isUP-AgrO

Project title: isUP-AgrO - Unlocking the Potential for Agricultural Research on an Eu Outmost Region: Boosting Isoplexis Centre.

Funding:HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02

website: https://isupagro.web.uma.pt/en/

P.I.: Prof. Gianni Galaverna

Participants: Prof. Gianni Galaverna, Prof.ssa Chiara Dall'Asta, Prof.ssa Giovanna Visioli, Prof.ssa Augusta Caligiani, Prof.ssa Tullia Tedeschi, Prof.ssa Barbara Prandi, Prof. Luca Dellafiora, Prof.ssa Veronica Lolli, Dr.ssa Claudia Falavigna, Dr. Luca Calani, Dr.ssa Rossana Di Marzio

Project description:

ISOPlexis - Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Technology, is a research centre of the University of Madeira created in 1996. The overall mission of this research centre, located in Madeira Island, an outermost region, is to contribute to the development of knowledge and technology by promoting the sustainability of the agricultural and agri-food sector and cooperating in the promotion and development of the bioeconomy.

ISOPlexis develops activities in the domains of agriculture, agri-food, and biotechnology, with a focus on: i) agrodiversity, in its broad understanding, and endogenous terrestrial and marine bioresources as tools to promote the local food systems and bioeconomy; ii) agroecological strategies to improve the sustainability and resilience of traditional agrosystems; and iii) advanced technologies and methodologies to optimize local food production and supply chains improving their environmental neutrality and resiliency to climate changes.

The isUP-AgrO proposal aims at the improvement of ISOPlexis, creating an excellent research centre in the agriculture sector. To achieve this goal, dense networking activities by Twinning with two top research institutes of the agricultural sector from Italy and Spain are implemented and complemented by an expert entity in innovation to improve the research management. With this proposal, the ISOPlexis Centre provides training to young scientists, and develop administrative and management skills for R&I isUP-AgrO will develop the networking activities between partners through a strategy comprising of joint research, expert visits, and short-term training, joint summer schools, and workshops short-term staff exchanges, as well as conferences attendance, dissemination, and outreach activities.

The isUP-AgrO proposal joins together two research centres from Spain (Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology - CSIC), Italy (University of Parma - UNIPR), and a Portuguese innovation company (Saturntech) with the common goal of improving the research and coordination activities of the ISOPlexis - Centre of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Technology.