Innovation as an entrepreneurial skill for students in agricultural management: Relevance and difficulties

In terms of the challenges facing agriculture, innovation is crucial. It is therefore relevant to prepare future farmers, to innovate. Furthermore, the development of innovation competence among students has been the subject of little research. This article focuses on the assessment of the impact of a participation in a business creation competition on innovation competence. It is based on a quantitative and a qualitative study of 81 interviews. The students interpreted the results of their innovation score and evolution calculated from the MACE test (motivations, aptitudes and entrepreneurial behavior). Our results show a development of innovation competence following the entrepreneurial experience, coming from external factors, specific to the student and related to pedagogy. For the latter, the test is decisive but also the meaning and the affective.
JEL Codes: O31