'AKVAPARK' Association: a Tool for Enhancing Partnership between Scientists and Farmers in Hungarian Aquaculture

摘要

The political and economic changes in Hungary offered a good environment for restructuring the old-type organizational and functional system of the Fish Culture Research Institute (HAKI) in Szarvas, Hungary; however, the serious cutback in research funding also necessitated the restructuring of the institute. During the rather painful restructuring process, the staff was reduced from 250 to 62 but the consequences were alleviated by creating "satellite" companies that took over the more directly business-oriented tasks of the institute. These companies also absorbed a large part of the redundant personnel. HAKI, and the eleven newly-formed small private enterprises decided to form the "AKVAPARK" Association in 1996. The main objective of the AKVAPARK Association is to coordinate the operation and development of the unique complex of available aquaculture-related facilities, to make joint efforts to implement joint R&D, extension and training programmes, and to maintain traditional professional andhuman relationships among its members. The paper discusses the results and experiences of the operation of the Association between 1996 and 2004.