Expertise in research integration and implementation is an essential but often overlooked component of tackling complex societal and environmental problems. We focus on expertise relevant to any complex problem, especially contributory expertise, divided into ‘knowing-that’ and ‘knowing-how.’ We also deal with interactional expertise and the fact that much expertise is tacit. We explore three questions. First, in examining “when is expertise in research integration and implementation required?,” we review tasks essential to developing more comprehensive understandings of complex problems, plus possible ways to address them. Also, there are tasks necessary for supporting implementation of those understandings into government policy, community practice, business and social innovation, or other initiatives. Second, in considering “where can expertise in research integration and implementation currently be found?,” we describe three realms: 1) specific approaches, including interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity, systems thinking and sustainability science; 2) case-based experience that is independent of these specific approaches; and 3) research examining elements of integration and implementation, specifically considering unknowns and fostering innovation. We highlight examples of expertise in each realm and demonstrate how fragmentation currently precludes clear identification of research integration and implementation expertise. Third, in exploring “what is required to strengthen expertise in research integration and implementation?,” we propose building a knowledge bank. We delve into three key challenges: compiling existing expertise, indexing and organizing the expertise to make it widely accessible, and understanding and overcoming the core reasons for the existing fragmentation.
In this paper, is described the market and social forces which influence the emergence of social innovations through various processes. The authors then look into the evolutionary pathways for social innovations , to avoid inertia and spur initiatives to bridge the...
This paper addresses the under-researched issue of stakeholder identification and engagement in problem structuring interventions. A concise framework to aid critical reflection in the design and reporting of stakeholder identification and engagement is proposed. This is grounded in a critical-systemic...
This editorial paper brings together different streams of research providing novel perspectives on co-design and co-innovation in agriculture, including methods, tools and organizations. It compares empirical experiences and theoretical advances to address a variety of issues (e.g., innovation ecosystems, collective...
Encouraging the adoption and diffusion of low-carbon agricultural technology innovation is an important measure to cope with climate change, reduce environmental pollution, and achieve sustainable agricultural development. Based on evolutionary game theory, this paper establishes a game model among agricultural...
How do systemic intermediaries obtain legitimate roles for themselves in innovation systems and transition processes? This is still an understudied question in the study of systemic intermediaries. This study started from the observation that roles, or positions, are not given,...
