COOPeration of bioeconomy clusters for bio-based knowledge transfer via Innovative Dissemination techniques in the primary production sector
The COOPID project will address the main challenges that the primary sector encounters when participating in the ‘bioeconomy’, namely, poor cooperation and knowledge transfer between stakeholders and limited support for investing in research and development to establish new value chains.
According to the European Commission, the bioeconomy includes all those business models that rely on the use of renewable bio-based resources from the land and the sea – such as crops, forests, fish, animals and microorganisms – to produce food, materials and energy. Moreover, the EU’s latest Green Deal, the European plan to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050, directly supports the implementation of a sustainable and circular bio-based sector.
Coordinated by Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias de España -Agri-food Cooperatives Spain, the umbrella association representing the Spanish agri-food cooperative movement- COOPID proposes an innovative and effective strategy to inspire primary producers and stimulate the adoption of inclusive and sustainable bio-based activities, models in the European primary production sector, taking into account regional and sectoral particularities. Currently, the bioeconomy starts in the field, but the meaningful participation of the primary sector is currently being questioned: this is a problem that COOPID intends to address.
To do so, COOPID plans to develop a purpose-built network of “Bioeconomy Clusters” from 10 European countries, involving a wide range of stakeholders: primary producers – cooperatives or associations of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture -, industry, public sector, research and academia. To date, COOPID already has the commitment of 73 entities to participate as partners in the “COOPID Bioeconomy Clusters”.
These 10 COOPID Bioeconomy Clusters (CBC) will develop a 4-level knowledge transfer strategy: (1) selection of success stories, (2) organisation of workshops and activities among selected cluster representatives (COOPID ambassadors), (3) interactive dissemination and (4) communication to a wider audience. These actions will foster links between the primary sector in Europe. At the same time, its results will also be the basis for a series of practical recommendations for primary producers, policy makers, industry and academia. Overall, the project strategy will support the development of stronger bioeconomy business models within the European primary sector.
COOPID is a 2-year international initiative that started on 1 January 2021 and will run until 31 December 2022. In total, the project has 11 project partners from 10 different EU countries: Cooperative Agroalimentari Spain (ES , project coordinator), Greenflex (FR), Universita Di Bologna (IT), Gaia Epicheirein (EL), Agraren Universitet – Plovdiv (BG), Instytut Ekonomiki Rolnictwa i Gospodarki Żywnościowej, Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (PL), National Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Styria (AT), Munster Technological University ( IE), Food & Biocluster Denmark (DK), Proagria Oulu (FI), being the leaders of their national “Bioeconomy Clusters”, who will find collaborators, foster networking and promote and active knowledge exchange between them. Finally, Innovarum (ES) – a consultancy company specialised in promoting innovation in the agri-food sector – will act as a horizontal actor during the development of the project, enabling the exchange of knowledge between the ten Clusters and providing tools for efficient communication.
– Call: H2020-FNR-2020-1
– Coordinator: Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias de España
– Duration: 01/2021-12/2022
– Budget: 2 million euros
– Links in Cordis: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101000519
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