Dig Deeper

Times are changing! All across Europe the agricultural, forestry and associated sectors are facing major social, economic and environmental concerns and challenges … as well as many exciting opportunities.

Practical and effective new ideas are needed to help farmers and foresters continue meeting the expectations of wider society, whilst at the same time running their own successful businesses and working in harmony with the essential natural resources on which we all depend.

Innovation is therefore one of the hottest topics of discussion from farmhouse kitchen tables to meeting rooms in Brussels. 

There are many different types of innovation relevant to agriculture and forestry. Some innovation such as digitalisation is currently very technical. But innovation is not just about ‘technology transfer’, it can also include social or management changes too. 

Innovation has many dimensions and faces and encompasses many processes. It is also about networking, information exchange, collective intelligence and the co-creation of new knowledge and ideas. It is about farmers/foresters, advisors, researchers and others working together in partnership to find solutions to day-to-day needs, challenges and opportunities.

The LIAISON project aims to understand better what makes a successful partnership for innovation. Why do some partnerships have the ability to organise themselves, to capture new ideas, to nurture them and create something new? How do they test this and turn it into something with real practical application?

The key objective for LIAISON is how to encourage more of these successful partnerships for innovation!

KEY QUESTIONS WHICH WE ADDRESS

Creating partnerships: How to find the ‘right’ partners? Which factors ensure trust and long-term cooperation? Can we ensure the involvement of different partners even when their interests vary or change over time?

Managing projects: Who is leading the group? Who is making decisions about the project? And who is benefiting most?

Spreading the news: How to ensure an efficient communication and dissemination of the lessons learned from innovation processes?

Measuring ‘success’: How to assess the positive impact of working in partnership for innovation? Which self-assessment tools work well in practice?

EXPECTED OUTPUT

LIAISON will produce the following relevant and easy to use materials:

• A series of in-depth, hands-on ‘How To’ guides for creating partnerships, managing projects and effectively disseminating results;
• Policy Briefs on improving the institutional environment for partnerships, projects and networks for innovation;
• Various communication materials including videos and the LIAISON online platform with examples and good practices from successful innovation partnerships in agriculture, forestry and associated businesses or initiatives.