AgroFood Innovation Clusters

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB Balkan-Mediterranean

Date of latest update: 2021-04-06

Description

Description (EN):

For Balkan Med region the agro food sector has an important social and economic role–especially in rural communities-and is emerging as a central element for the region’s development. Despite the diversity of production systems and the different degrees of obstacles,Balkan Med territories are facing common challenges that limit the development of the agro food sector and weaken especially the small producers. Most constraints are common in rural Balkan Med areas, such as lack of innovation and productivity, quality and food safety, difficulties in promoting typical products, access to funding and the structure of the value chain at a regional level. On top, agricultural policies implemented by Balkan Med countries in recent decades have led to their increasing dependence on imports and to their total exposure to volatile international markets.AgroLabs project aims to foster the production and distribution of innovative agro food products of the Balkan Med area by organising local value chains, supporting producers in their development projects and creating new markets for their products. To achieve these aims towards the sustainable growth of the Agro Food sector, all relevant actors should be engaged. The promotion of sustainable agrofood development requires that "enabling environments", in particular those aimed at ensuring innovation, continuing human resource development and capacity building, are promoted and maintained. This will be achieved through the development of Agro Food innovation clusters, a place where research, industry and authorities can meet to co-create the Balkan Med area’s competences in innovation of agrofood sector. This will contribute to the organisation of agrofood value chains, support SMEs and producers and promote their products in local and international markets. The main output of AgroLabs project include the diagnosis of the agrofood chain in Greece, Cyprus, Albania and Bulgaria, 4 agrofood innovation clusters (AgroLabs), Joint conceptualisation of cluster projects, Participatory development of pilot cluster project to address common challenges, to be more competitive and to generate economies of scale etc, Innovative products through the implementation of pilot activities, Regional capacity building training sessions for SMEs and local support structures in the agro food value chain and raising local authority awareness. The outputs will benefit producers, SMEs and all actors in the Agro food value chain, local/regional authorities and the participating regions. The innovative “bottom-up” approach of AgroLabs will allow to meet the needs and the aspirations of the involved stakeholders and to ensure the appropriation of the AgroLabs clusters by building a joint strategy through cross-border exchange. This will lead to the creation of the Balkan Med network of agro-food clusters. In addition AgroLabs partners acting as facilitators will provide stakeholder support throughout the project lifetime.

Website: http://www.agrolabs.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

AgroLabs project will contribute to make the Balkan-Med agro-food sector more attractive, productive and international. Moreover, it will support cross-border cooperation by promoting innovative technologies, strategies and products, as well as it will support and increase the know-how of agrofood SMEs and actors in the entire value chain through an open access procedure. This will lead to a more competitive Balkan-Med region. Further expected results of AgroLabs are: 1. Improvement of innovation performances of food enterprises, institutions and research bodies, through the definition and application of analytical and intervention tools, oriented to manage know-how for achieving an effective and more intensive application of R&D and innovation, 2. New concrete projects for building innovation capacity, as well as improved products and processes in agro-food sector, by converging SMEs needs, skills of research bodies and institutional support, obtaining the critical mass able to participate more effectively in R&D EU Programmes, 3. Stronger collaboration and relationships among research bodies, institutions and agro-food enterprises at local, regional and cross border level, 4. Reinforcement of existing transnational cooperation networks and establishment of new ones without distorting the market, through a “transnational horizontal network” among the involved Balkan-Med regions and opening to other EU areas. As it is evident, the results of AgroLabs are directly contributing to the result indicator of the S.O.1.2. SMEs introducing product or process innovations, since AgroLabs contribute to support agro-food enterprises to introduce new products through the cooperation with research institutions.

Expected Outputs (EN):

The main outputs of AgroLabs project include: 1) Diagnosis of the agro-food chain of Imathia, Lemesos, Blagoevgrad and Fier regions. The knowledge gained from the diagnosis will be compiled in a transnational synthesis report. 2) AgroLabs Workshops so as to enable multi-stakeholders’ joint conceptualisation and development of pilot agro-food innovation clusters. 3) AgroLabs Innovation Summit. Transnational conference that involves key stakeholders from each region, to promote the transnational exchange and networking, discuss challenges and develop common solutions and strategies concerning the growth of agro-food sector in Balkan-Med region. A policy paper will be produced. 4) Four Local Action Plans that is the result of stakeholders’ consultation activities and aim at building joint strategy at regional level. They will serve as the operational plan to establish the AgroLabs cluster. 5) Four AgroFood Innovation clusters. AgroLabs serves as physical place where industry (agro-food enterprises, producers, actors in the value chain etc), research institutions and public authorities meet. AgroLabs’ operation involves the development of new agro-food products with the help of research partners, monitoring, mentoring sessions and training activities so as to ensure the sustainability of the cluster developed, incorporate innovative products in the SMEs production and enhance typical products’ commercialization etc. The 4 AgroLabs will not only operate as units but as a transnational network as well. The aforementioned outputs will contribute towards the agro-food value chain organization and the development of local capacities. Moreover,it will foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the sector, will increase the visibility and reputation of typical and new agro-food products and will develop their commercialization. The outputs will benefit agro-food SMEs and actors in the agro-food value chain local/regional authorities and the participating regions.

