Project Title: AGroFOod clusters platform with common long-term Research and Innovation Strategy towards Economic growth and prosperity (AGFORISE)

Project Duration: 36 months

Start Date: February 2009

Funding Authority: European Commission FP7

Type of Instrument: Support Action

Status: Ongoing

Project Objectives

The overall objective of AGFORISE Project is to create a common dialogue platform and a joint action plan among the Agrofood clusters that will maximise capacity for research and benefit from research infrastructure through complementariness and synergy, so as to contribute for sustainable development, prosperity, economic growth and global competitiveness of the regions.

In this content the specific objectives are:

- Strengthening a sustainable dialogue between the participant Agrofood clusters,

- Creating an R&D&I Strategy Dialogue & Cooperation,

- Enhancing Trade & Investment opportunities in Agrofood sector,

- Maintaining sustainability of cross-collaboration between the participant regions,

- Stimulating utilization from national/EU R&D funds.

AGFORISE project specifically focuses on:

- Analysis of Agrofood sector in participant regions in order to maximise the benefit from the research opportunities for regional economic development,

-Development of a common dialogue platform between the participant regions for sharing information and experience that result in a Joint Action Plan (JAP), which will contribute to strengthen the regions’ capacity for investing in and conducting research and technological development activities that can enhance significantly to economic development,

-Improvement of cross collaboration among the research and commercial communities to result in commercially ended research.

The main focus of the project is on Agrofood area, which is the most important source of income in all participant regions. The project will increase the competitiveness of European regions in Agrofood industry and bring significant added-value to the European Agrofood community.

AGFORISE is one of the Food Cluster projects in Europe.

Project Consortium

The consortium has been formed by 13 partners from 3 different regions (Mersin, Emilia-Romagna, Murcia).

TAGES Role:

TAGES will contribute to;

-          Analysis of Agrofood Sector in Mersin, determining the regional road-maps with vision, mission, objectives

-           Performing a SWOT analysis for the RTD and economic environment of the Agrofood sector in Mersin including related regional policies

-          Determining regional strategic orientation for Mersin region order to increase innovation and RTD investments in the Agrofood sector.

-          Building of a regional Agrofood network in Mersin region including policy makers, research organizations, companies and support organizations

-          Enhancement of cross collaboration among research and commercial communities with its experience in FP projects, network communication, and innovation based strategy definitions and analyses

-          Raising relevant actors’ awareness in Mersin region on existing collaboration and funding opportunities at national, local or European level (including FPs, CIP, IPA etc.),

-          Informing researchers and industry organisations about the importance of commercially ended research (IPR, patent applications) and university/research centre – industry collaboration.

-          Dissemination of the project results and outputs to the related stakeholders through website, leaflets, and conferences.

 For more information:

http://www.agforise.eu/