Academic Institutions as Innovation Intermediaries; Co-creating knowledge and building the Gujarat agroecology learning alliance (GALA)

Abstract

The role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as innovation intermediaries remains underexplored in sustainability transitions (ST) research, particularly in agri-food systems in the Global South. This paper examines how a HEI in India facilitated the building of a Learning Alliance in agroecology in Gujarat. The HEI acted as a boundary-spanning knowledge broker—mapping contested visions of sustainability, convening dissimilar actors, and enabling shared learning and co-production of agroecological knowledge. The paper highlights how such intermediation contributes to collective learning alliances and pluralising pathways to transition. It argues for expanding the repertoire of transition intermediaries to include engaged academic institutions, especially where formal systems marginalize grassroots actors. By fostering inclusive governance and mapping situated knowledge, HEIs and civil society can together create platforms for collective experimentation. The case demonstrates the potential for networked governance to leverage the latent capacities of communities for scaling sustainability transitions.