Participatory diagnosis and university management of knowledge for local agricultural development

Abstract

The Municipal University Center (CUM) function in the Network is to coordinate technological innovation as a pivot center that connects the knowledge produced in the University Network with local needs to solve production and service problems, it uses Paulo Freire´s Popular Education principles to introduce the science that solves problems in Agricultural Companies. As a pivot principle, a diagnosis was made on the productive forms of agriculture and an improvement project was worked on to resolve the difficulties.

The concept of the Local Network for University Management of Knowledge and Innovation (GUCID for its acronyms in Spanish) was the basis of a Local Innovation System and its growing recognition is based on the fact that, regardless of the amount of codified knowledge that is produced, if there is no relationship between the amount of codified knowledge and the competencies (tacit knowledge) embodied in individuals and organizations, the locality will not capture the productive impulse of knowledge, nor will it translate it into innovation following a stable development path. It was concluded that innovation, promoted by students in their role as "extension workers" achieves the introduction of scientific results that ensure a solution to the productive problems of the Agricultural Units.