the opinions of their members. An online survey was conducted to collect data from members of Spanish EIP-AGRI OGs. The questionnaire asked members about the characteris-tics and functions of their OGs. More specifically, it also collected evaluations of the performance of OGs in certain innovation activities. The results of an exploratory factor analysis reveal that Spanish OGs perform three main functions: innovation process management, demand articulation, and institutional support and innovation brokering.

Highlights

To achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals’1, actions aimed at technological and social innovation through collaboration are fundamental (Kanda et al, 2019; Kivimaa et al, 2019; Polzin et al, 2016; van Lente et al, 2003)
A good example is provided by the focus of this study, namely Operational Groups (OGs) within the European Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI)
We provide a chronology of the key articles on the functions of innovation intermediaries

Summary

Introduction

To achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals’, actions aimed at technological and social innovation through collaboration are fundamental (Kanda et al, 2019; Kivimaa et al, 2019; Polzin et al, 2016; van Lente et al, 2003). The EIPAGRI works towards more efficient and sustainable farming and forestry in Europe to guarantee food, feed and biomaterials supply, while protecting the natural resource base on which agriculture relies Under this perspective, innovation takes place through collaborative learning processes where diverse groups of stakeholders co-create focused solutions to a specific problem or jointly develop a specific opportunity (Costantini et al, 2020; Cristiano and Proietti, 2018; Oliveira et al, 2019). A good example is provided by the focus of this study, namely Operational Groups (OGs) within the European Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). These multi-actor platforms bring together collaborators from different backgrounds and sectors for cooperation to provide innovative solutions to agricultural problems

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Results

Conclusion