Emilia-Romagna Region and the

Food-Cluster Initiative

Cristiana MiglioOPENDAYS - BRUXELLES, 6-9 OTTOBRE 2008

•15% of the national food sector; employment of almost50,000 people; 11,000 firms; Agro+industry: A.V. 27% ofthe total (national A.V.=22%)•Products: fruits and vegetables, grapes and wine, cereals,

processed foodand seed cultivation, preserved tomatoes and by-products, canned

andfrozen vegetables, preserved fruit and fruit juice, meat and meat

products•Typical products: 14 PDOs, 11 PGIs.

A SNAPSHOT OF THE AGRO-FOOD SECTOR IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA

•Emilia-Romagna generates 17% of Italy’s patents•More than 150 research teams are active in the region onfood topics •Presence in the Region of the European Food Safety Agency

(EFSA)•Presence of food formal networks and development agencies

working onRTD promotion and local development.

INNOVATION STRUCTURE FOR FOOD

CNR National Research Council 5 UNIVERSITIES

ENEA National Body for New Technologies, Energy and Environment

EMILIA-ROMAGNA: THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY A strong tradition of quality and technology

La Cattolica University

PIACENZA

PARMA

REGGIO EMILIA

MODENA

FORLI’

FERRARA

RAVENNA

RIMINI

Bologna University

ModenaUniversity

Parma University

Ferrara University

BOLOGNA

INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS

FOOD TECHNOLOGIES

RAW MATERIALS

FARM MACHINERY

THE EMILIA-ROMAGNA STRATEGY FOR R&D AND INNOVATION

STR

ATEG

IC O

BJE

CTIV

ES

To enhance the propensity of existing productive systems towards research and innovation

To foster the development of a modern knowledge-based productive systems

To increase the jobs in R&D and Innovation

To enhance business and science cooperation

To strengthen the regional “knowledge community”

To develop the regional network composed by units engaged in industrial research and technology transfer

PRRIITT: REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFER

THE EMILIA-ROMAGNA HIGH-TECHNOLOGY NETWORK

14 Networked Laboratories and 8 Innovation Centers:

•Share knowledge and competences•Generate highly qualified human resources•Create more opportunities for research-industry partnerships

FOOD NETWORKED LABORATORY IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA

SITEIA

Food Safety, Technology and Innovation

MISSION:support food industries at all level of the supply chain, with high levels of

competence, services and knowledge-based

innovation technologies

New technologies for food safetyTraditional products valorizationProcesses and new technologies for mechanic industry

Raw Material quality and safety

Microorganisms of industrial interest

Foresight Foresight

LaboratoryLaboratory

of Europeof Europe

Foresight Foresight

LaboratoryLaboratory

of Europeof Europe

EMILIA-ROMAGNA IN EUROPE

AGFORISEAGroFOod clusters platform

with common long-termResearch and Innovation Strategy

towardsEconomic growth and prosperity

• Strongest link of the regional system with external RTD and food initiatives

• Possibility to share good practices and experiences acquired by other countries

• Creation of new opportunities for cooperation among different countries

• Open a wider window on the multifaceted aspects that may concern the food sector

BENEFITS FROM THE EUROPEAN FOOD-CLUSTER

New ideas for Partnerships and Innovation Projects

Higher RTD project quality

THE KEYS OF SUCCESS

• Overcome the fragmentation of research among different Regions by a constructive dialogue and the clear statement of interests

• Enhance the dialogue between Regions and EC, which should act in the shape of a collaborative team

• Stimulate Regions to express criticisms and to propose new initiatives to the EC, in order to optimize future European polices addressed to the food sector

THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION

Cristiana MiglioAster

Bologna, Italycristiana.miglio@aster.it

+39 051 6398179