Young InNOvators Network for SustainaBLE Ideas in the Agro-Food Sector 

The project develops on the basis of three elements: the awareness that innovation in the agro-food sector can contribute to sustainable development; the conviction that to innovate it is necessary to enhance young researchers ideas thanks to the support of entrepreneurs with innovative spirit (and thus the merging between research demand and supply); the presence, in all countries of the target area, of innovation festivals or events which might be enhanced and systematized. On these basis, the proposal has been developed to address some specific needs of the target areas: the need to increase the share of human resources employed in science and technology, the need for a higher involvement of private sector in R&D expenditure, and the need to address the general low expenditure for R&D in agricultural sciences. To address such problems and needs identified, four specific objectives have been identified: 1) creating framework conditions to increase dialogue, exchange and mobility among public/private research centers and to promote the development and application of young innovators ideas; 2) creating a system of interlinked offices and a technological platform for the exchange and development of young innovators ideas; 3) increasing young innovators visibility among enterprises and increasing awareness on the importance of innovation through the enhancement of the transnational character of existing innovation festivals; 4) favouring the merging between research demand (enterprises) and supply (young researchers) in order to start-up innovative ideas in the agro-food industry. To reach these objectives, the main activities to be carried out foresee, first of all, the creation of a Network for young innovators (NO-BLE Ideators) in the agro-food sector, involving all project partners and other entities of each target area (research centers, enterprises, public administration). The creation of the Network will lead to the enhancement of transnational cooperation and dialogue on research and innovation in the agro-food sector in and among target areas. Second, a system of interlinked local offices (NO-BLE Ideas Local Points) and a Technological Platform will be created. Local Points and Platform will provide a wide set of services, targeted to beneficiaries (young people with innovative ideas). These activities will result into the development of innovative young ideas, the support to favour the applicability of ideas at the entrepreneurial level (public financing through calls or private funds), the creation of synergies and transnational partnerships among innovators. Third, the Project will create a transnational circuit of travelling events (NO-BLE Ideas Fest circuit), to be hosted in existing innovation festivals or fairs for innovation in the agro-food sector, in each target country. Three main types of events will be implemented, addressed to the public and to young researchers and entrepreneurs. These activities will lead to the spread of the message that innovation and research are essential for sustainable development, especially in the agro-food, and to the increase of visibility of young NO-BLE Ideators, especially among enterprises. At the same time, these events will allow the systematization of existing innovation festivals and fairs on innovation in the agro-food. Fourth, the Project foresees a transnational competition for best NO-BLE Ideas, addressed to all NO-BLE Ideators. The ideas shortlisted at the local level will be presented in an international meeting with enterprises and investors coming from all target countries, who will decide and fund the development of best 7 ideas. The main result of the competition is the merging between research demand and supply and a positive impact on the lack of private investments to promote research and innovation, which will result into more competitive enterprises.