THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BACKYARD AS A LOCAL LEVEL INNOVATION INTERMEDIARY IN RURAL CHINA

● Agricultural innovation is a coevolution process of hardware, software and orgware. Innovation intermediaries important for the agricultural innovation. The roles STBs have evolved from knowledge broker to broader intermediary at village level. Facilitating orgware more effective than enabling in promoting farmers’ adoption improved tillage practice. Collaboration between individual needed support larger scale. can be described as coevolutionary technological innovation, symbolic change, social or institutional which relies on interactions collaboration multiple stakeholders. This view emphasizes significance supporting Many studies provided evidence how play system However, little emphasis has been given role community level rural China. To address this research gap, paper offers case study novel type intervention designed promote technical change level, Science Technology Backyard (STB). focuses efforts specific STB Wangzhuang methods wheat production. aims was examine newly emerging compare outcome with an that villages without STB. journey analysis applied understand intermediation process, multivariate regression employed assess findings suggest brokers systemic facilitate inside village. It led higher rate technology, better environment learning, non-STB villages. effect by single outside limited. finding points need mechanisms connecting