CEMA shares its experience as key partner in several Thematic Networks

On the 11th of June 2019, Copa Cogeca hosted the third workshop on “H2020 Thematic Networks (TNs) in EU Agricultural Innovation” jointly organized by EU farmers' association Copa-Cogeca, TNs leaders, SWG Scar-Akis, and DG Agri. This event is a forum for the exchange of good practices amongst Thematic Networks.

Thematic Networks are a specific type of projects funded by Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge Two on “Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy”. 

The first call for TNs was released in 2014 and up to now there are 29 TNs focusing on the most urgent needs of agriculture, working to connect research and practices in agriculture, as well as boosting existing scientific knowledge and best practices that are not sufficiently known (and applied) by practitioners.

To this extent, CEMA has participated in two Thematic Network: Smart-AKIS (closed in August 2018) and INNOSETA (ongoing) and it is currently involved in FAIRShare, one of the multi-actor projects that was born from the experience of TNs.

During the workshop, Inge Van Oost (DG AGRI) presented the new five TNs that have been funded in 2019 and will focus, respectively, on:

  • organic fruit production,
  • beef,
  • sheep,
  • wood mobilization and
  • Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Thematic Networks have progressively gained a lot of interest and attention in H2020, thanks to their claim to emerge as practice-based projects able to engage a high variety of stakeholders (farmers, industry, advisors, researchers, etc.). To this extent, the Thematic Networks meeting has been the opportunity to meet four other EU projects that will explore synergies and enhancing engagement among these TNs:

  • LIAISON (focusing on the innovation processes of TNs),
  • EURAKNOS (that will coordinate the activities and outputs of all TNs),
  • AgriLink and FAIRShare (both on Advisory tools).

CEMA participated to this workshop, acknowledging the importance of multi-actor projects for the success of Research and Innovation in Europe. We particularly welcome the initiatives taken in order to rationalize and coordinate the activities of the different TNs, as recommended (among others) by CEMA and the Smart-AKIS partners in the Smart-AKIS Policy Recommendations and Briefs released last Summer.