Subgroup on Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (SoIKE) - 6th meeting
The 6th meeting of the SoIKE took place in June 2024 in Brussels. Members were introduced to the EIP-AGRI Support Facility’s annual work programme for 2024-2025. The agenda was filled with many opportunities for networking and exchanges.
The Subgroup on innovation and knowledge exchange (SoIKE) focuses on thematic work with CAP stakeholders and EU Member States’ administrations. The SoIKE is one of the three subgroups of the European CAP Network’s Assembly, the main governance body that provides strategic guidance and advice for networking activities. In 2024-2025, the SoIKE will meet on 12 November 2024, 6 March 2025, and 5 June 2025, to follow up on the current work programme and prepare the work programme for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
The 6th meeting of the SoIKE took place on 6 June 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. This one-day event began with updates from recent EU CAP Network activities related to innovation and knowledge exchange, including EIP-AGRI and from Horizon Europe. The SoIKE members were then introduced to the EIP-AGRI Support Facility’s annual work programme from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. The programme includes Focus Groups, seminars, workshops, and cross-visits between Operational Groups, as well as an ad-hoc expert meeting and a stand-alone brokerage event related to the upcoming Horizon Europe project calls. The topics range from AI, demo farms, and circular bioeconomy, to local plant protein resources and sustainable livestock systems.
Besides providing opportunities for networking and exchanges between SoIKE members, the meeting included a session where participants were invited to exchange on the use of the results from EU CAP Network events in the Member States. To kick off discussions, Giorgio Trentin from AREPO (NGO) and Pawel Krzeczunowicz from the CDR (Polish National Network) shared how they follow up on SoIKE meetings and EU CAP Network activities (both presentations available on the EU CAP Network website).
The meeting participants were then invited to share their own experiences and ideas on how the results from EU CAP Network activities are being used or could be used at Member State level, and how to promote broader participation in these activities. The discussion also addressed approaches to increase the recognition of the National CAP Networks and the EU CAP Network to reach more stakeholders. Finally, actions to maximise the impact of the events were explored, together with ways that the EU CAP Network can best support Member States to that end.
Key discussion points included:
- To disseminate calls for participation and further information about the events, several channels are currently used, including social media, National CAP Network websites and specialised webpages, newsletters, and direct emails. In order to reach and support specific target groups, communication needs to be tailored to their specific interests. Some Member States provide financial support to encourage participation.
- It is important to promote and communicate the work of National and EU CAP Networks to relevant stakeholders and potential participants for EU CAP Network networking activities. Better strategic coordination is necessary between relevant organisations (Managing Authorities, National CAP Networks and the EU CAP Network) to enhance efficiency. Open days for the EU CAP Network are another possibility for promoting its activities. Sharing participants’ testimonies could also help to increase recognition of the networks.
- Systematic processes to follow up EU CAP Network activities are not well established across Member States. Reporting back is one way to follow up - these reports are disseminated within Ministries and among targeted stakeholders. Communication channels used to share event outcomes include newsletters, email campaigns, websites, press releases, and social media posts. However, the impact of event results can depend on the level of participants’ involvement and engagement.
- Actions to maximise the impact of the events were discussed, together with ways that the EU CAP Network can support Member States in this area. The farming season should be considered when determining the timing of events.
- An EU CAP Network flash report published immediately after the event was mentioned as an idea to compensate for the fact that the publication of events’ final reports usually takes several months. Additionally, an idea could be to incentivise social media followers to repost posts from the EU CAP Network.
The meeting also included a session on two studies focusing on the results from Operational Group projects. First, Carlotta Valli, COGEA / Bip Group, presented some highlights from the ‘Study on outcomes achieved by EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects under the CAP’ carried out by the EU CAP Network – European Evaluation Helpdesk for the CAP. This presentation was followed by Jenny Taylor, Swedish Board of Agriculture, who presented the preliminary results of the Swedish Evaluation study of completed EIP-AGRI OG projects. Both studies will be published later in 2024.
- Documents, videos and presentations from the meeting can be found on the dedicated EU CAP Network webpage.
- Find out more about the SoIKE and its objectives.