Centrality of the Regional akis centres/ Regional Innovation Hubs to the Development of akis introduction

Centrality of the Regional AKIS Centres/ Regional Innovation Hubs to the Development of AKIS
Introduction
Creating an effective AKIS is an organic process. An AKIS is not a thing, it’s a network. A successful AKIS will be recognised by the “thickness” of the relationships between the critical nodes in the public and private spheres that make up the AKIS. Thus the critical processes in building an AKIS that can support the development of the Uzbeq Afro-food sector concern the establishments of enduring partnerships are all levels within the sector.
The high level management structure has been agreed and the personnel are being recruited. The next layer at national level are the Programme Heads. These job specifications have yet to be written. Programme Heads are responsible for designing national programmes in Research, Advisory and Education. The collective operation of these programmes are effectively integrated at regional level through the Regional AKIS Centres or the Regional Innovation Hubs. The role of the Regional AKIS Centre Manager is therefore pivotal to the success of AKIS in stimulating innovation in biomass based value chains but especially in food in accordance with the Regional Development Plans that will be drawn up. In this note the facilities and activities that a typical Regional AKIS should possess are set out.
Regional AKIS Centre Facilities
Standard facilities
Meeting rooms and conference facilities
Potential location of offices for researchers and advisors
Video production facilities
Specialist laboratories for diagnostic testing, e.g. Soils, fodder quality and foods
Advanced facilities
Pilot plants with suitable processing equipment for rental by agro-food processing
Location of company R&D facilities and their staff on site
Regional AKIS activities
Innovation in the agricultural value chain is a process that constantly reinforces the adoption of “best practices” arising from research that has been undertaken in Uzbekistan or in other countries but adapted for relevance to Uzbekistan. The ability of farmers and processors to adopt these “best practices” is influenced by the absorptive capacity of owners, managers and employees which in turn is hugely influenced by the quality of education and training available within the country. A significant responsibility for the process of encouraging the adoption of best practices lies with the advisory or extension service. An advisory or extension service is a long-standing service that exists in many countries. In Ireland, for example, the service was established in the 1890s. The typical service in most countries consists of field advisors supported by subject-matter specialists. This model is very expensive service if the objective is to reach a large and diverse group of farmers. Moreover the traditional model has tended to operate without a close collaboration between research and education partners, even within the public sector. The AKIS that is being fostered in Uzbekistan is based on developing strong relationships between research and education players and private sector partners from the outset. Moreover, as Uzbekistan does not have a public advisory service it has the opportunity to develop an advisory service which is more innovative than the traditional, labour intensive model.
The primary role of the Regional Centre is to integrate the research, education and advisory services at the regional level. This can be best achieved through the Centre’s organisation of a series of events throughout the year. These events for ease of reference are referred as the “Calendar of Events”.