Cooperation and innovation in the citrus sector: the socio-technical networks in the border between Uruguay and Argentina[Coopération et innovation dans le secteur des agrumes : les réseaux socio-techniques à l'oeuvre à la frontière entre l'Uruguay et l'Argentine]

In this contribution, we propose to question us on the conditions which chaired emergence and the constitution, in the course of time, of a technical and logistic transborder space, its major role being confirmed today by the competing positioning of this area compared to others in the world. One of our assumptions is that it built forms of complementarity enters, on a side, a technical skill built around the product (Argentina) and, other, a commercial competence (Uruguay) acquired before by certain actors in similar activities (grapes, olives, citrus fruits...). If the existence of Argentinean and Uruguayan technical organizations like INTA and INIA, and their common will to facilitate the transborder exchange of informations were of primary importance in the constitution of this productive system localised, one could not overlook the important part played by the knowledge and exchanges of information within the community of the producers. All the producers know each other and see themselves regularly, a network constituted themselves allowing the adoption of the most adapted techniques even if each one keeps its market jealously. However, the reserves of the producers to be organized more and to cooperate more formally could, in the long term, constitute brakes with the development of these companies.