The European Innovation Partnership (EIP)„Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability“

Moving Innovation in Agriculture Ahead !

EUFRAS Workshop – Wroclaw - 26 February 2013Inge Van Oost – DG Agriculture and Rural Development

• Europe 2020 Strategy: Crucial role of research and innovation in preparing the EU for the future challenges

• CAP reform package gives innovation a key role for sustainable agriculture and rural development

• The “Budget for Europe 2020" under the CAP heading foresees 4.5 billion Euros for research and innovation in the field of food security, bio-economy and sustainable agriculture

• The Europe 2020 flagship initiative "Innovation Union" specifies European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) as a new tool for fostering innovation

Context

Food

Biodiversity Habitats Economic

Viability

Climate Change

Resource-management

Bio-energyBiomass

Supply ChainIntegration

Challenges and Opportunities

Closing The Innovation GAP

Research

Farming Practice

Resu

lts

Fee

db

ack

Interactio

nAdvisors

What is Innovation ?

In short: ideas put into practice with success

•new, improved or successfully applied products, processes or services, for instance products with adapted quality, new production methods, opening to new markets and new forms of organization

•innovation is more than dissemination of research results: it occurs as a result of the creativity and interplay between actors for combining new and/or existing (tacit) knowledge

•In the end, it is only when a new creation really becomes more or less mainstream that it is called an "innovation”

Interplay and mediation between actors is key

The Interactive Innovation Model

• The innovation model under the agricultural EIP goes far beyond speeding up transfer "from laboratory to market" through diffusion of new scientific knowledge (referred to as a "linear innovation model").

• The EIP adheres to the "interactive innovation model" which focuses on forming partnerships - using bottom-up approaches and linking farmers, advisors, researchers, businesses, and other actors in Operational Groups.

• This knowledge “exchange” will generate new insights and ideas and mould existing tacit knowledge into focused solutions that are quicker put into practice. Such an approach will stimulate innovation from all sides and will help to target the research agenda.

1.1. The EIP interlinking policy instruments

2. 3.for synergy

General Principles

The EIP will provide challenge-driven solutions based on:

• interlinking innovation-related measures and initiatives to achieve synergies and enhance effectiveness

• facilitating communication among stakeholders and creating workable links between science and practice

• providing EU value added through networking and enhancing complementarity

• using a lean governance structure, based on existing mechanisms

EIP Implementation via Rural Development Programmes

• Establishing “operational groups” (Art 62) involving farmers, advisors, agribusiness, research, NGOs, etc

• Support for Operational Groups (OGs) (Art 36) covers both setting up of EIP OGs funding of their operations

• Bottom-up approach towards defining composition and operational purpose of a single operational groups: each operational group must establish its plan on expected results and share results within the EIP network

• Possible combination of cooperation in "operational groups" with other measures such as knowledge transfer, advisory services, investment aid, quality schemes etc.

EIP Implementation via theEuropean Union Research Policy (Horizon 2020)

• Research projects enhancing the knowledge base, including on-farm experiments

• Support for practice-oriented formats such as multi-actor projects, and support for innovation brokers, innovation centres, and thematic networks

• Calls for proposals via work programmes (at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 Member States or associated countries)

• Interlinking knowledge generation and sharing experience through dissemination activities and thematic networks

Farmers

NGOs Advisors

Researchers

Agri-business Operational

Group

Key Acting Entities Within the EIP

- Operational Groups -

OperationalGroupHorizon

2020NationalFundsERDFPrivate Funds

RuralDevelop-

ment

Different Sources of Funding for Operational Groups

OperationalGroup

Different Sources of Funding for Operational Groups

RuralDevelop-

ment

Horizon2020 ERDF

NationalFunds

Private Funds

NW

NW

NW

NWNW

NW

NW

NWNW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NW

NWNW

NW

NW

EIP Network

NW NW

NW

Focusgroup

Focusgroup

Focusgroup

Focusgroup

Focusgroup

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OGOG

OGOG

OG

OG

OG

OG

OG

Workshop

Workshop

Workshop

Seminar

Seminar

Seminar

Network Function of the EIP

• Collect information (research and innovation projects etc.) and best innovation practices

• Effective flow of information (website, databases)

• Give advice on opportunities within policies (helpdesk function)

• Sharing knowledge on concrete practical work and connect actors

• Systematic feedback to the scientific community about practice needs (Art.12 H2020)

EIPNetwork

Areas of Innovative Actions as outlinedin the EIP Communication (COM (2012)79)

• Primary production: technical solutions to increasing productivity and economic viability

• Resource management: eco-system services, soil functionality, water management, and genetic resources (“public goods”)

