농업R&D 거버넌스 효율성 제고 및 민간 투자 활성화 방안(2/2차년도): 농업기술혁신시스템을 중심으로

Abstract

정부는 연구개발(R&D)을 통한 농업부문의 창조경제 실현과 경쟁력 강화를 위해 R&D 투자를 지속적으로 확대해 왔다. 그러나 국정 및 농정 방향을 고려한 중점투자 설정의 불명확, 부‧처간 융합연구의 미흡, 개발된 기술기술의 실용화 및 산업화 미흡, 민간투자 미흡 등으로 농업의 현장 문제 해결과 경쟁력 향상이라는 경제적 성과가 크지 않다는 평가도 있다.

이러한 점을 극복하기 위해서는 연구개발기관 등 공급자 중심 선형모델 ‘연구개발–지도·보급을 통한 확산-현장 실용화’을 뛰어넘어 농산업경영체가 다양한 주체와 상호 협력함으로써 혁신을 이끌어내는 사용자 주도형 및 네트워크형 농업기술혁신시스템이 필요하다.

본 연구는 농업기술혁신시스템 개념과 구성 요소를 제시하고 다양한 공공과 민간주체의 역할과 혁신 역량, 네트워크, 강점과 약점, 성과 제고를 위한 강화요소 등을 분석함으로써 거버넌스와 민간투자 등을 포괄한 농업기술혁신시스템 성과 제고를 위한 전략과 방안을 제시하고자 한다.

Background of Research The Korean government has continually expanded investment in R&D to realize the creative economy in agriculture and enhance the sector’s competitiveness through strengthening R&D. However, problem-solving in the field of agriculture and economic performance of improving the industry’s competitiveness are insufficient owing to the unclear direction of intensive investment considering state affairs and agricultural policy directions; inadequate convergence research among ministries; lack of commercialization of technology developed through R&D investment; and insufficient private investment. For practical outcomes such as improving the quality of rural life, increasing farm income and agricultural productivity, and creating value added through technical innovation, it is necessary to establish a user-led agricultural technology innovation system (ATIS) centered on technology demanders, agricultural holdings. That is, it is needed to surpass the supplier-oriented linear model, “R&D-extension and dissemination-commercialization” and to create the user-led ATIS that leads to innovation through agricultural holdings’ cooperation with various agents. This study aims to propose strategies to improve ATIS’s performance including governance and private investment by presenting the concept and components of ATIS and analyzing various public and private actors’ roles and innovation capacity, networks, strengths and weaknesses, and factors to strengthen for performance improvement.

Method of Research The first year’s study analyzed agricultural R&D governance’s operation state and suggested its improvement direction, analyzed the current status of agricultural R&D investment and results and outcome determinants, and proposed the policy direction for promoting agricultural R&D technology transfer and commercialization. Among the major policy direction presented in the first year’s study, the second year’s study covers agricultural holdings’ awareness as innovation agents, the creation of an innovation platform centered on agricultural holdings, the establishment of the foundation for promoting agricultural innovation through strengthening each agent’s roles and organic cooperation, and the development of regional strategic industries by strengthening local innovation networks. The second year’s study consists of the concept and components of ATIS; actors’ roles in innovation; network analysis; an analysis of strengths and weaknesses and the order of priority for reinforcement; relation analysis among farms’ innovation capacity, action, and performance; regional case analysis (mushrooms in Gyeonggi-do, Omija in Mungyeong, raspberry wine in Gochang); an analysis of the Netherlands' ATIS; and strategies to improve outcomes. For analysis, we conducted surveys on farmers, agro-food companies, product cooperatives, the Rural Development Administration, provincial agricultural research and extension services, agricultural technology centers, and central and local governments. We commissioned external experts to write about the innovation system theory and analyze the cases of Omija in Mungyeong and raspberry wine in Gochang. We also listened to diverse opinions at specialists’ consultative meeting to analyze ATIS. Research Results and Implications This study aimed to provide the base for changing Korea’s ATIS into a field-oriented innovation network centered on agricultural holdings, and the major results of the research are as follows. First, ATIS is a network of private players including farm households, producer groups, agro-food firms, and consulting organizations and public institutions including central and local governments, the Rural Development Administration, provincial agricultural research and extension services, and agricultural technology centers, which are willing to create new values through new agri-food, production processes, and new forms of organizations. The system includes institutions and policies that affect their actions and performance. Second, the components for the analysis of ATIS are 1) actors and their roles, 2) the actors’ innovation capacity and implementation, 3) forms and characteristics of interaction among the actors (networking), 4) the environment which affects the actors, and 5) outcomes of ATIS. Third, the social network analysis of ATIS’s 11 agents shows that the Rural Development Administration, provincial agricultural research and extension services, and agricultural technology centers play a central role in Korea's ATIS. On the other hand, private actors such as private research institutes, product associations, agro-food companies, and agricultural cooperatives excluding farm households have a relatively weak network. Fourth, we analyzed the proportion of each actor’s present innovation activity and the order of priority for roles to be reinforced in the future in order to identify the actors' roles in ATIS and to promote mutual understanding for strengthening the agents’ cooperative activities. Each player has different opinions on the roles to be reinforced, and it is needed to strengthen the roles that are necessary for one another through continued cooperation. Fifth, items to be improved first in order to enhance ATIS’s performance include “private capacity and participation in innovation projects,” “private investment in the projects,” and “partnership with the private sector in establishing and implementing innovation project plans.” Also, the items include “local governments’ will to implement innovation projects” regarding strengthening regional agricultural technology innovation and “policies and systems for promoting technical innovation,” the government’s major role for facilitating innovation. Sixth, the higher individuals’ innovation capacity such as self-efficacy is and the higher the level of ATIS’s external environment factors is, the more active farm households’ innovative actions are. Also, there is a positive correlation between individuals’ innovation capacity and the level of external environment factors and between innovative actions/networking activities and innovative performance. Seventh, an analysis of regional ATIS cases shows the importance of a control tower in charge of technical innovation policies in a region; innovation brokers and the expansion of their roles; the establishment of an active technology innovation network through regional R&D. On the other hand, the Dutch government’s role changed from leading innovation to supporting actors’ networking as an agent of the golden triangle of government, private companies, and research and educational institutions. In addition, private actors’ roles have greatly expanded, including consulting firms and farmers’ study group networks in ATIS. Finally, we presented the following five strategies to improve the performance of ATIS, putting the research results together: 1) establishing an agricultural technology innovation strategy based on mutual understanding of actors’ roles in ATIS; 2) the creation of a system in which awareness of the necessity for innovation and ideas lead to effective R&D and projects, resulting in actual outcomes; 3) improving regional innovation capacity and autonomy; 4) expanding private actors’ various roles of technology innovation through public-private cooperation; and 5) strengthening interaction learning for enhancing farm households' agricultural technology innovation capacity.

Researchers: Lee Myoungki, Kim Soosuk, Park Jiyun, Yoon Sungeun, Kim Hwayoung Research Period: 2015. 1. ~ 2015. 12. E-mail address: mklee@krei.re.kr