INNOVATION PERFORMANCE WITHIN A REGIONAL AGROFOOD SUPPLY CHAIN - THE PATTERN OF PRODUCTIVE SPECIALIZATION OF TAGUS VALLEY

Resumo

This paper aims to analyse the innovation performance, within a set of economic activities - namely the regional agrofood supply chain - that characterize the pattern of productive specialization of Tagus Valley, under the hypothesis of several determinant factors, of entrepreneurial and/or territorial nature, framed by an analysis model extensible to other regions.  Following an investigation of interpretative nature, methodology for collecting data was guided through triangulation of sources: direct observation; semi-structured interviews to individuals representing the various categories of agents involved, and documentary research. These were complemented with an inquiry to business agents, whose data were subject to statistical treatment. Besides the identification of an important set of deficits of institutional nature, inhibitors of innovation performance, the study also allowed formulating various proposals for the purpose of territorial governance, highlighting the need to strengthen the transfer of knowledge to the micro and small companies engaged in agricultural activities. In general, this paper proposes an analytical framework to a better understanding of innovation dynamics in any region according to its specificities including the role of public institutions in this process.