Thematic information

Clustering and economic cooperation Agriculture and fisheries and forestry

Specific Objective: Innovative territories: unleashing territorial potential to improve the transnational innovation capacity of the business sector

Thematic Objective: (03) enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs by:

Investment Priority: (03d) supporting the capacity of SMEs to grow in regional, national and international markets, and to engage in innovation processes

Partners (8)

Lead Partner: Ειδικός Λογαριασμός Κονδυλίων Έρευνας (ΕΛΚΕ) Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Αττικής

Address: 28, Agiou Spiridonos Str., 122 43 Egaleo, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: https://www.uniwa.gr/

Total budget: EUR 229 200.00

ERDF budget: EUR 194 820.00

IPA2 budget: EUR 34 380.00

Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου

Name: Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου

Address: 31, Archbishop Kyprianos, PO Box: 50329, 3603, Lemesos, 3603 Lemesos, Cyprus

Legal status: public

Website: https://www.cut.ac.cy/

Total budget: EUR 125 760.00

ERDF budget: EUR 106 896.00

IPA2 budget: EUR 18 864.00

Αναπτυξιακή Εταιρεία Επαρχίας Λεμεσού

Name: Αναπτυξιακή Εταιρεία Επαρχίας Λεμεσού

Address: Archiepiskopou Makariou 83, 4181 Ipsonas, Limassol, 4181 Lemesos, Cyprus

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.anelem.com/anelem-home/

Total budget: EUR 114 152.00

ERDF budget: EUR 97 029.20

IPA2 budget: EUR 17 122.80

Bashkia Fier

Name: Bashkia Fier

Address: 15 "Ramiz Aranitasi" Str., AL 9301, Lagjja "Kastriot", AL 9301 Fier, Albania

Legal status: public

Website: http://bashkiafier.gov.al/sq-al/Pages/default.aspx

Total budget: EUR 83 334.00

ERDF budget: EUR 70 833.90

IPA2 budget: EUR 12 500.00

Περιφέρεια Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας

Name: Περιφέρεια Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας

Address: 44, Mitropoleos Str. Veria, 59132 Veria, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.pkm.gov.gr/

Total budget: EUR 104 713.00

ERDF budget: EUR 89 006.05

IPA2 budget: EUR 15 706.95

Софийски университет Св."Климент Охридски", Биологически факултет, катедра по Екология и опазване на природната среда

Name: Софийски университет Св."Климент Охридски", Биологически факултет, катедра по Екология и опазване на природната среда

Address: 8, Dragan Tcankov Str., Sofia - Depart. Ecology and Environmental protectionSofia, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Website: https://www.uni-sofia.bg/

Total budget: EUR 102 357.00

ERDF budget: EUR 87 003.45

IPA2 budget: EUR 15 353.55

Oбщина Разлог

Name: Oбщина Разлог

Address: 1, Stefan Stambolov Street, RazlogRazlog, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.razlog.bg/

Total budget: EUR 112 140.00

ERDF budget: EUR 95 319.00

IPA2 budget: EUR 16 821.00

Universiteti Bujqesor I Tiranes, Departamenti I Agromjedisit dhe Ekologjise

Name: Universiteti Bujqesor I Tiranes, Departamenti I Agromjedisit dhe Ekologjise

Address: Koder Kamez, TiranaTirana, Albania

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.ubt.edu.al

Total budget: EUR 84 647.00

ERDF budget: EUR 71 949.95

IPA2 budget: EUR 12 697.05

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): AgroFood Innovation Clusters

Project acronym: AgroLabs

Project start date: 2017-08-01

Project end date: 2020-01-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 956 303.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 812 857.55

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 670 073.70.
IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 142 783.85.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Brochures / magazines / manuals

AgreLabs Brochure

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Brochure / magazine / manual

Data source: http://www.agrolabs.eu/clusters

Publication date: 2020-01-27

Document date: 2020-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Reports

Common Methodological Guide

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg-balkanmed.eu/approved-project/31/

Publication date: 2020-01-27

Document date: 2020-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Media releases / articles

Water-energy-food nexus: A case study on medicinal and aromatic plants

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Media release / article

Data source: http://www.agrolabs.eu/documents

Publication date: 2020-01-27

Document date: 2019-05-01

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Effect of phosphorus application rate on Mentha spicata L. grown in deep flow technoque (DFT)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Media release / article

Data source: http://www.agrolabs.eu/documents

Publication date: 2020-01-27

Document date: 2020-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Quality and safety attributes on shredded carrots by using Origanum majorana and ascorbic acid

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Media release / article

Data source: http://www.agrolabs.eu/documents

Publication date: 2020-01-27

Document date: 2020-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Cultivation strategy to improve chemical profile and anti-oxidant activity of Sideritis perfoliata L. subsp. perfoliata

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Media release / article

Data source: http://www.agrolabs.eu/documents

Publication date: 2020-01-27

Document date: 2020-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG VB Balkan-Mediterranean

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2022-12-09

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

44 / 44 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

282 / 282 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.interreg-balkanmed.eu/), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-09-20.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

Languages

Contact Form

AgroFood Innovation Clusters

Description

Thematic information

Partners (8)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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