• Bioeconomy: innovative technology for the bio-based economy bio-refinery; new products; reduction of post harvest loss

• Supply chain: integrated supply chain solutions; new services; logistics, and management systems

• Quality and consumers: food quality, food safety, and healthy lifestyles (consumer information and consumer choice)

EIP Network

Steering Board European Innovation Partnership Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability

Rural Development Policy:

• Knowledge transfer• Cooperation• Pilot projects • Demonstration• Advisory services• Investment

Operational Groups Operational

Groups

Operational Groups

Operational Groups

Operational Groups

MemberStates

Programmes

Rural Development

Committee

Rural Development

NetworkSteering Group

Farmers . Advisers . Enterprises . Scientists. NGOs

Research & Innovation Framework:

• Research projects• Multi-actor projects• Pilot project clusters• Innovation brokers• On-farm experiments

ETPs, ERA-Nets, JPIs,

etc.

Standing Committee

on Agricultural Research (SCAR) Horizon 2020

ProgrammeCommittee

Eip network Eip network facility facility

AWPAWP

SIP & SherpasSIP & Sherpas

Innovation guidelinesInnovation guidelines

AKIS CWGAKIS CWG

2. Role of advisors for enhancing innovation

What could be the role of advisors for Innovation?

All advisors can play a major role in enhancing innovation, whether they form part of the FAS or not.

Advisors may form part of operational groups as one of the actors

Advisors will be integrated in the actions of the EIP in particular because of their mediator role via EIP Network. Advisors will help sharing of innovative solutions among farmers and avoid frontrunner approaches

The EIP network can support advisors in providing ready to use research results and examples of good innovation practices.

Moreover, advisors may indicate practical stumbling stones for the implementation of existing solutions and reveal needs for further research related to productivity and sustainability.

[MSs’ FAS coordinating bodies may play a coordinating role]

Support from the EU for knowledge exchange

• Rural Development funds provide for financing if the Member State makes it part of its Rural Development Plan(s):• Support for the use of advice by farmers, the setting up of farm

advisory services and for the training of advisors: 50% co-financing• Cooperation support: 80% co-financing• Support for knowledge transfer & inf. actions: 80% co-financing

• 40% + top up 20% support rate for collective investments[100% for funds transferred from first pillar for « operations with a significant contribution to

innovation relevant to agricultural productivity and sustainability »: capping on a voluntary basis]

RD programmes have a horizontal priority on knowledge transfer and innovation

National rural networks support network activities for innovation

RD Support from EU for knowledge exchange

• Support for Operational Groups (OGs) covers both • setting up EIP OGs• funding their operations:

• - Support for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies

• - Support for "pilot projects“, pursuing the testing and adaptation of technologies, processes etc. to "new" geographical/environmental contexts (i.e. contexts in which they have not yet been used)

• The cooperation measure also supports many other activities which pursue the objectives of the EIP, e.g. support for networks, which bring together a variety of actors and by sharing needs and knowledge may initiate actions of OGs and/or support actions of existing groups.

Art 36 - “cooperation measure” for OGs & networks

24

Innovation guidelines: 100 % bottom-up innovation projects under Rural

Development (RDC 20 Feb 2013)

• Establishment of operational groups (Art. 36) can be 100% bottom-up

• Criteria can be related to:

• - relevance of the project for actors and end-users*

• - targeted composition of the partners in view of co-creation*

• - quality & quantity of knowledge exchange & cross-fertilisation

• - demonstrating competences on state of play/avoiding repetition

• - easy understandable & long-term communication effect

• (*evidence from examples collected by the KT & I focus group (ENRD))

25

Innovation guidelines: innovation brokerage under Rural Development

(RDC 20 Feb 2013)

• Innovation brokerage can be supported via

- - technical assistance (Art 55 (2))-

- animation under the co-operation measure (Art 36 (5))-

- advisory services (Art 16 (1))

• Horizon 2020 funding will provide for opportunities for actors to be active and update/exchange their knowledge via :• Forming part of a consortium in a multi-actor research project,

e.g. for a workpackage (e.g demo, farm experim, calculation)• Integration of ‘hands on’ mixed operational groups in multi-actor

projects • Thematic networks

• …….Be active in « agriwikipedia »?

First actions already in FP7 WP 2013 (call closed Feb 2013): A « boosting translation » project will be collecting research

results and translating them into understandable and concise information. This could serve as practical input for testing in OGs and giving feedback to researchers for further research work

Joining in actions of Horizon 2020 Research Framework 2014-2020

Advisors are key for innovation

3. Multi-actor projects to boost innovation

-Under Horizon 2020

as discussed in the SCAR AKIS CWG

1. Legal base under Horizon 2020

Horizon 2020 Regulation:

• A “multi-actor approach" "will ensure the necessary cross-fertilising interactions between researcher, businesses, farmers/producers, advisors and end-users".

