General problems related to innovation and its potential in the Hungarian agro-food sector

This paper stresses that innovation in Hungary leaves something to be desired, and a perpetual lack ofinnovation also applies to the agro-food sector which, of course, consequently weakens the nation’s generalcompetitiveness.The 2007-2013 period and the subsequent resources provided by the EU present new challenges. Itis not overstating the case to say that if Hungary is not able to capitalize on this period, then it will facecompetitive disadvantages capable of placing Hungarian agriculture in a critical situation. To avoid this, theconditions for innovation and innovation performance must be improved.The system of innovation in the Hungarian agro-food sector does not lend itself to the application ofthe model constructed on R+D. Therefore, it appears practical to follow the adaptive innovation model, whichwould be particularly useful for SMEs.