CULTIVATING INNOVATION
Default news image

Author: Andreas Antoniades

“FOCUS” 5TH PM&SCM, CAPITALIZATION WORKSHOP AND FINAL TRANSNATIONAL AGRI-FOOD CONFERENCE

PRESS RELEASE

“FOCUS” 5th PM&SCM, CAPITALIZATION WORKSHOP and FINAL TRANSNATIONAL AGRI-FOOD CONFERENCE

Date: 9-10 DECEMBER 2019

VENUE: NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS – Multimedia Amphithiater  9 Iroon Polytechneiou, Zografou Campus, 15780,

Athens, GREECE

On December, 9th and 10th 2019, in Athens, Greece, the National Technical University of Athens _NTUA, in the framework of the Interreg V-B Balkan Mediterranean programme entitled STRENGTHENING COMPETITIVENESS OF AGRI-FOOD SMES THROUGH TRANSNATIONAL CLUSTERS, pROJECT aCRONYM: FOCUS, is hosting the organisation with the collaboration of the project’s partners of the Fifth project & steering committee meeting, Capitalisation Workshop and the Final Transnational Agri-Food Conference.

On the 9th of December all the project partners, covering the Balkan-Mediterranean area, are going to participate in the 5th Project & Steering Committee meeting, which is going to be the final one as the project closure is due to end on the 31st of January 2020, in order to discuss over the progress of the FOCUS project; remaining deliverables and its outcomes. Upon the second day, the 10th of December 2019,  in the morning NTUA will be hosting the Capitalisation Workshop aiming to disseminate to its stakeholders and more specifically to its external experts and observers of the project, the Agri-food innovation services mix offered within the project under the operation of the four Regional Agri-food Clusters established in the 4 partners countries in Balkan med area: Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania as well as exchange views and receive comments and suggestions from the experts. The FOCUS Final Transnational Agri-Food Conference is hosted also by NTUA at its premises according to agenda, on the 10th December 2019, starting at 13:30 until 17:00. The Final Conference is entitled “Innovation challenges in the Agri-food sector”. The main speakers that have been invited represent SMEs from the primary and secondary sector in Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Albania countries. The Final Conference is open to the public, experts, SMEs, academia, policy makers and everyone who is interested in the field of innovation towards the Agri-Food sector. The Conference will be closing with interactive discussion and a networking cocktail.  

Download here:
Workshop Agenda
Conference Agenda

“FOCUS” 4TH PM&SCM, 3RD FOCUS GROUP MEETING AND TRANSNATIONAL AGRI-FOOD MATCHMAKING FAIR

On May, 15th and 16th 2019, in Nicosia-Cyprus, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry _CCCI, in the framework of FOCUS Balkan-Med project, organised with the collaboration of the project partners the fourth project & steering committee meeting, the third focus group meeting and the Transnational Agri-Food Matchmaking Fair.

On the 15th of May all the project partners, covering the Balkan-Mediterranean area, attended the 4th Project & Steering Committee meeting in order to discuss over the progress of the FOCUS project and its activities. The progress of the project was presented and discussed as well as the final transnational meeting/ final conference and milestones were decided upon the 4th SC meeting. Late afternoon, in the same day the 3rd Focus Group took place aiming to enhance the Agri-food innovation services mix offered within the project under the operation of the four Regional Agri-food Clusters that have been established in the 4 partners countries in Balkan med area: Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania as well as exchange views and receive comments and suggestions from the experts. Experts from the Cyprus University of Technology, Professor Dimitris Tsaltas, and from the Federation of the Hellenic Food Industry, Dr Fotini Salta, briefly presented their organisations and best practices of innovation services in Agri-Food sector the case for Cyprus and Greece. A discussion was contacted in order to identify and capitalise specific actions and improvements in terms of the platform and the exploitation of the innovation services that the FOCUS project will provide thoroughly to its Clusters’ members. Exchange of views was elaborated in local and transnational level.

On the 16th of May the FOCUS Transnational Agri-Food Matchmaking Fair was organised with the participation of more than 45 stakeholders of the project who explored the growing challenges of the Agri-food mixed innovation services provided through project. The 22 transnational Regional SMEs coming from the Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Cyprus of the consortium countries were also participated in the event and there are in parallel members of the 4 Regional Agri-Food Clusters. The representation from the academia, public sector and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN Cyprus) had a significant contribution in the event, and more precisely during the presentations session and the working session of the business to business and networking. Welcoming remarks delivered by Mr Leonidas Paschalides, Deputy Secretary General, who emphasised the value of the project outcomes in Agri-Food industry in Cyprus and abroad.  Demetris Tsaltas, Associate Professor in Agriculture Microbiology and Biotechnology in the Cyprus Technology University, elaborated in his keynote speech on efforts that was made the last years in the research and development of Agri-Food sector in Cyprus provided examples of best practices and innovation services in the specific sector. Other speakers included Ms Nadia Karra from KiNNO Consultants Ltd. external expert of the Region of Peloponnese for FOCUS project, Sofia Karma on behalf of the National Technical University of Athens, Stalo Demosthenous from the Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus and Constantinos Loizou from EMBIO Diagnostics Ltd.

