La trajectoire de projets collaboratifs innovants dans le secteur agro-alimentaire : quels rôles des proximités et des intermédiaires ?

Approaching innovation in terms of open innovation invites us to better understand the factors promoting the circulation of knowledge, in particular the role of intermediaries acting as facilitator of the innovative processes. However, few studies have focused on the concrete modalities of interaction between innovation partners and the particular role of these intermediaries on territories. This article aims to characterize the determinants of the dynamic of cooperation between partners in collaborative projects labeled by a competitiveness cluster in the agrifood industry. The analytical framework is based on the joint mobilization of partners? internal resources, forms of proximity between partners, and facilitating intermediaries. The methodology is based on in-depth study of 6 projects with 22 semi-structured interviews. The originality is to explore the role of resources along the life cycle of the projects (emergence, implementation, valorisation). The results underline the facilitating role of intermediaries in the activation of internal resources, in particular the cluster in the setup phase and the consultants providing a coordination role in the implementation phase.