Clust-ER Agroalimentare Emilia-Romagna
Overview
About us
The “Associazione Clust-ER Agroalimentare” (hereinafter “Clust-ER Agrifood”) is a no-profit association that aims to strengthen the innovation system in the agri-food sector in Emilia-Romagna, developing the activity of collaborative research and technology transfer, as defined in the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3). The association aims to:
- promote sustainable agro-food models based on effective monitoring actions, and product/process innovations, to facilitate the process of specialization of the productive systems with reference to the S3 technological priorities;
- strengthen the capacities of the innovation system to promote strategic skills of high regional impact and to create networking opportunities among research laboratories, enterprises and high vocational training;
- submit to the Emilia-Romagna Region proposals for the implementation of initiatives aimed to the achievement of the S3 objectives;
- facilitate the participation of its associated members to funding programs, as well as national and international research networks;
- create synergies and alliances through the development of permanent networks with other public-private organizations operating in similar contexts at the EU level.
To achieve the above mentioned objectives, the Clust-ER Agrifood is implementing the following actions: 1) promotion of collaborative research between laboratories and enterprises; 2) development of pilot plants and demonstration actions; 3) promotion of high quality transfer of knowledge; 4) implementation of technology transfer actions; 5) internationalization of production systems; 6) technology forecasting actions; 7) creation of innovative start-ups; 8) strengthening and networking of research infrastructures.
Cluster composition
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49Cluster Members
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8SME's
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2Large Companies
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36Research Organisations, Universities, Technology Centers
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11Other Ecosystem Actors
Achievements
Clust-ER Agrifood is composed of 49 members, including 7 innovation centres, 29 laboratories and 13 enterprises/associations, with the opportunity to have access to all their specific equipment differentiated by production chain. Equipment availability is related in particular to aquaculture (laboratories with sampling facilities) and viticulture (demonstration fields, laboratory with equipment for grapevine physiology).
Clust-ER Agrifood has a continuous collaboration with ASTER, the Consortium for innovation and technology transfer of Emilia-Romagna (including the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, the six Universities and the National Research Centres located in the region, the Regional Union of Chambers of Commerce, working in collaboration with regional Business Associations and Innovation Centres). Through this collaboration, Clust-ER Agrifood is in connection with relevant DIHs and networks in Europe (EBN, Enterprise Europe Network, EIT Climate KIC, EIT Raw Material, Vanguard Initiative, and others).
Management team
Sectorial and industrial focus
Sectoral Industries
Technology fields
S3 EU priority areas
Cross-sectoral industries
Services
Support services provided
Further information
The following topics have been identified as priorities:
- competitivity and sustainability of the agro-food productions (innovative genotypes, protection of soil and natural resources);
- precision farming;
- food stabilization, reduction of thermic damages, risk monitoring, products traceability and certification;
- valorization of the regional food heritage and territorial typical products;
- facilitate the adoption of innovative methodologies of design and implementation of food plants, with a scientific approach to process control and food security;
- strengthening the circular bio-economy, involving the value chain actions.
Three main value chains have been identified:
- SOSFARM - Sustainable and Precision agriculture; this value chain aims to facilitate the digitalization of the farms, with a higher and better access to big data and promoting the rationalization of inputs (water, pesticides, fertilizers) maintaining the production’s quality; soil threats analysis protocols and reduction of soil degradation;
- FoodQST - Quality, security, traceability and nutrition; defining methodologies to facilitate the integration of primary production with the high-convenience conservation and transformation processes; optimizing security and shelf-life prolongation, to define the best conditions of use, biological risk assessment; allowing the ICT applications and industry 4.0 techniques, to improve production sustainability;
- SPES - valorizing sub-products and agricultural residues; identifying the best strategies of transformation and re-use of the different sub-products, finalized to the different destinations of use (Pharma, Food, Feed, Bioplastics, Cosmetics, Chemicals).
The Clust-ER Agrifood is composed of 49 members, of which innovation centres, laboratories and private companies operating in the most important agricultural production chains.
Support programmes
EU Programmes
Name & description
Rural Development Programme
Project name
EU Support (COSME, Rural Development Programme, ERDF)
Cooperation activities
International cooperation
Targeted countries
Transnational cooperation
Targeted countries
Transnational support activites
International support activites
Support to collaborative activities/etc.Connection to cluster organisation(s)
Upcoming events
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