There was an agreement on the need of innovation services which will be provided through the platform of the project. Overall the purpose of the event accomplished successfully by expanding their experiences on agri-food innovation, engaging more in the providing of the mixed innovation services, broadening their network and participating in business to business meetings to identify joint opportunities to expand in new markets abroad.

 

TRANSNATIONAL AGRI-FOOD MATCHMAKING FAIR, Nicosia, Cyprus

“FOCUS” 4th PM&SCM, 3rd  FOCUS GROUP MEETING and TRANSNATIONAL AGRI-FOOD MATCHMAKING FAIR

Date: 15-16 May 2019

Place: Nicosia, CYPRUS

On May, 15th and 16th 2019, in Nicosia-Cyprus, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry _CCCI, in the framework of FOCUS Balkan-Med project, is organising with the collaboration of the project partners the fourth project & steering committee meeting, the third focus group meeting and the Transnational Agri-Food Matchmaking Fair.

On the 15th of May all the project partners, covering the Balkan-Mediterranean area, are going to participate in the 4th Project & Steering Committee meeting in order to discuss over the progress of the FOCUS project and its activities. Late afternoon, in the same day the 3rd Focus Group is going to take place aiming to enhance the Agri-food innovation services mix offered within the project under the operation of the four Regional Agri-food Clusters established in the 4 partners countries in Balkan med area: Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania as well as exchange views and receive comments and suggestions from the experts. In the morning of the next day the Transnational Agri-Food Matchmaking Fair is going to take place where the four (4) Agri-food regional Clusters and their Regional SMEs which have already expressed their interest for the Clusters and project activities will attend the Fair in order to expand their experiences on agri-food innovation, be engaged more in the offered innovation services, expand their network and participate in business to business meetings. Invitation and the programme of the 2 days

Invitation

Programme

Local Open Day Event In Vlora, Albania

Local Open Day Event In Vlora, Albania

On May 14th, 2018 in Vlora, near
‘Three Racat’ square, it was realized with local businesses within the Focus-Med Balkans Program the LOCAL OPEN DAY event.

AULEDA – Local Economic Development Agency of Vlora Region, invited the local businesses operating in the field of agro-industry. The businesses had the opportunity to promote the local products, to represent their local identity.

Municipality of Vlora, Regional public actors, Public Agriculture and agri-food institutions, Research Institutions, NGO-s operating in the Agri-food sector, Universities, Chambers of Commerce, SME-s and Cooperatives were the main participants of this day. The fair was attended by businesses, farmers, and other stakeholders operating in the field of agro-industry such as wine, olive oil, fruits, vegetable and handmade products.

The participants showed great interest for the event and the products presented, also they enjoyed the quality representation of the local producers and enterprises.

2nd Transnational Steering Committee Meeting, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The 2nd Transnational Steering Committee Meeting held on the 8th to 9th May 2018 in Plovdiv, Bul-garia. The Agriculture University of Plovdiv was the hosting partner, of the 3 days meetings. During the 8th and 9th May the meetings was focus on the 2nd Steering Committee. On the 8th of May an open-ing speech from the Rector of the Agricultural University Prof. Hristina Jancheva took place, followed by the presentations from the AUA of the WP3.1- Mapping & Benchmarking Methodology and then each partners country presented the WP3.2 – Mappıng Agrıfood Clusters ın Balkan Med and WP3.4 – Polıcıes and Regulatory Framework. Upon the 2nd day REGPEL presented WP3.5 Regional agri-food profiles & technologies and followed with academia partners (AUA and NTUA) presentations of WP 4 in relation with Design and operation methodology of FOCUS Clusters, as well as the FOCUS collabora-tion platform. There was an interactive discussion among partners on the first day. Moreover, upon the 2nd day a small workshop in two groups elaborated in order to specify the sectors, needs/ trends, and technology services per county. In the afternoon of the same day, there was a preparatory workshop for the 1st focus group so all partners could provide suggestions.

The Project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and National Funds of the participating countries.

© 2019 Focus Project
All Rights Reserved