How to comparatively analyse the AKIS across European countries – conceptual foundations and application

Knowledge flow systems are an essential component of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). A traditional view of a knowledge flow system would include research as a source of knowledge, extension and education as knowledge and information channels, and agricultural entrepreneurs as recipients of knowledge. More recently, this ‘linear’ view has been widely challenged, and in view of this the European Union is proposing a new approach to encouraging innovation in agriculture in the 2014-2020 programming period. This paper assesses the nature of knowledge flows through the AKIS in Hungary, and looks at the factors that encourage and discourage these. It concludes that to more effectively encourage innovation the functioning of the AKIS in Hungary must be improved and makes six recommendations: (a) a comprehensive review of the AKIS in Hungary should be conducted; (b) the present system of incentives for knowledge flow through the AKIS should be urgently reviewed; (c) future planning should be based on a state-of-the-art understanding of AKIS as multi-actor networks rather than simply as a unidirectional linear flow; (d) new models should be developed and tested on the basis of experience from other EU Member States; (e) monitoring of the performance of the AKIS in Hungary should be improved; and (f) an annual report on the performance of the AKIS should be prepared by the Hungarian government and submitted to Parliament.

The new Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU) (2023-2027) envisages a stronger Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) that will unite all relevant ac-tors in a co-creation process to ensure knowledge flows within and across Member States. A sig-nificant and increasing body of literature focuses on the strategy and processes of strengthening AKIS. However, there is a relative gap in research related to the role of AKIS in achieving sus-tainability in the farming sector. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the advancements so far of AKIS across the EU when it comes to facilitating the sustainable management of natural resources (SMNR). The paper builds upon a comprehensive review of rel-evant literature during the last 15 years covering all 28 EU countries (including the United King-dom until 2019). We conclude that AKIS architecture in most EU countries lacks a comprehensive structure promoting SMNR. Based on the results we identify countries with relatively high inten-sity of research and development projects linking AKIS to SMNR and where SMNR is better in-tegrated to AKIS. Our results can be of interest to the design of stronger AKIS during the new programming period.

SummaryThe AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System) concept is now widely applied in the EU partly due to latest CAP regulation. Visualisation‐based AKIS diagnosis relies on the iterative elaboration of an AKIS diagram that provides a static picture of what elements of the system are linked through what kind of relations in which socio‐economic contexts and environments. In this article we discuss the implications of using the visualised AKIS diagnosis method based on our empirical assessment of AKIS in 28 European countries. The method involved drafting AKIS diagrams based on targeted desk research, conducting dialogues with experts affiliated with or overseeing prominent knowledge organisations to adjust and refine the diagrams and to analyse actor diversity and linkages. The final diagrams and the background reports on AKIS appraisal were used to deepen the AKIS understanding among various stakeholders in the agriculture sector, as well as an input for the CAP strategic plan preparation in some countries. We conclude that the visualised AKIS diagnosis has a great potential to make complex knowledge infrastructures and exchange processes tangible. However, it also comes with risks, for example, that the snapshot in time may become misleading, through being an outdated or erroneous representation.

Agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS) has a strong potential to enhance economic performance of farming and contribute to agricultural sustainability, as it may increase synergies and complementarity among actors. This paper is aimed to develop a proposed framework to strengthen AKIS in the study area based on the results of this study. This paper explores perception and views about strengthening AKIS in Dakhalia governorate of Egypt by applying a multi-actor approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through face-to-face interviews and focus group discussion. This paper focuses on three structural dimensions, namely actors, interactions, and technologies, to describe the nature of innovation processes within AKIS. Results indicate that legal and regulatory frameworks, lack of infrastructure, and weak the role of intermediary organizations are the main barriers that AKIS faces. Linkages of contracting and public–private partnerships were viewed as main interactions required to strengthen AKIS. The analysis also explores the availability of innovation requirements at each actor, as well as the distributive technologies, that should be encouraged to build the capacity the agricultural sector. A proposed framework is developed based on the results of this study and the characteristics of the AKIS in the study area. This framework could be used for stimulating innovation and enhancing coordination between actors.

