PANACEA Network has requested the creation by EIP-AGRI of a new Focus Group focusing on the promotion of Non-Food Crops adapted to the Bioeconomy.
Cooperativas Agroalimentarias (Spanish Coops) and Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), made the official request to EIP-AGRI in the first quarter of 2018. The topic proposed by PANACEA was shortlisted and presented in the meeting held last June 5 in Brussels of the Subgoup of Innovation for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability of EIP-AGRI. A final decision about the endorsement of the Focus Group by EIP-AGRI will be taken by October 2018.
The Focus Group proposed by PANACEA will study the situation of potential crops in Europe able to be part of bioeconomy supply chains. Also, it will assess potential needs from the industry and propose strategies to cover with European raw materials those future needs. Key questions to be addressed will include:
- Assessment of local and new crops in Europe for its use on bioeconomy.
- Assessment of current and future needs on European Industry.
- Matching of both states in a common route map for a European bioeconomy supply chain.
EIP-AGRI Focus Groups are temporary groups of selected experts focusing on a specific subject, sharing knowledge and experience.
Each group explores practical innovative solutions to problems or opportunities in the field, and draws on experience derived from related useful projects. Each EIP-AGRI Focus Group meets twice and produces a recommendations and outcomes report.
The EIP-AGRI Focus Groups also discuss and document research results, best practices and identify the implications for further research activities that will help to solve practical problems in the sector. These may be related to production, processing, consumption, transport or other issues.
In short, the objectives of an EIP-AGRI Focus Group are:
- Taking stock of the state of the art of practice in the field of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group activity, listing problems and opportunities;
- Taking stock of the state of the art of research in this field, summarising possible solutions to the problems listed;
- Identifying needs from practice and possible directions for further research;
- Highlighting priorities for innovative actions by suggesting potential practical Operational Groups or other project formats to test solutions and opportunities, including ways to disseminate the practical knowledge gathered.
Further information about Focus Groups in link.
