This thesis provides a holistic view on the topic via an exploratory interview study approach. Looking through a service-dominant-logic-lens, the author puts the insights of the farm automatization industry in relation to existing service innovation literature. The influence of interconnectivity is illustrated stepwise. Models of the present and the future value network are drawn, which show the expanding need of information exchange between the value network and the supply chain. Additionally, the author identifies the interplay of interconnectivity and the demand for transparency as the driver for new service innovations. To ensure the information exchange, the need of a non-proprietary data exchange platform in the agricultural sector is being suggested.

The Global Innovation Index provides detailed metrics about the innovation performance of 127 countries and economies around the world. Its 81 indicators explore a broad vision of innovation, including political environment, education, infrastructure and business sophistication. This year’s report reviews the state of innovation in agriculture and food systems across sectors and geographies. Chapters of the report provide more details on this year’s theme from academic, business, and particular country perspectives from leading experts and decision makers.

The aim of the book is to present contributions in theory, policy and practice to the science and policy of sustainable intensification by means of technological and institutional innovations in agriculture. The research insights re from Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The purpose of this book is to be a reference for students, scholars and practitioners inthe field of science and policy for understanding and identifying agricultural productivity growth potentials in marginalized areas.

Governments, nongovernmental organizations, donors, and the private sector have increasingly embraced value-chain development (VCD) for stimulating economic growth and combating rural poverty. Innovation for Inclusive Value-Chain Development: Successes and Challenges helps to fill the current gap in systematic knowledge about how well VCD has performed, related trade-offs or undesired effects, and which combinations of VCD elements are most likely to reduce poverty and deliver on overall development goals. This book uses case studies to examine a range of VCD experiences. Approaching the subject from various angles, it looks at new linkages to markets and the role of farmer organizations and contract farming in raising productivity and access to markets, the minimum assets requirement to participate in VCD, the role of multi-stakeholder platforms in VCD, and how to measure and identify successful VCD interventions. The book also explores the challenges livestock-dependent people face; how urbanization and advancing technologies affect linkages; ways to increase gender inclusion and economic growth; and the different roles various types of platforms play in VCD.

Managing the ability of agriculture to meet rising global demand and to respond to the changes and opportunities will require good policy, sustained investments, and innovation - not business as usual. Investments in public Research and Development, extension, education, and their links with one another have elicited high returns and pro-poor growth, but these investments alone will not elicit innovation at the pace or on the scale required by the intensifying and proliferating challenges confronting agriculture. Experience indicates that aside from a strong capacity in Research and Development, the ability to innovate is often related to collective action, coordination, the exchange of knowledge among diverse actors, the incentives and resources available to form partnerships and develop businesses, and conditions that make it possible for farmers or entrepreneurs to use the innovations. While consensus is developing about what is meant by 'innovation' and 'innovation system', no detailed blueprint exists for making agricultural innovation happen at a given time, in a given place, for a given result. The AIS approach that looks at these multiple conditions and relationships that promote innovation in agriculture, has however moved from a concept to a sub-discipline with principles of analysis and action. AIS investments must be specific to the context, responding to the stage of development in a particular country and agricultural sector, especially the AIS. This sourcebook contributes to identifying, designing, and implementing the investments, approaches, and complementary interventions that appear most likely to strengthen AIS and to promote agricultural innovation and equitable growth. It emphasizes the lessons learned, benefits and impacts, implementation issues, and prospects for replicating or expanding successful practices. The information in this sourcebook derives from approaches that have been tested at different scales in different contexts. It reflects the experiences and evolving understanding of numerous individuals and organizations concerned with agricultural innovation, including the World Bank. This information is targeted to the key operational staff in international and regional development agencies and national governments who design and implement lending projects and to the practitioners who design thematic programs and technical assistance packages. The sourcebook can also be an important resource for the research community and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

This book examines how agricultural innovation arises in four African countries ? Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda ? through the lens of agribusiness, public policies, and specific value chains for food staples, high value products, and livestock.

These proceedings represent the work of authors at the 13th European Conference on e-Government (ECEG 2013). The Conference this year is hosted by the Iuniversity of Insubria in Como, Italy. The Conference Chair is Professor Walter Castelnovo and the Programme Chair is Professor Elena Ferrari, both are fro the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences at the University of Insubria. The opening keynote address is given by Dr Gianluca Misuraca from the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Seville, Spain and Gianluca is addressing the topic "eGovernment: Past, Present & Future: A policy-research perspective for renewing governance in the digital age". The second day of the conference is opened by Dr Antoinio Cordella from the London School of Economics, London, UK, who will talk about "Public value creation: the new challenge for e-government policies". ECEG brings together, researchers, Government officials and practitioners in the area of e-Government from around the world. Participants are able to share their research findings and explore the latest developments and trends in the field which can then be disseminated to the wider community. With an initial submission of 153 abstracts, after the double blind, peer review process there are papers published in these Conference Proceedings from 40 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Eygpt, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK and USA. This will ensure a very interesting two days.