EIP-AGRI networking

An EU-wide EIP-AGRI network is being built to support EIP-AGRI activities through communication, partnering, dissemination, knowledge flows and collecting practice needs for future projects and programming. The network activities are facilitated by a professional team of experts at the EIP-AGRI Service Point established in Brussels.

The primary objective of the EIP-AGRI Service Point is to stimulate the interaction between all people involved in the EIP-AGRI network, including farmers, researchers, advisers, NGOs, public authorities in Member States, businesses and other interested parties. This objective is achieved by:

gathering and disseminating information from research and innovation project and creating an effective flow of information via the EIP-AGRI website;
bringing together innovation actors in Focus Groups, seminars and workshops to exchange information and experiences on various topics, and;
connecting with other relevant networks at national, regional and/or local levels.

The EIP-AGRI network is also collecting research needs from farming and forestry in view of providing input for the research agenda

One important function of the EIP-AGRI network will be to provide inspiration for the setting-up of Operational Groups. There are various sources of inspiration available, including a series of easy-to-read Factsheets, a regular newsletter, the Agriinovation magazine, the results of various workshops and seminars and the activities / outcomes of EIP-AGRI Focus Groups that are organised to share knowledge on concrete practical issues (see Information Box – EIP-AGRI Focus Groups).

People who are interested in finding funding, partners, information or research experts for their Operational Groups can do so easily using the interactive innovation platform provided by the EIP-AGRI website. The website has many exciting and interactive features that can bring people and ideas together on the web. Through the website's interactive functions, users can share innovative project ideas and practices, as well as information about existing research and innovation projects. Various EIP-AGRI-related publications are also available for download on the website, providing visitors with information on a wide range of interesting topics.

There are also collaborative workspaces for specific innovation topics and Horizon 2020 projects/topics, and an overview of funding opportunities for innovation projects.

Future functionalities will be developed for Operational Groups and the Managing Authorities of Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) once the programmes start. Through this collaborative effort, the EIP-AGRI website will become a one-stop-shop for innovation in the European agricultural, food and forestry sectors.

EIP-AGRI focus groups

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups (FGs) form part of the EIP networking activities at EU level. A FG brings together 20 experts from the farming sector, researchers, advisors and other relevant innovation actors to discuss and develop a very specific topic. They make a report summarizing the state of the art of practice, listing problems and opportunities, and combining it with experience gained in related research and innovation projects.

Each FG report is disseminated through the EIP-AGRI Network by various means, depending upon the topic. The report brings examples and ideas for projects that could be taken up by operational groups at rural development programme area level.

A FG has a relatively short lifespan and is expected to produce a report within 12-18 months. The report is disseminated throughout the EIP-AGRI Network to inspire all actors involved. The EIP-AGRI Service Point launches at least 5 FGs every year. The call for FG experts is always announced via the monthly e-newsletter and the EIP-AGRI website.

All information on the FGs is available on the EIP-AGRI website.

The focus of National Rural Networks (NRNs) on “fostering innovation”

According to Article 54 of the EAFRD Rural Development Regulation (No. 1305/2013) each Member State must establish a National Rural Network (NRN). The Regulation also Introduces a new aim for these NRNs, namely to “foster innovation in agriculture, food production, forestry and rural areas”, including the specific obligation to implement activities of "partner search for the cooperation measure – Art. 35" and “regarding the provision of networking for advisors and innovation support services”.

NRNs can be active in many different ways to foster innovation – whether this is technological, social or some other form of innovation. For example, NRNs can bring “something new” to rural communities and business by:

As from now, in the 2014-2020 programme period, NRNs will promote and support the setting-up of EIP-AGRI Operational Groups where farmers, advisers, researchers, etc cooperate to implement concrete practical projects with a focus on innovation: putting ideas into practice with success.

The role of supporting implementation of the EIP-AGRI at national / regional level can be taken on either by a specialised innovation or EIP network at the national level, or by the NRN together with other existing and / or new structures. The dedicated EIP Service Point at EU level can provide a lot of input and support. As a minimum, NRNs can be active in i) raising awareness of the EIP-AGRI amongst relevant stakeholders, and ii) helping disseminate the results of projects supported under the EIP-AGRI. The NRNs are especially well-placed to facilitate this exchange of information across regional or national borders, and this may be important in many Member States. Translation of information from other regions and Member States is of course key to enable a good exchange of ideas, novelties and partnering between the own region or country and other regions/countries.

Compared with the past period, specific efforts will be needed to connect with advisors and researchers, and to the organisations and networks in which these actors usually function. Collecting targeted information for projects and connecting potential partners for Operational Groups will be key to promote the EIP. NRNs may also help exchange information between EIP Operational Groups and LAGs and get much more actively involved in the setting up of EIP-AGRI Operational Groups by linking different persons or groups that have ideas for projects.

In order to enhance the role of NRNs in supporting the EIP-AGRI it is worth noting that:

it will be necessary to involve new stakeholders (scientists, advisors and others actively involved in innovation) in the EIP-AGRI related activities and so NRNs may decide to create a sub-thematic group engaging in network activities on innovation under existing NRN governance;
it is recommended to set-up at least some form of co-ordinating body for steering the direction of NRN support for the EIP-AGRI;
since networking is an on-going process, ensuring flexibility in structures and planned activities for supporting the EIP-AGRI will help to respond to the changing needs of stakeholders at different stages of the policy cycle.
to incentivise information exchange across borders, translation is key.

Resources and Further Reading

For up-to-date information on the on-going activities of the EIP-AGRI network visit the website by clicking here. There are also useful Factsheets available to be downloaded on the EIP-AGRI Network and the EIP-AGRI Service Point.
EIP-AGRI Focus Groups are temporary groups of selected experts focusing on a specific theme / subject to explore practical innovative solutions to problems or opportunities that exist. Further information on the EIP-AGRI Focus Groups can be found here.
A workshop on “Networking for innovation in the 2014-2020 RDPs” was held in Ghent, Belgium, on 18-19 March 2014. The workshop was hosted by the Flemish Rural Network and brought together representatives of NRNs, DG AGRI, the ENRD Contact Point, the EIP-AGRI Service Point and other interested organisations. Full proceedings of the workshop are available here.
The European Commission has provided guidance to Member States and their regions on programming and implementation issues related to innovation and the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). These guidelines are available for everyone with an interest in the EIP-AGRI to read and can be downloaded here.