Training as an Innovation Device: experience in dealing with limitations of conventional technological transfer

Designing and running training schemes for farmers are critical steps to support a global strategy to foster sound cooperation between research centres and rural entrepreneurs in order to improve overall competitiveness of a rural area. In this paper the problematic environment at the base of the planning and implementing of these schemes is outlined with a specific emphasis on the great number of difficulties and critical knots hampering the effectiveness of these initiatives: a necessary “paradigm shift”, and the related approaches and tools, is required firstly to convince the decision makers involved to adopt a renewed and a more participatory approach in training in order to improve and increase impacts of these schemes and make the involved public and private investments more effective and efficient.