Report of the 7th Meeting of the Subgroup on Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (SoIKE)

The report describes the different sessions of the seventh meeting of the Subgroup on Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (SoIKE). This includes a Welcome and introduction, with presentations from Hugo Almeida, Deputy Head of Unit D1 “Rural areas and networks”, DG AGRI, and Orsolya Frizon Somogyi, Deputy Head of ‘Unit F2 - Research and Innovation’, DG AGRI.

During Session I: News from SoIKE members, SoIKE members had the opportunity to share relevant updates and activities aiming to foster innovation and knowledge exchange from their countries or organisations.

In Session II: Examples of follow-up activities on the take-up of EIP-AGRI OGs outcomes, Regina Menino, EIP-AGRI Operational Group GO Effluents and Living Lab Effluents, shared insights into the two projects. Secondly, Victor Carbajal Perelló, ‘Nutri-Know’ Horizon Thematic Network, presented ‘Activities targeting the uptake of Operational Group projects (OGs) outcomes’. Finally, Leonie Göbel, German National Network, presented ‘German examples of follow-up activities on the take-up of EIP-AGRI OG outcomes’.

In Session III: Member States’ actions in supporting the follow-up of EIP-AGRI OG project outcomes, Elisabeth Klingbacher, EIP-AGRI Support Facility, presented the main outcomes from discussions during the workshop ‘SHARE’, organised as part of the EU CAP Network conference ‘EIP-AGRI Operational Groups: Innovation in practice’. After this, SoIKE members had the opportunity to discuss in smaller groups what Member States do with the outcomes of EIP-AGRI OGs after a project is finished, and more specifically, what support there is for the dissemination and uptake of OG outcomes. SoIKE members then discussed what more could be done to support the dissemination, follow-up and uptake of EIP-AGRI OG outcomes.

During the last session, Next steps and closing, Hugo Almeida, ‘Unit D1 - Rural areas and networks’ in DG AGRI, thanked SoIKE members for their commitment and contributions to the discussions. The next meetings will take place on 11 March 2025 (8th SoIKE meeting) and 5 June 2025 (9th SoIKE meeting).