This paper examines the governance, efficiency, and development of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria. The Governance of AKIS includes diverse governing agents, a variety of rules, mechanisms and modes for agents, and the process of governing, and the outcome (specific order and efficiency) of the governance. First, participants in the country’s AKIS and the type of their relations are specified. Second, a diagnosis of the state and trends in AR&D is made. The study is based on available data from statistical sources, official reports, fields surveys as well as assessments of a panel of leading experts in the area and stakeholders’ representatives. The study has found out that AKIS of the country consists of diverse and numerous organisations, for which activities and complex relations have no sufficient official or other reliable information. Bulgarian AKIS demonstrates low resource endowment and efficiency, domination of outdated public institutions and undeveloped private sector, insufficient sharing of knowledge and innovations, slow and uneven application of modern technologies, varieties, production and management methods, digitalisation, etc. in different types of farms, sub-sectors of agriculture and regions of the country.© 2022 The Author(s). Published by RITHA Publishing. This article is distributed under the terms of the license CC-BY 4.0., which permits any further distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) are responsible for the flow of information, knowledge, and innovation between the actors of the agricultural and food sector, as well as between those engaged in education, research, and extension.Strengthening cooperation and interaction between actors has become a cross-cutting objective of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).The CAP Strategic Plans in the Member States aim to develop agriculture through two interventions (support of EIP operational groups and the provision of knowledge exchange and dissemination actions).However, the AKIS goes beyond the CAP support, as several additional actions and incentives under national competence are needed for a modern, knowledge-based agricultural economy and well-functioning AKIS.Each EU Member State has developed its own AKIS, according to its specific conditions and needs.Previous studies on the comparison of AKIS across Member States have attempted to collect and analyse the specificities of each Member State, mainly through primary data collection.These studies are less capable of providing an objective comparison of AKIS systems in the Member States based on a common methodology.Although there are several indicator systems available to measure innovation performance, these indicator systems address the national/regional innovation performance but do not provide an adequate picture of the innovation performance of the agricultural economy.The aim of this study is to develop a framework for objective benchmarking of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems supporting the agricultural economy of each EU Member State.To this end, the authors have created the AKIS index.

The European Commission initiated the preparation of a new long-term vision for rural areas. First step of this process was the launch of a public consultation to which also the Horizon 2020 SHERPA (Sustainable Hub to Engage into Rural Policies with Actors) project is making a contribution on behalf of 20 different Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs). The Hungarian MAP - a group of science-society-policy actors - focuses on the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS), more precisely digitalization. The topic of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System - is a horizontal issue and it is embedded even into the Common Agricultural Policy’s (CAP) strategic planning process. Being part of it, the development of AKIS requires close and intensive cooperation of policy makers, researchers and farmers or in broader context the society with various stakeholders. The aim of the Hungarian research was to identify the current and likely trends for the Hungarian rural areas and to point out key challenges, opportunities, enablers and hinderers in rural development in terms of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) up until 2040. The methodology used was the Delphi technique. In the first phase, a review of key trends, main challenges and opportunities and a summary of existing foresight regarding digital agriculture was written. Then AKIS experts were asked to talk about their experiences and opinions in the framework of interviews, a focus group meeting and a survey. In the end, results of the survey were discussed in a consensus meeting. Among the results, it is worth mentioning that digitization and digitalization will fundamentally change the way rural areas operate including economic, environmental and social dimensions. The main enablers of a promising future vision are capacity building for knowledge transfer, adaptation for job creation and offering better quality of life, stronger community building for collaborations, deeper government involvement, and last but not least, strengthening the local identity in rural areas.

The digitalization of agriculture generates a new environment for the actors involved in agrifood production. In such a context, Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKISs) face the challenge of reconsidering their operational paradigms, redefining priorities, and designing strategies to achieve new aims. To do so, the actors participating in AKISs should develop and exploit a set of competencies known as dynamic capabilities, including the aptitude to sense the change in the external environment, the capacity to seize the opportunities that this change creates, and an ability to transform and adapt themselves to the new conditions that digitalization generates. In this study, using as examples the AKISs operating in Greece and Italy, we aimed to uncover if and how actors participating in these systems attempt and manage to deploy such capabilities. Based on a qualitative approach and drawing on data from two workshops, we discovered that seizing the opportunities sensed is a challenging task for AKIS actors. Our results also indicate that knowledge is a pivotal resource for AKISs, allowing actors to enhance their transformative capacity. However, to create a “collective” knowledge base, AKISs should ensure a functional connection between stakeholders and strengthen the roles of actors not actively engaged with the system, like public advisory organizations, universities, and technology providers.

The Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) and the Farm Advisory Service (FAS) are important elements of the current Programming Period of the Common Agricultural Policy (2023–2027), as it is now deemed necessary to transition the European agricultural model to more sustainable forms, through the dissemination of agricultural knowledge, while simultaneously promoting innovative methods. An Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System must be able to propose and develop ideas for the transmission of agricultural knowledge, promoting innovation and the exchange of ideas. The present study includes a significant number of investigations on the effectiveness of the implementation of the AKIS and the FAS so that the conclusions are representative of the scope of the work. The object in question is now the cornerstone of the modernization of agricultural production and an important way out towards more competitive models of agriculture. The purpose of this paper is to give an extensive overview of the degree of implementation of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems in the countries of the European Union (including the United Kingdom until 2019) from 2014 until today, essentially during the implementation of the second period of Common Agricultural Policy. In the context of this article, the main results of the research carried out in the EU countries during the period under study and the proposed improvements by the researchers, where they are mentioned, are recorded epigrammatically. Finally, the countries are categorized according to the degree of implementation of the AKIS and the contribution of the Agricultural Advisory System to more sustainable forms of agricultural practices.

