Technological innovation in fisheries and aquaculture: What are the “discourses” of the Italian policy network?

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the point of view of experts of the Italian policy network of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors on technological innovation. This type of research is still very recent and unexplored, and it is important to stress that most studies have been conducted to primarily analyze the point of view of producers. Over the past decades, there has been a growing recognition that the adoption of new technological innovation in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors should consider the perspective of all the stakeholders acting on the captured or farmed resource. The perspective of the experts involved in the political processes, or, in other words, the view of the “policy network” remains a largely unexplored field of analysis which deserves much more attention. With this purpose, the Q methodology is highlighted as an effective strategy for examining the policy network’s perception toward technological innovation. The findings pointed out four macro discourses summarised in two main approaches to innovation: conservative, for which technological innovation is merely seen as a tool, the potential of which can be found in the perspective of improving a company’s management; and progressive, which recognizes a wider effectiveness of innovation, even outside the functional unit of the company. The results could provide new insights to understand the people-policy gap in blue sectors, prompting European policymakers to rethink existing policies to stimulate the diffusion of innovative technologies.