EU Rural Innovation Contest

Ambassadors of rural areas chosen

 Within the framework of the Europe-wide active project LIAISON, which is coordinated by the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), 15 companies were selected for the innovation competition. Their ideas should serve as inspiration for other actors.

220 companies, projects and initiatives from 21 EU member states and two EU neighbouring states applied for the European Rural Innovation Competition called EURIC. Since this week, the 15 ambassadors have been confirmed. They were selected by an international jury of independent experts and will be honoured on Tuesday, 3 December 2019 in Brussels at an official awards ceremony during the Organic Innovation Days. „The ambassadors reflect the diversity in content and geography of innovative groups in rural areas in Europe“, says Dr. Susanne von Münchhausen, scientist and coordinator of LIAISON at the HNEE, the German partner in the European project. Of the twelve applicants from Germany, the association Grüne Werkstatt Wendland was selected as an ambassador for innovation in rural areas. The non-profit association has set itself the goal of strengthening the Wendland region through networks between universities, schools, administrations and regional businesses, with a special focus on the themes of creativity, sustainability, demographic change and the exchange between town and country, the jury’s assessment says. „We set out to find as many good examples of rural innovation as possible to make the hard work of the people behind them visible and to promote their great ideas. We were particularly interested in finding initiatives where people with different backgrounds and skills could successfully work together,“ reports Prof. Dr. Anna Maria Häring, also coordinator on the HNEE side. The topic of innovations in agriculture and forestry was hotly debated in the companies as well as in the offices of the European Commission in Brussels. Throughout Europe, the agricultural, forestry and food sectors are confronted with major social, economic and ecological challenges – but also with new opportunities. „This range becomes visible in the results of the competition,“ added the HNEE scientist.