The projekt i2connect, začela novembra 2019 in naj bi se zaključil septembra/oktobra 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 držav, 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 inovacijskih procesov through soustvarjanje, mreženje, 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, delavnice, 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, Bolgarija. This project aims to empower advisors and facilitators to podpirati interaktivne inovacijske procese v kmetijskem in gozdarskem sektorju. Ta dogodek je namenjen številnim ciljne skupine: EIP-AGRI moderatorji, advisors in agriculture, forestry or rural development, obravnavanje tudi težko dostopnih kategorij kmetov in, storitve podpore inovacijam, trainers for these various groups, as well as researchers working on interactive innovation and public authorities. To bo zadnja priložnost za odkrivanje rezultati od i2connect: nacionalne študije AKIS, in-depth case studies of interactive innovation projects across Europe, vsebine in gradiva za usposabljanje, komplet orodij za moderatorje, a pool of trained experts – superge, svetovalci, managers and students – who can be contacted via i2connect’s “Advisory Services Database”… Ti rezultati bodo predstavljeni v interaktivni format, inviting contributions and reflections from participants. Tam bo tudi terenski obiski odkriti inovativne projekte v Bolgariji, in čas za neformalne pogovore in mreženje med udeleženci (glej priloženi osnutek dnevnega reda + ponudba namestitve).
Ti lahko register tukaj. Please feel free to contact the i2connect coordination team (sylvain.sturel@apca.chambagri.fr in 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
