The Department for International Development (DfID) has been a major supporter of natural resource research through its Renewable Natural Resource Research Strategy (RNRRS) which ran from 1995 to 2006. The results realized through such initiatives have enormous potential to alleviate poverty, promote economic growth, and mitigate the environmental problem. Unfortunately, these efforts were not able to produce the expected results. Within this reality, Research Into Use (RIU) has been established to meet this challenge. RIU approach is slightly different from previous approach since it has shifted its emphasis away from the generation of new knowledge to the ways in which knowledge is put into productive use. According to the RIU document, the key challenge is the innovation process through which entrepreneurs and other stakeholders harness new ideas in order to increase production, add value and create new products and services. Specifically, the RIU programme seeks to empower the poor and marginalized so that they can participate in dynamic national innovation systems.
This study maps potentials actors along the innovation systems that were identified during the previous stakeholders’ meeting. As such, the study was designed to collect and access key information on values of potential actors who can address the functions of the innovation challenge such that groundwork for future collaborations, partnerships and consultations are laid.
