Abstracts

Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) are a central element of European agricultural policy, enabling knowledge and innovation to circulate effectively among researchers, advisors, educational institutions, and farmers. In Southeast Europe, AKIS structures have developed unevenly, revealing clear differences between EU Member States and countries of the Western Balkans. Slovenia represents a well-integrated AKIS, where cooperation between advisory services, universities, and research institutions supports rapid innovation uptake, strengthened by digital tools and EU-funded projects. Austria and Croatia show similar patterns, with structured advisory systems that link policy, research, and practice. In contrast, AKIS systems in non-EU SEASN countries remain fragmented. Bosnia and Herzegovina face limited coordination between advisory services and research institutions, resulting in slow knowledge transfer. Serbia’s AKIS is still emerging and heavily shaped by individual projects, with inconsistent institutional collaboration. Comparable challenges persist across the Western Balkans, including gaps in digitalisation, innovation support, and advisory competencies. Within this context, the South Eastern European Advisory Service Network (SEASN) serves as a transnational bridge connecting diverse AKIS environments. SEASN strengthens regional knowledge flows, improves advisory competence, and encourages participation in European projects. By linking countries with well- developed AKIS structures to those still forming them, SEASN facilitates gradual alignment with European standards and supports broader regional cooperation and innovation capacity.

Keywords

SEASN network, Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS)

References

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16. 16. ANNEX 1
17. 17. Comparative synthesis of key characteristics of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) in EU and non-EU SEASN countries AKIS dimension EU SEASN countries Non-EU SEASN countries Emerging, incomplete or Largely institutionalised and Institutional fragmented AKIS structures stable AKIS structures (e.g. maturity (e.g. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary) Serbia, Montenegro) Clear governance frameworks Complex or centralised aligned with CAP; coordination Governance and governance, often with weak often shared between ministries coordination coordination and limited and chambers (e.g. Slovenia, national-level integration Austria) Central and professionalised role within AKIS, with Advisory services often operate Role of advisory recognised institutional ad hoc, project-based or with a services authority (e.g. Slovenia, limited institutional mandate Hungary) Sporadic, weak or dependent on Formalised, continuous and Research-advisory individual projects and embedded in institutional interaction initiatives (e.g. Bosnia and arrangements Herzegovina, North Macedonia) Multi-directional and Predominantly linear, Knowledge flow systematic knowledge exchange intermittent and discontinuous e.g. Slovenia, Austria) knowledge transfer Relatively stable public Short-term and mixed funding funding, largely supported by sources, often donor- or project- Funding stability CAP instruments and EU driven (e.g. Kosovo, programmes Montenegro) Uneven digital development, Increasingly integrated digital with limited access, capacity or Digitalisation platforms and advisory tools infrastructure (e.g. Bosnia and Herzegovina) Embedded within long-term Often innovation-driven but Innovation support strategies and institutional fragmented and lacking frameworks continuity (e.g. Serbia, Kosovo) Policy feedback Established bottom-up feedback Weak, informal or missing mechanisms channels from practice to policy feedback mechanisms EU pre-accession incentives, EU policy alignment, donor-funded projects, local Key drivers institutional continuity, stable flexibility (e.g. Serbia, Kosovo, advisory systems North Macedonia) Fragmentation, limited Increasing system complexity, coordination, lack of continuity Key challenges coordination across multiple and institutional stability (e.g. actors, capacity pressures Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro)