An Innovation System Analysis of AgriTech as a Response to Jordan's Water-Food Security Crisis

Arid regions face a critical global challenge in ensuring food security, increasingly addressed through AI-driven agricultural solutions. This study provides a systematic analysis of the nascent AgriTech innovation system in Jordan, a nation facing extreme water scarcity, to examine its potential as a replicable model and identify the systemic factors that govern its success. The study employs a systematic analytical review methodology‎. The Triple Helix model serves as the analytical framework for synthesizing and evaluating primary sources, such as national policies—including the Economic Modernization Vision and the National Plan for Sustainable Agriculture—alongside reports from governmental and international bodies and secondary academic literature. The analysis reveals a nascent, yet functional, innovation architecture constrained by significant barriers, including socio-economic limitations for smallholders, digital literacy gaps, and a critical deficit in data governance. A fundamental tension is identified between top-down, technology-driven strategies and the on-the-ground realities of the agricultural sector, with no 'quick win' solutions apparent. It is concluded that while Jordan's proactive approach offers valuable lessons, its success is contingent upon resolving these systemic frictions. The study's findings underscore the need for an integrated policy strategy to build both technical and human capacity in parallel to achieve sustainable agricultural development.