CIHEAM Bari participated in the Workshop and Final conference activities of the UniClaD project "Increasing the capacity of universities to initiate and participate in the development of clusters with the principles of innovation and sustainability", implemented within the framework of the European Union's "ERASMUS+ KA2" programme.
The events were organized by the Azerbaijan Technical University (AzTU) in cooperation with the UniClaD Consortium between 30 September and 1 October for the 2-day workshop, and between 1 and 2 October 2024 for the Final Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan at AzTU.
During the 2-day workshop activities, potential development of agri-food and agri-industrial clusters and the results of the creation of expertise centers in the fields of “agriculture and agri-food processing with a focus on local products”, “biotechnology and poultry breeding”, “rural tourism”, aquaculture and water management” were illustrated and discussed.
Also during the Workshop, best practices on the above-mentioned thematic topics were presented and shared by 6 EU partners. Within the framework of the project, quality assessment and discussions for the sustainability of the project were also envisaged.
The 2-day Final conference aiming at disclosing the Project results to external stakeholders, had the participation of more than 23 partners gathering higher education (HEs), research centers and industrial/private companies. Consortium partners were represented by experts from 9 countries from EU zone Austria, Hungary Lithuania, Italy, Poland, Spain and non-EU Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Presentations showed the results achieved in terms of development and activity of clusters in the agricultural sector, as well as the study of European experience. About 60 representatives representing 20 international partner enterprises of the project participated also in the conference.
CIHEAM Bari UniClaD project leader, Noureddin Driouech, moderated the final conference working session together with Olimpia Antonelli, head of Education office, as a Rapporteur, highlighted the role of the project, implemented within the European Union "ERASMUS+ KA2" program, in increasing the teaching quality, research potential and innovation of higher education/ research institutions and strengthening cooperation among them.
Furthermore, CIHEAM Bari Team animated and contributed to the Final conference working activities by presenting the following topics:
- Noureddin Driouech “Mobility of Experts and Students during the project: challenges, achievements and lessons learnt”
- Maroun El Moujabber“ Science Diplomacy and Gender Equality”
- Francesco Bottalico” Territorial Actions to Face Shocks: the Case of Apulia Region DJAS Salento Cluster”.
Project leader, Noureddin Driouech, had worked across inter and cross-disciplinary competence centres (agro-industrial clusters) set up within HEIs. The clusters were created to ensure and strengthen connections with other organisations, encourage farms to develop innovations generated in HEIs, and promote collaborative activities based on mutual interest. This will be possible in the future through administrative support, a legal framework and research activities that meet real needs.