Miniaturization technology: synergies of research and innovation to enhance the economic development of the Adriatic

Public and Private entities in Adriatic and elsewhere have identified a challenge on finding a common language and field of interest between research & innovation and reaching a common understanding of the commercial imperatives in terms of economic and social development. IPATECH aims at developing a network for integrated trans-regional cooperation between knowledge & technology providers, innovation intermediaries and SMEs in the agro-food sector and thus facilitate industrial and commercial exploitation of research results by taking into account technology and other “soft” aspects in the process. Innovative food production systems, higher quality standards, and an evolution towards value-added products are important ingredients in meeting the challenges posed by more competitive food markets. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vulnerable in this changing environment. SME managers have a limited amount of time available to learn about market trends and policies which could affect their business. The potential of modern agro-food business to promote economic growth in the countryside is huge. We believe that the potential of modern agribusiness is, however, underutilized. Indeed, in many countries in Adriatic, small-scale producers and small- and medium-scale enterprises are relegated to lower-value markets. In this respect, IPATECH’s impetus is to boost the innovation process in the sector and thus the region. More specifically, the project aims at Establishment of an Agro-Food Transnational cooperation network between public and private entities stimulating the exchange of information and experiences on research and innovation in the sector. In parallel, the project will boost Support research-driven innovations in the participating regions as well as provision of a portfolio of tools, technologies and systems to foster research & innovation in Agro-food Sector and share Best Practices. Furthermore, IPATECH will facilitate capacity Building and transfer of know-how with emphasis to the “soft” side of innovation and the role of “human capital” on stimulating technology and know-how transfer for efficient transfer of currently matured technologies to rural SMEs, associations, clusters technology poles involved in the Agro-food Sector. The core of concrete activities will be deployed by Transfer of technological innovations: to assist agro-food SMEs of the participating Regions in becoming more competitive and adopt in new technologies and solutions developed through research (eg. Miniaturized Production lines and the improvement of the quality of the agro-food products) as well as Establishment of Agro-food Innovation Centres and Agro-food Technology & Innovation Platform to assist identification of research commercialization opportunities. Finally, emphasis is given to main-streaming of results and lessons learned at market and policy level; to promote synergies between regional and research policies in each participating Region, highlight additional sectors of intervention, future initiatives, funding and governance models guaranteeing the future sustainability and valorization of the project results and Network Operation after the end of the project’s lifespan. The partnership includes leading private and public establishments, a Research Institute with experience in Agro-food, Innovation Intermediaries organization engaged in rural development that usually cooperate with agro-food SMEs from nine ADRIATIC territories (from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Italy & Greece). The innovating character of the project refers to its capacity of overcoming agro-food SMEs isolation in terms of having access and participating to technology innovation and its transferability at a national and transnational level. SMEs will no longer be only exclusive beneficiaries of innovation, but through IPATECH conditions will be set to allow them to be one of the most important participant of this process.