Study on Selecting Optimal Location of Agribusiness Innovation Center in Uganda using Fuzzy-TOPSIS
This study aimed to evaluate the application of the multi-criteria decision-making approach, specifically Fuzzy-TOPSIS, in agriculture official development assistance (ODA) projects. The focus of the study was to identify the optimal location for establishing the Korea Agricultural Business Innovation Center (K-ABIC) in Uganda, as part of the "Strengthening Capacity for Youth Agribusiness Development in Uganda (SCADU)" project. In this study, six decision-makers assessed four candidate locations (alternatives) based on four criteria: accessibility, potential for rent expense reduction, suitability as an office and educational facility, and sustainability. Linguistic scales were utilized and transformed into triangular fuzzy numbers. Closeness coefficients (CC) were then calculated to prioritize the optimal location, which was found to be the Technology Research Center located in Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo, outside of Kampala (alternative 3). The findings of this study confirmed the applicability and usefulness of Fuzzy-TOPSIS through a real case study conducted in Uganda. The practical implementation of multi-criteria decision-making methods, such as Fuzzy-TOPSIS, is expected to contribute to resolving decision-making challenges in the field of international development cooperation.