Thematic report on strategic Priority 4 'Promotion of innovation'

The evaluation is carried out in the framework of the 2014-2022 NRN programme commissioned to Lattanzio KIBS and Centrale Valutativa. It covers the implementation of activities undertaken by the NRN under strategic Priority 4 of the programme up to 31 December 2021.

The scope of the evaluation is to assess two distinct aspects related to Priority 4 'Promotion of innovation':

1. The programme's effectiveness in promoting the demand and supply of innovation at the territorial level and aligning the needs of rural development operators with research.
2. The programme’s capacity to foster the creation of local, regional, superregional, national and international networks capable of stimulating stable synergies and process, product and organisational changes.

The methodological approach used to design surveys and analyse results is mainly quantitative.

The evaluation follows a process of analysis structured in two steps:

1. The analysis of monitoring data and desk analysis of secondary sources.
2. The selection and analysis of primary data directly collected by evaluators (in-depth interviews and customer satisfaction survey).

The report concerns only the results of the first part of the analysis based on monitoring data and desk analysis of available secondary sources.

Concerning the results of the first phase of the analysis, the evaluation concludes that the Innovarurale website represents a unique space where it is possible to find information and initiatives regarding innovation and research promoted by European, national and regional policies. The desk analysis and monitoring data highlight the centrality of this tool within the NRN programme. The update to the innovative portal represents a key action of the NRN's ambitious objective of promoting innovation. Data available confirm the portal's performance as a reference point for promoting innovation in agri-food systems.

Moreover, the evaluation found that one of the most complex and challenging services of the Innovarurale portal is the EIP AGRI Operational Groups (OGs) database, which provides detailed information on projects operating in different regions. At the end of 2020, the OG database contained project summaries of about 400 out of 500 existing OGs. This shows the effort of the programme to contribute to the promotion of innovation at the territorial level.

Among the activities carried out by the NRN supporting the EIP AGRI OGs, the production of methodological documents concerning the establishment and implementation of the OGs themselves deserves particular attention. Another interesting tool implemented to support the diffusion and the promotion of innovation is the 'Catalogue of Innovations'. Access to the Catalogue is free through the fulfilment of the 'Propose your innovation' section. Other actions promoted by the NRN are mentioned in the evaluation.