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AKIS in the EIP-AGRI spotlight

What is AKIS?

Knowledge and innovation play a crucial role in helping farmers, foresters and rural communities meet current and future challenges. To make sure that relevant people get connected, and that knowledge is shared between everyone who uses and produces it, effective ‘Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems’ (AKIS) are needed across the EU. This will further support the development of innovative solutions that work in practice.  

Watch the EIP-AGRI animated video ‘AKIS: Building effective knowledge flows across Europe’ to see what AKIS stands for, and how it can help tackle current and future challenges for farmers, foresters, rural communities and many others.

The following publications and presentations can give you a good understanding of what AKIS is and what it means in practice:

You can find all relevant network activities related to AKIS below.

Events

The Support Facility ‘Innovation & Knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI’ organises workshops and seminars on specific topics. Click on the links below to find reports, presentations, factsheets and more from events related to AKIS:

The European Commission (DG AGRI) organised a series of one-day webinars in June 2021. They provided guidance for the innovation strand of the future CAP networks.

EIP-AGRI publications

Click on the links below to download or take a look at interesting publications and videos on the topic of AKIS:

Good practices that can spark innovation

A number of Member States and organisations are already making the most of structures, people and organisations that can help strengthen knowledge and innovation flows across Europe. Here is a selection of good practices that can spark innovation:

    The role of the National Rural Networks / CAP networks

    NRNs / National CAP networks can support knowledge exchange and foster innovation, for instance by organising events that bring people together, by stimulating cross-border Operational Group projects to interact or by connecting them with other innovative projects.

    • Organising thematic workshops, cross-border visits, and connecting OGs to Horizon projects – German NRN: PPT – recording
    • Linking OGs and exploring possibilities for collaboration – National Rural Network Austria: PPT – recording
    • Bringing OGs together – National Rural Network Netherlands: PPT – recording
    • Organising thematic events to bring together OGs and Horizon 2020 projects – Agri-Innovation Summit 2017 (Portugal) - AIS 2019 (France)

    Advisers and innovation support

    • Establishing the EIP-AGRI Support Unit within the Agricultural Advisory Centre - Poland: PPT – recording 
    • Innovation support as the ‘glue’ in AKIS – Flanders, Belgium: PPT – recording

    Bridging the gap between farmers and researchers

    • Bringing researchers closer to practice – Romania: PPT – recording
    • Incentives for researchers (IRTA, Spain): PPT – recording
    • Organising farmer-to-farmer exchanges including farm demonstrations (Teagasc, Ireland): PPT – recording

    Digital platforms supporting AKIS

    Creating digital knowledge platforms with practical and easy-to-understand project results can help to make knowledge accessible to all.

    Inspirational ideas

     

    Find more inspirational practices in the book ‘Preparing for future AKIS in Europe’ and in the report of the EIP-AGRI Seminar ‘CAP Strategic Plans: the key role of AKIS in Member States

    Innovative projects working on AKIS

    EIP-AGRI Operational Groups

    Find details on more than 2200 Operational Groups in the EIP-AGRI database.

    Horizon 2020 / Europe Multi-Actor Projects and Thematic Networks

    A number of Horizon 2020 / Europe Multi-Actor Projects and Thematic Networks are specifically working on connecting people in knowledge and innovation systems. Some are building specific knowledge repositories to help share results across Europe.  

    Multi-actor projects

    • EUREKA – European Knowledge repository for best agricultural practices: website – CORDIS (01/2020 – 12/2021)
    • FAIRshare – Farm Advisory digital Innovation tools Realised and Shared: website – CORDIS (11/2018 – 10/2023)
    • I2connect – Connecting advisers to boost interactive innovation in agriculture and forestry: website – CORDIS (11/2019 – 10/2024)
    • AgriDemo-F2F - Building an interactive AgriDemo-Hub community: enhancing farmer to farmer learning: website – CORDIS (01/2017-06/2019)
    • 4D4F - Data Driven Dairy Decisions 4 Farmers: website - CORDIS (03/2016-02/2019)
    • EURAKNOS – Connecting Thematic Networks as Knowledge Reservoirs: towards a European Agricultural Knowledge Innovation Open Source System: website – CORDIS (01/2019 – 12/2020)
    • PLAID - Peer-to-Peer Learning:  Accessing Innovation through Demonstration: website - CORDIS (01/2017-06/2019)
    • NEFERTITI - Networking European Farms to Enhance Cross Fertilisation and Innovation Uptake through Demonstration: website - CORDIS (01/2018-12/2021)
    • ClieNFarms - Climate Neutral Farms: CORDIS (01/01/2022-31/12/2025)
    • AGRISPIN - Space for Agricultural Innovation: website - CORDIS (03/2015-08/2017)
    • AgriLink - Agricultural Knowledge: Linking farmers, advisors and researchers to boost innovation: website - CORDIS (06/2017-05/2021)
    • BOND - Bringing Organisations and Network Development to higher levels in the farming sector in Europe: website - CORDIS (11/2017-10/2020)
    • NEXTFOOD - Educating the next generation of professionals in the agrifood system: website - CORDIS (05/2018-04/2022)
    • LIAISON - Better Rural Innovation: Linking Actors, Instruments and Policies through Networks: website - CORDIS (06/2018-11/2021)
    • ZeroW - Systemic Innovations Towards a Zero Food Waste Supply Chain: CORDIS (01/2022-12/2025)

    • ModernAKIS - Modernisation of Agriculture through more efficient and effective Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems website – CORDIS (09/2022 – 08/2029)

    Find more Horizon 2020 / Europe Multi-Actor Projects and Thematic Networks on the EIP-AGRI website.

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