Lazio Region:Smart specialisation and food: food, gastronomy and bio-economy as elements of regional innovation strategies

EXPO 2015 in Milan (Italy)22 September 2015Luigi CAMPITELLI – Lazio Innova

Internationalization policies and EXPO 2015: A FIRST TEST-BED FOR THE RIS3 OF LAZIO

What issues would we like to discuss and why

2 field experiences of successful integration between internationalization and innovation policy in a food-related domain in the Lazio RIS3 framework :

o Lazio Deli: A project aims to qualify and categorize the range of products of regional excellences

o The Call 4 Innovators@EXPO 2015: a pilot action aiming at involving the different local actors in the designing/development/promotion of projects-product-ideas of business-research projects

3 main questions for the discussion:

1. how to combine product qualification & local branding strategies;

2. how reduce risk of economic marginalization of the products;

3. how to strengthen and stabilize the process: from pilot applications to services and products to the market.

2

The RIS3 Of Lazio: VISION

•Three-component model in which technological excellence, both in research and industrial are at the heart of the process of transformation. •Contribution of ICT and creative industries, for their adoption in innovative solutions (processes, goods and services)

7 AREAS OF SPECIALISATIONo Aerospaceo Life Scienceso Cultural activities and technologies for cultural heritage o Digital Creative Industrieso Agrifood o Green Economyo Security

3

The Regional Agrifood Ecosystem: some evidence• The Agrifood Sector in Lazio Region

o 3400 enterprises o 16.626 workerso 580 Million of euro for Food-industry Exports (3.3% of total manufacturing export ) o 5% of the national turnover per yearo 3% of the total wealth of the entire regional economy o Rome is the largest agricultural municipality in Europe: in Rome there are 2.656 agricultural companies (329

with direct sales)

• Major logistics platforms as the: o Agribusiness Centre of Rome (CAR), o The Fruit and Vegetable Market in Fondi (MOF)o The Fruit and Vegetable Market of Latina (MOL) which make the Lazio region of first importance for the

commercialization products of the agrifood sector

• Important research facilities as the:o CRA (Council for Research and Experimentation in Agricultural), AINRAN (National Research Institute for

Food and Nutrition) now CRA-NUT, INEA (National Institute of Agricultural Economics), ARSIAL (Regional Agency for Development and Innovation of 'Agriculture of Lazio), ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Development sustainable economic), CNR (National Research Council), IZSLT (Istituto Sperimentale Zooprofilattico Lazio and Tuscany), IAgri BIC Lazio (Incubator of food and agriculture).

4

Entrepreneurial discovery process

Three steps: 1.Thematic focus groups, involving representative of the business community, business associations, research institutions and local universities.

2.Questionnaires, submitted to all participating stakeholders. They covered the KETs (Key Enabling Technologies) and the Societal Challenges as defined in Horizon 2020. to each participant has been asked to express opinions about the positioning and the current and future technological priority of the Agrifood specialisation area.

3.Results, an extensive picture of the specialisation area and of its main trends.

Identified main strengths in terms of production and key competencies for innovation and technology transfer, as well as potential for cross-fertilisation: major benefits from the application of many Enabling Technologies (ICT, nanotech, new materials, biotechnology, etc.) and new opportunities to health, bio-economy, environment, tourism, life science.

Furthermore:The Call 4 Innovators@EXPO 2015 is itself part of the Entrepreneurial discovery process.The new supporting schemes are taking profit from stakeholders consultation process.

5

Lazio Agrifood: Key elements for the innovation strategy

Strengths

Quality products

Priority areas for improvement

Cross Fertilisation

• Wide range of quality products• PDO-PGI-TSG products highly

recognised on international markets• Close links with the local identity

and the cultural heritage• High safety standards• Matching of Tradition with

Innovation

Thanks to the main regional key specialisations, the agrifood sector can take benefit of a wide range of competences and solutions:oPrecision farmingoPlant production in challenging environmentsoPackaging and preservationoCertification & InspectionoCold chain

6

Lazio Agrifood: priority and objectives for internationalization policies

EXPO 2015, a great promotional engine, an opportunity to mobilize all the different actors and stakeholders:

the CALL4INNOVATORS

Priority Objectives

• Better positioning on international markets for quality products deeply-rooted on the local culture and linked to the local gastronomy:o avoid risks of economic

marginalization for niche products;o connect products with the local

identity and its lifestyle.