European Integration of Ukraine in the Ukrainian aspiration to join the European Union (EU) entails rapprochement with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU. One important element for the attainment of CAP objectives is a strong Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). This article analyses the describable potential of the AKIS framework in the pre-accession phase of Ukraine. We review current AKIS components, their key issues identified, and strategies to reinforce them. Using a literature review, policy document analysis and expert interviews with key stakeholders that shape the current landscape of Ukrainian agriculture, the analysis was constructed. The results revealed that while UE is well placed as far as AKIS functionality is concerned, there are considerable areas that require improvements. Enhancing synergies between research, extension and farmers, encouraging co-creation of knowledge and harnessing digital technologies are some key steps. An effective AKIS standing behind the Ukrainian agriculture can make the country more productive, sustainable, and competitive improving its compatibility with the EU's CAP mechanisms.

Purpose: In this context, the current study aims to carry out an implementation analysis of knowledge network in Campania region, Italy. This region has implemented, using Measure 1, Measure 2 and Measure 16 of Rural Development Plan 2014-2020, an experimental model of AKIS.Methodology: The methodology was based on a living-lab approach where involved actors have an active role as co-innovators.Findings: The results give hints to implement, in the last period of the Cap 2014-2020, others experimental AKIS based on the Rural Developments Plans.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The development of new agricultural practices and its spread to obtain more sustainable agriculture has become an important issue for researchers and policy makers. In particular, growing attention is paid to the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) expression used to describe the whole knowledge exchange system, the ways people and organisations interact within a country or a region. AKIS can include farming practice, businesses, authorities, research and can vary a lot, depending on the country or sector. However, the complexity of the AKIS implemented in Campania region requires particularly effective governance instruments and a continuous monitoring and evaluation processes to elicit innovation needs. Therefore, in the next CAP 2014-2020 measure related to advice (Art. 13 - COM (2018) 392 final) and ‘knowledge transfer and information actions’ (Art. 72 – COM (2018) 392 final) should be strategically integrated to implement modern and tailored advisory programmes based on different advisory work approaches to better meet the needs of all parties. This issue needs a testing time useful to better plan policy intervention for the next CAP.

The goal of this paper is to access the state, specify trends, and identify intervention needs of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Bulgaria, and assist policy formation for the next programing period. Modern scientific approaches of SWOT, Strategic Orientation, Gap Analysis, Comparative Institutional Analysis, etc. are used to identify actors and relations, trends in development, assess Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, formulate an adequate strategy, and specify overall and public intervention needs of AKIS in the country. Bulgarian AKIS demonstrates low resource endowment and efficiency, domination of outdated public institutions and undeveloped private sector, insufficient sharing of knowledge and innovations, slow and uneven application of modern technologies, varieties, production and management methods, digitalization, etc. in different types of farms, subsectors of agriculture and regions of the country. The list of specified AKIS needs is provided to the government for taking a political decision about appropriate measures for public intervention. This study demonstrates that preparation of country’s RDP is (has to be) based on the comprehensive scientific approach while the research community proves that it can contribute to solving an important academic and practical problem.

Over the last 20 years several countries have made changes in their Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS): institutes for applied research have been put on output-finance with reduced budgets or have been merged into larger structures (Finland, Italy), sometimes into universities (NL, Dk). Incentives to publish have been strengthened in universities. Private advise is now available all over Europe and competes with public extension. How will or should this develop in the future? The SCAR strategic working group AKIS did a foresight study and identified three scenario’s for AKIS: High Tech, Self-Organisation and Collapse. Recommendations are made to make AKIS more robust.

The Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation and disseminating knowledge within the agricultural sector.This paper proposes a framework for strengthening AKIS in Greece.The study adopts a multi-actor approach, incorporating perspectives from farmers, researchers, policymakers, advisory services, and other relevant stakeholders.A structured questionnaire, administered online from December 2022 to March 2023, gathered responses from 61 senior managers across AKIS actors.By exploring their perceptions and opinions, this study aims to identify challenges and opportunities for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of AKIS in Greece.The findings contribute to policy dialogue and offer strategic directions for reinforcing collaborative innovation in the agricultural sector.

Knowledge and innovation are keywords in a context of resource scarcity and sustainable intensification of agriculture. But in order to fully use the knowledge potential and to transform research results into innovative practices, there is a need for an adequate configuration of the agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS). This configuration should be considered in relation to its own specific context and history. This paper focuses on the particular situation of ornamental plant production in Vlaanderen (Flanders), Belgium. In practice, we see that innovations in this sector are not limited to individual companies, but that new collective structures are put in place. The sector’s geographical clustering within the province of Oost-Vlaanderen is hereby an important facilitating factor. The new AKIS constructions have their own logic and objectives, but illustrate the need for further development of interlinkages between AKIS subsystems. The four examples of networking initiatives focus upon the production practices of ornamental plant production companies (VMS), alignment of research (Technopool Sierteelt), knowledge transfer and interaction between research and primary production (Sietinet) and, finally, co-creation of new varieties between research and the growers (BEST-select and Azanova). The results show that such initiatives can indeed contribute positively to the functioning of the AKIS. A partial approach, which looks at specific interactions instead of the AKIS as a whole, is thereby a more practical starting point than an integrated or overarching strategy.