Agro Food Innovation Clusters Agro Labs Kick off

Agro. Food Innovation Clusters (Agro. Labs) Kick off Meeting, Athens, Greece “Sofia University” 28 September 2017

Agro. Food Innovation Clusters Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” is the main national high academic, research, cultural and information center of high international reputation. �Founded in 1894 by the brothers Evlogy and Hristo Georgievi �Nowadays the University Library possesses a rich multidisciplinary fund of faculty, labraries and laboratories; �Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski is the biggest and most prestigious scientific hub in the country. It has 16 faculties with 107 special subjects being taught. �The scientific activities of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski have been developing in compliance with the accredited by the academic community Strategy for the Development of Scientific Research (2009 -2014)

�The University is exemplary in terms of its scientific research and educational activities, both of them enjoying wide cultural and social significance. �The University contributes significantly to the Bulgarian participation in the global development of science and education. �The educational programs of Sofia University must constantly meet European quality standards and approximate the leading world criteria.

Agro. Food Innovation Clusters �Sofia University "ST. Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Departments “Ecology and Environmental protection” and “Biotechnology”, have long experience in implementing national and international projects (Norwegian Fund, FP 7, Horizon 2020 etc). It is fully staffed and equipped and is active in environmental sustainability and relevant policy instruments. �Drawing on its long experience and appropriate resources, the research team will contribute in the Agro. Labs project. It will benefit from inter-institutional collaboration through and tightening its academic and institutional partnerships with neighboring countries.

Agro. Food Innovation Clusters �Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department “Ecology and Environmental protection” (PP 8) is participating at JTS & Management Meetings (D 1. 8. 1) and perfome management and coordination throughout the project for PP 8 (D 1. 8. 2). Additionally, the WP 1 includes the continuous monitoring, evaluation of activities and results of the project, internal communication and coordination among partners and with the JTS. First level control will be annually (D 1. 8. 3) according to the project needs.

Agro. Food Innovation Clusters � PP 8 will develop in close coordination with agro-food SMEs, case studies that involve innovative products, innovative processes or solutions that respond to the challenges identified in WP 3 (3. 8. 1 Diagnosis). At WP 3, on top of the PP 8 permanent staff a researcher and a scientific staff (temp. staff) participating in the elaboration of the study will be addressed for the elaboration of Diagnosis of the Agrofood value chain studies in the region of Blagoevgrad Province (D 3. 8. 1) with literature review, identification of local stakeholders, and measurments for specific products (according to the survey) such as antioxidants, minerals, nutritive value etc. External Experts will be addressed for the elaboration of Diagnosis of the Agrofood value chain studies in the region of Blagoevgrad Province (D 3. 8. 1), with interviews, field surveys with the stakeholders, mapping and collecting samples from enterprises (In addition, PP 8 will purchase equipment- sampling, screening and analysis of differrent agrofood chain products, chemicals, glassware, electrodes probes etc. ), identification of typical agrofood products per region/ innovation indicators and obstacles and needs identification etc.

Agro. Food Innovation Clusters � At WP 4 (4. 8. 1), PP 8 will organise one of the Agrolabs workshop and the respective discussion papers (in October 2018), inviting two trainers experts academics/researchers relevant to the project. � At WP 5, on top of the PP 8 permanent staff researchers and a scientific staff (temp. staff) participating in the elaboration of the study. In WP 5, external experts will work on case studies that involve innovative products, innovative processes or solutions that responds to the challenges of the pilot region. The pilot cases will be developed in collaboration with local producers, based on the needs identified in the diagnosis and in the working groups (D 5. 8. 1). In addition, PP 8 will purchase equipment (Bacteria growing media, GC/MS collumn, HPLC collumn, chemical reagents, Petridishes, plant material, distillation columns).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!