SERVInnov

The project's objective is to better understand the role of innovation support services in the development of agricultural and agri-food innovations taking into account the organization and the global offer of these services but also their ability to meet the demand for support. This understanding will make it possible to formulate recommendations to service providers and public decision-makers on support methods adapted to innovative initiatives in agriculture and agri-food.

In order to substantiate improved innovation processes, SERVInnov will characterize and assess innovation support services (ISS) and their suppliers to define condition of their performance, promulgation, and scaling.

ISS is a broad range of immaterial services that are provided by public, private or civil society actors along the value chains and across the initiation, development and dissemination innovation phases. Services cover fostering technical and social design, enabling the appropriation and use of innovations, facilitating access to resources, helping to transform the environment and strengthening the capacities to innovate.

SERVInnov will characterize ISS at national levels in three countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Madagascar, and within innovation case studies related to sustainable agriculture intensification and to agri-food systems improvement.

The approach allows to:

1) identify the strengths and weaknesses of ISS in the three countries

2) explore with innovation support service suppliers (ISPs) and policy-makers how gaps in the supply can be filled through the development of new skills/profession or through a better arrangement of existing ISS. 

Research partners:

•     Cirad (Centre de cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) – France 
•     University of Hohenheim – Germany
•     University of Dschang – Cameroon
•     CEDRES (Centre d'Etudes, de Documentation et de Recherche Economiques et Sociales) – Burkina Faso
•     ESSA (Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Antananarivo) – Madagascar

 Practice/Development partners:

•     iecd (Institut Européen pour la Coopération et le Développement) – France 
•     Gret (Groupe de Recherche et d'Echange Technologique) – France
•     FIFATA (National organisation of producers) – Madagascar 
•     AFAAS (African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services) – Uganda

Associated partner:

• IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) – Cameroon

Knierim, A., Ndah H. T., Gerster-Bentaya, M. (2018). Co-designed conceptual framework for the inventory and characterisation of Innovation Support Services and Innovation Support Providers, SERVInnov project, Deliverable 1.1, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.

Ndah, H. T., Knierim, A., Gerster-Bentaya, M., Mathé, S., Audouin, S., Crestin-Billet, S., Randrianarison N., Toillier, A., Melachio, M., Fongang Fouepe, G.H., Temple, L.. 2020. Guidelines for applying the methodology and tools for characterizing innovation support services and providers, SERVInnov project, Deliverable 1.2, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.

Ndah, H. T., Knierim, A., Randrianarison, N., Mathé, S., Audouin, S., Toillier, A., Crestin-Billet, S., Soule Adam, N., Noharinjanahary, E-S., Traoré, O., Michel, T., Temple, L., Tiatite, N., Goumbri, J. de D., Gerster-Bentaya, M., Fongang Fouepe, G. H., Andriamaniraka, J. H., Andriamparany, R. R. 2020. Co-designed Methodological Framework and Guidelines for in-depth Case Study Analysis, SERVInnov project, Deliverable 1.3, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.