Page 9 - Agricultural innovation

1.2. Research Objectives

The overall objective of this study is to review recent innovation models in agriculture and rural
development with lessons learned among Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
To achieve the above general objective, this study focuses on the following specific objectives:
• Gathering typical models of each country to share with other countries.
• Assessing opportunities and challenges in the widespread application of models as lessons
learned for countries and localities to learn and apply to specific conditions.

1.3. Research Methods

• Collect information about innovation models in the regions and programs and projects through
exchanges with management agencies at all levels, development assistance programs and projects
of international organizations, domestic experts of the agriculture and rural development sector.
• Synthesize and analyze the models that have been collected on the basis of completing the
development policies in the coming time of the macro policy, the development trend of the
industry, etc. to select the models that need to be deeply examined in accordance with the funding
conditions of the study.
• Conduct in-depth surveys in a number of areas through the tool of case studies and rapid rural
assessment with the participation of the people.
• Interview experts and management agencies about typical models in surveyed areas.

2. CURRENT SITUATION OF INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN REGION

In recent years, innovation has been considered as a development strategy by countries around the
world, including countries in the Mekong sub-region such as Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. About
the concept of innovation, scholars around the world have given many different concepts. In general,
all innovation processes in the enterprise originate from the creative ideas of employees and are related
to creativity. However, some other scholars believe that innovation comes from the application and
development of new knowledge in businesses. For example, innovation is turning new ideas and new
knowledge into new products, processes and services to enhance competitive advantage and meet
changing customer needs. In addition, many scholars believe that innovation must be related to
“invention” and “commercialization” because an important aspect of innovation is to generate profits
and add value to businesses. Generating new ideas and applying these new ideas to create new products
and processes is just the beginning of innovation in business. Hence, to be innovative, ideas need to be
developed to create products and services according to customer needs. Therefore, innovation is the
use of new knowledge, to provide new products and services that meet customer needs.
As mentioned previously, innovation is the process of transforming ideas into new products and
processes to meet the needs of society and communities. In the process of formation innovation is
closely related to creativity. Creativity is the starting point for the innovation process. Creativity is
simply thinking, ideas about something different and unique. Meanwhile, innovation is the process of
transforming ideas into new products/services that are useful and bring high value to an organization,
community or society. While creativity is the intellectual and mental activity to come up with new
ideas, innovation is the application of new ideas into practice in the workplace or in the community.
Not all creative ideas can be turned into innovations, because only ideas that are feasible and capable of

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