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Research: Save the Date NEFERTITI EU project starts on 16-17 January 2018, Almería (Spain)

08-01-2018

CEMA is pleased to announce that the NEFERTITI project will officially start in January 2018 and we are one of the 25 project’s partners!  

NEFERTITI project was selected for funding by the European Commission in 2017 under the Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry H2020 Call for proposals “RUR-12-2017” which aimed at building a European network of demonstration farms. 

NEFERTITI is a unique project that establishes 10 thematic networks bringing together regional clusters (hubs) of demo-activities and involve different actors in the farming process in order to:

  • boost innovation;
  • improve peer to peer learning and
  • improve network connectivity between farming actors over Europe.

The overall objective of NEFERTITI is to establish an EU-wide highly connected network of well-specified demonstration and pilot farms. This will allow to enhance thematic knowledge exchanges, cross-fertilisation among actors and efficient innovation uptake in the farming sector through peer-to-peer demonstration of techniques.

To achieve this goal, NEFERTITI has set several objectives, at both support and coordination levels.

At the support level, the project aims at:

  • Developing Dynamic Action Plans by identifying the needs of demonstration actors and networks in terms of knowledge and know-how for networks ‘activities taking into account the diversity of EU AKIS.
  • Supporting cycles of demo-activities and peer-to-peer learning in the regional hubs that will be established involving all relevant AKIS actors. OB is aimed at learning by doing on how to improve uptake of knowledge among farmers and improve science-practice interactions;
  • Establishing a web-based platform including knowledge reservoirs related to demo-activities including ready-to-use knowledge from other national, EU and EIP related projects organised by themes and sectors.

Whereas, at the coordination level, we aim at:

  • Establishing and sustaining interactive thematic networks at regional, national and EU levels by sectors and themes (and with the EIP related projects/landscape) to boost knowledge exchanges and cross fertilisation;
  • Fostering the learning process of all actors involved in demo-activities throughout the networks to identify best practices for demonstrations and interactivity between demonstrations on similar themes over Europe;
  • Improving the policy dialogue and networking the regional European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) managing authorities to ensure the network sustainability;
  • Promoting effective use of demo-and network activities by communicating and disseminating the practical oriented outcomes adapted at local level.

ACTA, Association de Coordination Technique Agricole (France) is the Project Coordinator of the NEFERTITI consortium, composed by 25 partners from Academia, Farmers' association, Research centres, extension services from across Europe will work together on this 4-years extensive project. 

CEMA is participating at this project with the aim of bringing the machinery industries’ expertise and knowledge in the network to be developed. In particular, we want to focus on those demonstration activities and practices that are the most effective to showcase adapted technologies to farmers’, thus matching farmers needs and expectations with the technological solutions already available from the industry-side. This will include a strong coordination and interaction with the members of CEMA High-Level Research Group, composed by staff from the R&D and commercial departments of multinationals and SMEs from the countries involved in the project and other EU countries, that will thereby bring their companies experiences, knowledge and expertise.

More specifically, during the next months, we will be working – together with the other NEFERTITI consortium partners – at:

  • Developing customised dynamic action plans and best practices for demo- farm networks in EU AKIS;
  • Structuring the knowledge reservoir on Demo-activities and project platform, and
  • Contributing to the communication on demo-farm activities and dissemination of practical-oriented outcomes.

We are now waiting for the project official start: the kick-Off Meeting of NEFERTITI will take place on 16-17 January 2018 at the University of Almería in Spain.

If you want to stay update on the project progress, main events and outcomes, don’t hesitate to contact our team!