Learning processes in agri-food sectors in Argentina: the role of public institutions of science and technology

GUILLERMO SÁNCHEZ

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; The 9th GLOBELICS International Conference; 2011

Universidad Nacional de Gral. Sarmiento / Universidad Nacional de Quilmes / Universidad Nacional de San Martín / Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

I n t h e c a s e o f a g r i - f o o d p r o d u c t i o n s , A r g e n t i n e e n t e r p r i s e s - m a i n l y o f m e d i u m and small size, have a critical neck bottle that limits their possibility to build endogenous capabilities for knowledge production, circulation and appropriation. As a consequence, public institutions of science and technology have been called to play a central role in the innovation systems providing relevant inputs for the learning process necessary in order to obtain product and process innovation. Nevertheless, it looks like that this institution, in Argentina, are prisoner of the offer (science) push – demand pull tension far away of a systemic behaviour in an innovative environment. This work study four cases of agri-food production, in Argentina, considering a regional approach and the learning network build around each production. It is concluded that the behaviour of each institution is different for each case. INTA has a systemic conduct in all cases while the other ones show a systemic behaviour only in the case that their offer matches to specific demands.