• This approach fully matches with the concept of OG and the EIP interactive innovation model

1. Legal base under Horizon 2020

Specific Programme Horizon 2020:

• "The impact and dissemination of research results will be actively supported through specific actions on communication, knowledge exchange and the involvement of various actors all along the projects.“

• "…increased participation of farms, fishermen and other types of micro-enterprises in research and demonstration activities. The specific needs of the primary production sector for innovation support services and outreach structures will be taken into account. “

1. Legal base under Horizon 2020

Specific Programme Horizon 2020:

• "The impact and dissemination of research results will be actively supported through specific actions on communication, knowledge exchange and the involvement of various actors all along the projects.“

• "…increased participation of farms, fishermen and other types of micro-enterprises in research and demonstration activities. The specific needs of the primary production sector for innovation support services and outreach structures will be taken into account. “

2. Features for multi-actor projects1. 1. Relevance of the research object for end-users:

2. (importance of subject, demand driven, complementarity, creativity, absorption capacity…)

3. 2. Targeted composition of the partnership of actors

4. (coverage of partners, complementarity, adequacy, …)

5. 3. Refining of possible solutions: knowledge exchange and cross-fertilisation during the project (actions generating co-ownership)

6. 4. Short-term dissemination (via involvement of actors & end-users, expertise and track record of actors, translation)

7. 5. Long-term dissemination (output and outreach)

3. Innovation brokering in & outside multi-actor projects

Innovation broker: (Source: Howells, 2006)

“an organization or body that acts as an agent or broker in any aspect of the innovation process between two or more parties. Such intermediary activities include: helping to provide information about potential collaborators; brokering a transaction between two or more parties; acting as a mediator, or go-between bodies or organizations that are already collaborating; and helping find advice, funding and support for the innovation outcomes of such collaborations.”

(see EIP Kick-off event 19 Nov 2013 for the brokering process)

3. Innovation brokering ….in & outside multi-actor projects

• - As an element in multi-actor projects (for subjects linked to the call topic in the H2020 workprogramme)

• - Generating blue sky ideas from practice via brokering to turn them into innovation (innovation guidelines "100% bottom-up innovation": e.g. example 6 of the EIP event)

• - Learning from each other: a CSA/thematic network for innovation brokers (including future innovation brokers?)

4. Thematic networks to boost innovation

-Under Horizon 2020

as discussed in the SCAR AKIS CWG

Who?

• Involving all concerned stakeholders (researchers, farmers, advisors, enterprises, education, NGOs, administration, regulatory bodies…): no pure research networks

• Stocktaking, mapping and state-of-the-art of existing scientific knowledge & best practices: what do we have/what do we miss to make used

• Develop tools and instruments to facilitate the discussion on, sharing and dissemination of knowledge in an easy accessible way: end-user material

Thematic networks

End-user material !

• Generate input for a research database for end-users (long term availability of results in a common format and translated into EU languages)

• Feeding into education (schools, higher education) and lifelong learning (vocational training for advisors and farmers)

Link to demonstration or pilot (?)

Test idea in WP 2014

Thematic networks

Themes?

Themes may be linked to

• Sectors, e.g. arable crops, fruit&veg, pig,…) or,

• Subjects, e.g. crop rotation, certain farming practices, energy, eco-system services, social services, biobased products, short chains,…

• or …? (Exercise in AKIS 3rd workshop)

Thematic networks

• As they bring together possible actors, they may help the connecting and building of EU Operational groups & multi-actor projects

• Facilitate exchange of knowledge on a specific theme, improve coordination, avoid overlapping of relevant activities

• Possible subnetworks with a more limited focus, e.g. the local/regional/national level or for a specific crop/product/farming type (see Dairyman example)

Thematic networks

regional: (subnetwork could be in a region, on a specific crop, farming system,…

interregions and MS: Think tank, generating knowledge exchange & end-user material , listing practice needs for research

Example: Dairyman

…to exchange knowledge between all actors in the EU

The EIP can help to make innovation happen:Let’s move on...

Advisors are key for innovation and an „Agriculture of Knowledge“…..

…… Join the EIP

Thank you for your attention!

http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/index_en.htm (Kick-off event 19 Nov 2012)

AGRI research and innovation 7 March 2012 Kick-off event:http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/events/research-conference-2012_en.htm

Inge.Van-Oost@ec.europa.eu