The i2connect project, launched in November 2019 and set to conclude in September/October 2024, represents a significant initiative aimed at strengthening the role of farm and forestry advisory services across Europe. It was co-financed under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, bringing together more than 40 partners from over 20 countries, including agricultural chambers, advisory organizations, research institutions, and innovation networks. Key stakeholders involved include the European Forum for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (EUFRAS) and national bodies like the French Chambers of Agriculture.
The core objective of i2connect is to empower agricultural advisors, improving their capacity to support farmers in innovation processes through co-creation, networking, and knowledge-sharing. With the ever-increasing challenges facing European agriculture—such as climate change, environmental sustainability, and digital transformation—the role of advisors is becoming more critical. Advisors need to foster interactive innovation, a collaborative process that enables farmers to develop and implement new solutions tailored to their local realities.
Key Achievements and Activities
- Capacity Building: i2connect has focused on improving the skill sets of advisors by offering comprehensive training programs, workshops, and tools. These have centered around advisory techniques like participatory innovation and how to facilitate effective farmer-led innovation projects.
- Networking and Knowledge Exchange: The project fostered cross-border learning by creating an international advisory network. This enabled advisors from different regions to exchange experiences and knowledge, helping to spread best practices across the EU.
- Interactive Innovation Projects: A core element of i2connect has been to support real-life innovation projects, known as “living labs,” where advisors and farmers collaborate in developing new solutions in a hands-on environment. This process highlights the importance of an inclusive approach to problem-solving in agriculture and forestry.
- Advisory Tools and Resources: The project produced several valuable tools, including an interactive knowledge platform and a toolbox designed to support advisors in facilitating innovation. These resources are publicly accessible and designed to be used by both advisors and farmers.
The i2connect final conference will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of October 2024 in Varna, Bulgaria. This project aims to empower advisors and facilitators to support interactive innovation processes in the agriculture and forestry sectors. This event is aimed at several target groups: EIP-AGRI facilitators, advisors in agriculture, forestry or rural development, their managers, innovation support services, trainers for these various groups, as well as researchers working on interactive innovation and public authorities. It will be the last opportunity to discover the outcomes of i2connect: national AKIS studies, in-depth case studies of interactive innovation projects across Europe, training contents and materials, a toolkit for facilitators, a pool of trained experts – trainers, advisors, managers and students – who can be contacted via i2connect’s “Advisory Services Database”… These outcomes will be presented in an interactive format, inviting contributions and reflections from participants. There will be also field visits to discover innovative projects in Bulgaria, and time for informal discussions and networking between participants (see attached draft agenda + accommodation offer).
You can register here. Please feel free to contact the i2connect coordination team (sylvain.sturel@apca.chambagri.fr and agathe.darret@apca.chambagri.fr for any question and to prepare your participation in the conference. We look forward to greeting you in Varna!
i2connect-final-conference-agenda
