Fish culture can be an important food source as well as a way to increase employment and income of rural populations in Africa. In most countries, however, it is not considered to be a full share activity, and, in most cases, the fish culture systems implemented by rural production do not reach their economic viability. In order to promote sustainable fish culture as well as flexible and innovative production systems, it is important that the socio-technical and organizational innovations be codesigned. To study this issue a research program in Western Cameroon developed a project with two fish farming groups organized into Common Initiative Groups. Two theoretical approaches are used: the sociology of translation and sciences - which considers that innovations are socially built and that the role of the research is not only to produce new techniques but to translate the different issues, so as to enrol the actors around a common question; and both action-research and intervention-research developed by sociologists and management researchers. We presented the results of the diagnosis to three groups of farmers gathered by local leaders. During these meetings, we were able to identify the actors concerned, the requests, and the stakes. We will present here the first two phases of what we describe as a Partnership-based Action-Research. The first phase consists of exploring and formalizing how the different actors will commit themselves to work together and to reach an agreement. In the second phase the co-conception of the fish culture innovation is implemented. The main result is the groups (CIG) which were set up. They not only enable the experimental protocols but also build a language, a representation and a common way of working, as a necessary passage point (NPP), essential to any socio-technical and organisational innovation. Another important result is how the experimental protocols helped formalize the ethical framework necessary to work in partnership. In conclusion, it is important for us to learn from the methodological work accomplished - in particular to reflect on the competencies the researchers ought to develop to work with farmers. Researchers act as mediators, facilitators, translators and spokesmen of a hybrid actorresearcher group. The “technical” work is carried out according to a co-defined action plan, generally to solve a problem. The production of action-based scientific knowledge becomes a true task of the research group.