The JOIST Innovation Park successfully hosted the event on Thursday 19th February thematic workshop and matchmaking event between businesses, research institutions, and citizens in the context of the actions of Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) of the Region of Thessaly. The event, in collaboration with the European project Organic farms and the junction EDIH DigiAgriFood, formed part of the regional innovation ecosystem enhancement activities, aiming to facilitate cooperation between businesses, research bodies and productive organisations.
During the event, technological approaches and innovative methodologies proposed by the Biofarms project were presented for the valorisation of agricultural production and processing by-products, with the aim of producing high value-added active compounds.
Also, practical applications of the circular economy in the agri-food sector, digital tools and infrastructure supporting sustainable production, and DigiAgriFood services with an emphasis on the AGRONIT system for field data management and decision support were presented. At the same time, through the presentation of the FARM360TECH project, reference was made to the broader strategic and funding framework for agri-food, offering participants an available opportunity for cooperation and support.
RIS3 Thessaly constitutes the key regional policy tool for the promotion of research, technology and innovation, strengthening cooperation between businesses, public bodies, the academic community and civil society, while supporting the entrepreneurial discovery process in priority sectors of the economy.
Participants had the opportunity to be informed about the benefits of participation, to express needs and priorities, as well as to explore possibilities for integration into the actions of RIS3 Thessaly and the utilisation of the provided services. During the event, indicative research and innovation projects implemented in the Region of Thessaly under the Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) were also presented. These projects, which are implemented through collaborations between businesses and research and academic institutions, concern the development of new products, technologies and applications in priority sectors of the regional economy. Their presentation aimed to highlight good practices of cooperation between the business and research sectors, as well as to explore the potential for creating new synergies and cross-sectoral partnerships.
It was highlighted that the approach of utilising specific by-products within the existing production chain of other products opens up prospects for new cross-sectoral collaborations between different branches of agrifood production, and can begin to be implemented immediately, by leveraging the know-how, infrastructure and partnerships that already exist between the stakeholders who participated in the meeting. At the same time, it was emphasised that the development of local synergies is a key success factor for the implementation of innovative solutions in the agrifood sector. In this context, the actions of the strategy focus, amongst other things, on the participation of stakeholders, businesses and research organisations, with the aim of creating realistic by-product utilisation chains and developing new partnerships.
The event highlighted the importance of linking research with production and confirmed the role of RIS3 Thessaly as a platform for cooperation among the actors of the region's innovation ecosystem.