We are pleased to invite you to two webinars that will look at the need for territorial approaches to innovation, based on strong rural-urban links and ambitious and forward-looking skills strategies

What are the main challenges and opportunities for European regions and rural areas in particular when it comes to fostering innovation? These two events will provide an opportunity to share regional experiences and hear about support initiatives at EU level.

The events are part of the Skillnet webinar series AER is organising, which provides an opportunity for mutual learning around topics identified by AER members.

Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A territorial Approach

In the context of regional innovation strategies, rural areas should play an essential role, not just as a source of raw material and places to locate space-intensive activities, but as genuine partners. Place-based approaches call for cooperation at all levels and in particular between rural and urban territories or between disconnected territories.

The first webinar, which will take place on 25 March 2021 at 10:00 CET, will offer the opportunity to learn and exchange about regional policies and practices for ambitious skills and innovation strategies through territorial approaches.

This webinar will look at:

• why innovation strategies aimed at developing Advanced manufacturing need to be based on territorial approaches and why it is so important to consider and involve rural areas from the start
• strategies to attract innovation and skills in rural areas 
• the role of TVET to achieve more cohesive regional development

Agenda

Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies:
A territorial Approach

25 March 2021 at 10:00 CET

• 10.00-10.05 – Housekeeping rules, quick presentation on Skillnet, Valentina De Vico, Communication Manager, Skillman Team
• 10:05-10:10 – Opening remarks and introduction to the webinar, Johanna Pacevicius, Policy and Knowledge Transfer Coordinator, Assembly of European Regions
• 10.10-10.20 –  Available EU funding and incentives, Agnese Pantaloni, EU Projects Coordinator, Assembly of European Regions
• 10:20-10:35 – Peer reviews and knowledge exchanges to boost innovation, Elena Ferrario, Thematic Manager, and Katharina Krell, Thematic Expert, Policy Learning Platform Interreg Europe
• 10.35-10.45 – Regional practice from Donegal County, Vinny McGroary, Area Training Manager, Donegal ETB
• 10.45-10.55 – Panel discussion and Q&A session
• 10.55-11.00 – Closing remarks 

Innovation and farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain

As is the case in other industries, agriculture is currently making extensive use of data mobility, industry 4.0, and new technologies that unlock productivity and cost savings. High-tech solutions are available to both local farming families and major agricultural corporations.

The second webinar, which will take place on 26 March at 10:00 CET, will highlight the existing use of advanced manufacturing in the agro-food sector and focus on skills strategies for this particular sector.

Agenda

Innovation and farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain

26 March at 10:00 CET

• 10.00-10.05 – Housekeeping rules, quick presentation on Skillnet, Valentina De Vico, Communication Manager, Skillman Team
• 10.05-10.10 – Opening remarks and introduction to the webinar, Cornelia Carmen Madaras, Advisor at the Foreign Affairs Office of the Alba County Council
• 10.10-10.20 – Applications of digital technologies in the agriculture sector, Miguel de Porras, Director at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FIBL 
• 10.20-10.30 – Building innovation in the agri-food sector through EU projects, George Beers, Horticultural Engineer, Wageningen University and Research
• 10.30-10.40, Regional practice from Vojvodina, Mladen Petres, Assistant Provincial Secretary of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Province of Vojvodina
• 10.40-10.55 – Panel discussion and Q&A session
• 10.55-11.00 – Closing remarks 

How to join the webinars

Click on the above “register here” buttons (one registration per event)

or go to the Skillnet events page and chose:

• E 419 – Ambitious skills and innovation strategies: a territorial approach; 25/03/2021 10:00 CET
• E 420 – Innovation and farming: application of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain; 26/03/2021 10:00 CET

Save the date!

The events will take place on 25 and 26 March 2021 at 10:00 CET!

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.