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You are here: Home / Archives for Smart Specialisation

Registrations open! Innovation and Farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the Food Value Chain

8 March, 2021 By Valeria Simonte

We are pleased to invite you to the webinar “Innovation and Farming: Applications of Advanced Manufacturing in the Food Value Chain” that will take place on 26 March 2021 at 10:00 CET and focuses on advanced manufacturing solutions in driving sustainable change in the agrifood sector

It will offer regions and stakeholders engaged with the agri-food sector the opportunity to learn and share experiences about how regions, companies, and Vocational Education & Training centers can identify common information communications technology (ICT) and advanced manufacturing solutions in driving the change in the food processing and supply chain, in order to foster regional cooperation based on the shared goals and values of the Smart Specialisation Strategies.

A new approach to food production

The agricultural sector, as in the case of other industries, is impacted by global trends related to demographics, economics, and climate change. Therefore the question is how to jointly address the societal and economic challenges in the food sector?

The agri-food sector contributes significantly to the support of the Sustainable Development Goals, from the Zero Hunger to the Decent Work & Economic Growth. Hence, the production of sustainable food is a key priority to ensure both societal and environmental wellbeing across regions. Yet, this poses a set of challenges to the producers when it comes to their capacity to remain competitive in the market. To overcome these challenges, the need to investigate and design innovative approaches involving Advanced Manufacturing techniques and digital tools becomes crucial to unlocking new solutions that can help farmers to work more efficiently and sustainably and, in turn, revolutionise the agriculture sector. 

The webinar will look at

  • How agriculture is making use of data mobility, industry 4.0, and new technologies
  • Regional examples of innovation and skills strategies in food tech and value chain
  • The role of TVET in helping sustain innovation in the agrifood 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 webinar

Click on the below “register here” button

or go to the Skillnet events page and chose:

  • E 420 – Innovation and farming: application of Advanced Manufacturing in the food value chain; 26/03/2021 10:00 CET
Register here!

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.

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Registrations open! Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A territorial approach

8 March, 2021 By Valeria Simonte

We are pleased to invite you to the webinar “Ambitious Skills and Innovation Strategies: A territorial approach” that will take place on 25 March 2021 at 10:00 CET

Including rural areas in innovation strategies to tackle EU challenges

Rural areas, cover 44% of the EU territory, and are home to almost 1 in 4 Europeans. Education, vocational training and lifelong learning play a vital role in the economic and social strategies of the European Union (EU). The strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training is called Education and training 2020 (ET 2020). It pursues four common objectives: make lifelong learning and mobility a reality; improve the quality and efficiency of education and training; promote equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; enhance creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship.

However, rural areas rural or sparsely populated regions often have a relatively large agricultural sector, with a low level of supply of highly-skilled employment opportunities. This in turn reinforces the existing brain drain trend, from rural areas to cities.

In this context, integrated innovation and skills strategies are needed to develop the strengths and comparative advantages of rural areas, instead of barely considering them as a source for raw material and cheaper space. For rural regions, the necessary competitive edge can be done by finding niches or mainstreaming new technology into the existing industry. Further including rural areas in innovation strategies will also help regions to reach the objectives of the Green Deal.

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
  • Available EU funding opportunities and tools to boost innovation and skills in rural areas
  • Strategies to attract innovation and skills in rural areas 
  • The role of VET 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 

How to join the webinar

Click on the below “register here” button

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
Register here!

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.

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Smart specialisation & rural areas: the case of Covasna

12 June, 2020 By Editor

“Smart specialisation strategies in rural areas, inclusion & wellbeing” was the topic of a debate which was foreseen to take place during the 2020 Spring plenaries. In order to harness the knowledge and expertise of our membership, AER is sharing content from speakers online instead.

In the following article Dr. Marta Tatar, Chief cardiologist at the Dr. Benedek Géza Cardiovascular Recovery Hospital, Covasna, RO, and former Chair of the AER Focus Group on prevention & child healthcare, shares the experience of Covasna on using natural assets in a rural area for regional development and wellbeing.

Social wellbeing and psychical wellbeing are more and more studied. There is a lot of academic research in this field. In different studies, the role and impact of different determinates are researched. It is widely accepted that health is an important factor.

In this context, the role of natural cure factors is increasing. Natural cure-factors can be used to maintain and improve health status, to prevent some diseases, and in the rehabilitation of patients.

Mineral waters: a well-known asset

Covasna County is very rich in natural mineral water springs and mofettas: there are hundreds of mineral water springs in the region. These natural cure factors have been used on an empirical basis for centuries by local people for the treatment of different affections. Mineral waters are used both, as an internal cure or, as mineral water baths.

Carbon dioxide for cardiovascular health benefits

The word “mofetta” is derived from the Latin word ”mephithis” meaning “stinky exhalation”. The term “mofetta” describes a postvolcanic phenomenon that is manifested by gas emanations at relatively low temperatures. The primary gas of mofetta is carbon dioxide. This gas is heavier than air so in sediment in pits and can be used as a “dry bath” (standing with normal clothing in the pit). Carbon dioxide can penetrate through the skin and has important cardiovascular effects.

The hospital: a key player in research and innovation

The Cardiological Hospital in Covasna was founded in 1960. The founder of the hospital was Dr. Géza Benedek. From the beginning of its activities, the hospital started clinical research work in collaboration with the Medical University from Tirgu-Mures and the Institute of Balneology from Bucharest to study the cardiovascular effect of CO2.

As a result, a unique complex cardiovascular rehabilitation model was elaborated. The model combines the general elements of cardiac rehabilitation with the use of mofetta and CO2 mineral water bath.

We are treating yearly 14.000-15.000 patients. The results of the hospital triggered the development of a rich spa activity outside the hospital, offering access to mineral water benefits to a larger public.

Sitting on a gold mine

Spa tourism is a part of the smart specialisation strategy in Covasna. The wealth of mineral springs and natural cure factors in Covasna county is an opportunity to further develop health tourism with an important impact on the economic development of the county and the wellbeing of the people. Compared to regions with similar assets the natural healing resources of Covasna are yet under-exploited.

While the city of Covasna, a recreational city with many hotels and pension houses for health tourism, the surrounding offers more curing possibilities: mineral waters and bath for external and internal cure, walking and hiking path, winter and summer sport facilities. In recent years considerable efforts have been deployed to enhance the hotel offer which created new jobs. At the moment the reputation of Covasna allows it to benefit from a substantial demand on the internal market. Huge potential lies in further opening up to the external market.

In parallel to the wellness hotels that use the natural cure factors in Covasna, there are a lot of small traditional mofettas and mineral water baths which have been used by the locals for a century some of which were renovated with EU funding.

Come and visit us!

The location for the AER meetings, which had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, would have given participants the opportunity to try mofettas and visit the “Dr. Benedek Géza Cardiological Hospital”.
I regret that our meeting was canceled but I hope I will see You soon in Covasna and answer your questions about natural health resources, our mineral waters and mofettas!

More information about the Covasna mofettas can be found in the leaflet “Covasna, Land of mineral water” produced in the context of the EU funded project Off to Spas

Photo credit: Janos Boldizsar KOCSIS

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