Project summary

Times are changing! All across Europe the agricultural, forestry and associated sectors are facing major social, economic and environmental concerns and challenges … as well as many exciting opportunities. Practical and effective new ideas are needed to help farmers and foresters continue meeting the expectations of wider society, while at the same time running their own successful businesses and working in harmony with the essential natural resources on which we all depend. Innovation is therefore one of the hottest topics of discussion from farmhouse kitchen tables to meeting rooms in Brussels. There are many different types of innovation relevant to agriculture and forestry. Some innovation such as digitalisation is currently very technical, but innovation can also include social or economic dimensions.

Innovation has many elements and encompasses many processes. It is also about networking, information exchange, collective intelligence and the co-creation of new knowledge and ideas. It is about farmers/foresters, advisors, researchers and others working together in partnership to find solutions to day-to-day needs, challenges and opportunities. The LIAISON project aims to understand better what makes a successful partnership for innovation. Why do some partnerships have the ability to organise themselves, to capture new ideas, to nurture them and create something new? How do they test this and turn it into something with real practical application? The key objective for LIAISON is how to encourage more of these successful partnerships for innovation!

    Partners
    Ruralis
    Soil Association
    Highclere Consulting
    Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
    Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
    Università di Pisa
    Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek
    Innovatiesteunpunt voor Landbouw Enplatteland
    Institut de l’Elevage
    Groupe de Bruges
    TEAGASC – Agriculture and Food Development Authority
    Centrum Doradztwa Rolniczego w Brwinowie
    University of Exeter
    Hochschule für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde
    Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at BAS
    Universidade de Évora
    Project information

    Title
    Better Rural Innovation: Linking Actors, Instruments and Policies through Networks

    Project acronym
    LIAISON

    Project ID
    Grant Agreement (GA) N°773418

    Duration
    1 May 2018 to 30 April 2022

    Contact
    EU Flag

    LIAISON has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No. 773418