• Exchange of know-how and technology transfer in the fields related to food processing and to the new challenges (precision farming, plant production in challenging environments, etc.)

7

Field experiences:Call 4 Innovators@EXPO 2015

•The project involved the most prestigious Universities and Research Center of Lazio, together with the regional "Innovators“, to represent the excellence of our territory.

•All projects have been grouped for thematic areas with a scientific coordination (from universities and/or leading research centers specialized on the issues), with the aim of organizing a workshop to be held between June and October 2015, at the Museum of Pacis in Rome.

18 Thematic whorkshops combining the scientific community and the business experience; 11 scientific coordinators; over 270 companies and projects

candidates, including 70 startup.

8

Main achievements:•Enhancement of R&D projects in the local context, but also promoting international networking•Matching between business projects and potential partners•Each thematic area is now a new R&D and Business support Lab

Thematic whorkshops regarding Agrifood (9 of 18)•Food and Health•Food safety. The citizen protagonist of food security: prevention, training and control for consumer protection•Sustainable Agriculture•Agrispazio - Colonize the Moon and Mars to feed the Earth•Waste Management•Edutainment: the science of nutrition for everyone - big and small questions of nutrition scientists•Nutritionally balanced menu with products of the Basket Lazio•Color and smell of food•International cooperation on food security and rural development: promoting innovative actions from below and partnership

9

Field experiences:Call 4 Innovators@EXPO 2015

The new Regional Internationalization Strategy

•Started in 2014, a new strategy has been designed to support internationalization.

•Lazio Deli is the first pilot project improved in this framework to promote local food products

•Thanks to EXPO 2015 the basket has enlarged to 125 Lazio Map of Excellences.

Lazio DELI is a project aimed to the promotion of fine foods & beverage from Lazio.The action, part of the Regional Guidelines for Internationalization, aims to qualify and classify some of the most important “niche” food products, providing also technical support and counselling to the participating companies.

A two years project involving 108 companies in the regional food-industry, selected to offer to the Canadian market more than 200 quality products - such as wines, olive oils, preserves, cheeses, baked goods and spices for seasoning. Each product has been firstly submitted to a panel of North American consumers to understand how it meets the target market.

10

Field experiences: Lazio DELI

Stages of the project:

•Enlargement of “Export Basket Lazio”, identification and estimation of other companies and products

•Support to obtain certifications required by the Canadian market

•Incoming trade mission (October 2014) Canadian importers and distributors, business to business meetings, tasting of 140 products, company visits

•Show-window and starting of sales in the Toronto area (from April 2015)

11

Field experiences: Lazio DELI

Field experiences From Lazio DELI to Lazio Map of Excellence • EXPO 2015 provides the opportunity to list the food and gastronomy products more

closely linked to the territory, its identity and its culture.

• 125 products, whose production meets the standards defined by tradition and by the EU regulation.

• 125 products, of which the production can be increased, but especially improved visibility and positioning on the market, firstly linking promotional strategies to those of the territory.

• 125 products on which focus the promotional strategies.

125 products messengers in the world of our food and gastronomy, but also a leverage to - both - cultural heritage promotion and territorial mktg

12

Lazio DELI & Map of Excellence:First results

• Sales in the East-Canada

• Business meetings with a large number of delegations visiting Lazio during Expo

• A promotional program at Expo

• Starting of a new promotional strategy

A change in the entrepreneurs mind-set: not only “local” products, but messengers of our lifestyle in the world

13

Next Steps

Support to innovation and internationalization are the two sides of the same strategy, focused on the selected 45 "key actions" for a smart, sustainable and inclusive development of the Region, This strategy has to be consistently pursued and monitored.

•Supporting networking at both levels of niche products and of exchange of know-how, enhancing the entrepreneurial discovery process (Peer to peer and Co-operation along the value chain).

•Monitoring the strategy and the main actions in order to re-schedule activities on the basis of feedback received.

14

Thanks for your attention

Luigi Campitelli

Internationalization, Networks & Studies Head of Unit

Lazio Innova SpA

l.campitelli@lazioinnova.it www.lazioinnova.it – www.laziointernational.it

15