1. MAY PRIMARY ACTIVITIES BE INNOVATIVE? THE CASE OF GALICIAN MUSSELL FARMING GONZALO RODRÍGUEZ RODRÍGUEZ Dpto. de Economía Aplicada. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

2. THE GALICIAN MUSSEL FARMING: THE PRODUCTION AREAS IN GALICIA.

3. THE GALICIAN MUSSEL FARMING: MAIN INVESTMENT ELEMENTS. THE FARM: BATEA THE BOAT

4. THE GALICIAN MUSSEL FARMING: MAIN FEATURES.

5. THE CONCEPT OF INNOVATION ELEMENTS OF THE CONCEPT DEPARTURE POINT: Improve process. ARRIVAL POINT: 1st world introduction and aplication of certain advance. SYSTEMATIC PROCESS: opposite to isolated activities.

6. THE CONCEPT OF INNOVATION WHAT HAPPEN WITH THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE JUST IN A CHANGE OR IN CATCHING UP PROCESS? MAY THE DEFINITION INTRODUCES ANOTHER ELEMENTS? Sectorial meeds of innovation. Territorial dimension: local/regional or global innovation. Temporal dimensión: historical character of innovation.

7. MUSSEL CULTURE PATTERNS IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY. SUPPLIER DOMINATED. Technological chage came from supliers on machinery and other producction inputs. Most technology is transferred internationally embodied in capital goods. Technological accumulation is focused on producction process. Small size of firms. Temporal dimensión: historical character of innovation. Production learning and suppliers are the main sources of technological accumulation.

8. THE MILIEU. Spatial entity. Group of players Specific material elements and also non-material and institutional elements. An organizational logic. A learning logic. MILIEU + The milieu it´s capable to open up to the exterior. Internacional relations. Their resources are organized, coordinate and relate by economic, cultural and technical structures that restore the exploitable resources for news productive combinations INNOVATOR MILIEU

9. MUSSEL FARMING AS A INNOVATOR MILIEU. INNOVATOR MILIEU MILIEU Spatial Entity Group of players Specific material and non material elements Organizational logic Learning logic Open up to exterior Sustainable relations Organizational vicinity Producers, suppliers up stream, down stream, quality control, Habours net, Mussel Council building / Specific culture Dense organizative net; cooperativenesss Main kind fo knowledge: Tacit Exports (21%) International organizations Change point

10. MUSSEL FARMING AS A “MILIEU”. -+ + Little innovation without “milieu” Pontentially innovator “milieu” Innovation without “milieu” Innovator “milieu” ORGANIZATION INDICATORS LEARNING INDICATORS SOURCE: IRER /1991 MUSSEL FARMING

11. CHRONOLOGY OF INNOVATION:

12. INSERTION OF THE MUSSEL CULTURE IN THE FISHING INNOVATION SYSTEM. MUSSEL CULTURE MUSSEL MILIEU FISHING-CONSERVES SECTOR R&D institutions Tehnological centers Training centers Quality control centres Specific magazines Promote agency Specific public administration INSTITUCIONAL INFRAESTRUCTURE

13. (PROBABLE) CONCLUSIONS. The behavior of mussel culture is in the own parameters of the supply-dominated sectors. Mussel culture may be regarded a milieu potencially innovator, taking into account their strong organizational logic. Mussel culture needs longs periods to get new innovations, as a consecuence of the predominat use of tacit knowledge and It depends strongly to their environment to innovate. Most of their innovations has a regional character, but it means a increasing use of formal knowledge. Just this direction may be taking into account both by policy makers and for managment of innovation at firm level As a general hypothesis, we think that primary activities may be innovator but they have dificulties to accumulate enaugh capabilities. Them, they are very dependent of their productive environment. As they need to accelerate the learning and innvation process, they need to participate in more complex systems of innovation.