Measurement technological innovation capabilities in agriculture knowledge and innovation systems

Innovation systems' knowledge and technology generation, diffusion and use functions are associated with technological innovation capabilities (TICs). TICs play a crucial role in the innovating performance of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKISs). Yet, the perspectives of current methods do not facilitate a dynamical and organizational understanding of TICs and, thus, innovation systems. This paper proposes a method that relates TICs to an organizational behavior model to measure the TIC level. We apply the method through a survey of 256 coffee AKIS firms and 74 avocado AKIS firms in Antioquia, Colombia. The results presented confirm that the measurement of TIC levels and their dynamics over time provides a better understanding of innovation processes to evaluate and identify existing gaps between TICs and these systems' innovation functions.