Netwerken en innovatie in de sierteelt

The ornamental plant cultivation could benefit from networking, as the locus of
innovation is no longer the individual farm, but increasingly the network within
which the farm is embedded. The main contribution of this paper is to shed light on
the relation between networking and innovation and the influencing factors for
networking as leverage for innovation within the ornamental plant sector. In contrast
to the majority of the innovation studies, which are focusing on technological
innovation i.e. product and process innovations, this study includes also marketing
and organizational innovations. By looking at the link between innovation type and
network partner, we found that network partners differ depending on the innovation
type. Furthermore, this study provides insights into the factors influencing networking
in the ornamental plant sector in particular. The results lead to implications for
ornamental plant growers and network coordinators. It is important that growers are
aware of the merit of partner suitability for the innovation type they are aiming at. For
network coordinators, it is important to set up a clear strategy and communicate for
which innovations their network can advise and help the farmer. They could focus on
improving their approachability and try to increase the added value of activities by
aligning them better with farmers’ needs.