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Economic Performance and Development. Understanding knowledge networks from the bottom up in rural district municipalities: spaces for intervention. Dr. Peter Jacobs Mr. Tim Hart Tsogo Sun Hotel Cape Town 15 November 2013. Economic Performance and Development. Innovation in Rural Areas.
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Understanding knowledge networks from the bottom up in rural district municipalities: spaces for intervention Dr. Peter Jacobs Mr. Tim Hart Tsogo Sun Hotel Cape Town 15 November 2013 Economic Performanceand Development
Innovation in Rural Areas Holistic & multi-dimensional snapshot of innovation activities in 4 Rural District Municipalities Purposeful survey & snowball sampling used for broad-based evidence mapping- 482 enterprise Enterprise survey- intermediate step between: exploratory scoping visits to each local municipality self-reflection workshop with stakeholders in RDM
Knowledge sharing & networking… • “Is your organisation /enterprise part of any type of innovation system whereby you share resources including equipment, knowledge, skills, ideas with other enterprises/organisations engaged in similar activities?”
Question width, depth, purpose and stability of enterprise interactions… • 75% of interviewed rural enterprises self-reported that they share knowledge for ‘innovation • Unanswered critical questions: • What are the strengths and weakness of how local innovation actors interact? • Are these networks affected by enterprise characteristics and the core purpose of innovation? • How are these local innovation-sharing networks influenced by government support for innovation, local, sectoral and national innovation systems?
Big Picture: Connecting Innovation Value Chain (IVC)/ Activities & Types
Concluding insights and puzzles • Innovation can raise living standards and enhance equitable rural social change- through improved & purposeful interactions among “innovators” • Know-how sharing and networking across all enterprise types- 43% of NPOs active collaboration • Knowledge sharing & networking strongly related to pursuing innovation for social and human wellbeing & two types of activities (adoption & diffusion)
Concluding insights and puzzles • Economic sectors and market distribution matter for innovative collaborations- enterprises in primary sector & output distribution beyond local municipality • Role of access to ICT for innovation networking generally high (60%-97%) but no stats-sig ‘group diffs’ • Government support for networking acknowledged but a very small share of enterprises are encouraged to take practical steps to access state support • Innovation networking concentrated among self-reported participants of formal networks as against informal networks