Possible role of an FNSSA International Research Consortium (IRC)

24 October 2022.  Possible role of International Research Consortium (IRC) on FNSSA in the implementation of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda

The discussion brought together researchers, end-users, stakeholders, associations, generalist and thematic media channels and other relevant actors in the food and agriculture fields. 

The aim of this event was to briefly present the outcomes of the write-shop, and the IRC Founding Launch which was held on 14-16th September 2022 in Accra, and discuss how the IRC could support and push forward the AU-EU innovation agenda as part of its future strategy.

• 
  Dr. Vincenzo Lorusso | European Commission DG Research and Innovation Vincenzo Lorusso is in charge of Research and Innovation cooperation with Africa and, bilaterally, with ASEAN countries. Vincenzo joined the European Commission in 2022. 
• Dr. Irene Annor-Frempong | Coordinator of LEAP4FNSSA Project – FARA

Upcoming event:

23 - 24 November 2022. AU-EU Innovation Agenda Stakeholder Event in Nairobi

The joint AU-EU Innovation Agenda is an unprecedented initiative aiming to accelerate the translation of Research and Innovation into tangible positive impact on the ground, so to generate products, services, businesses and jobs, in Africa and Europe. It proposes four objectives, articulated into short-term, medium-term and long-term actions, for each of the four priority areas of the AU-EU cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation namely : 

1. Public Health, 
2. Green Transition, 
3. Capacities for Science 
4. and Innovation and Technology]
5. Cross-cutting issues.

The event will be held in the Mövenpick hotel Nairobi and online. The sessions will be recorded for proper dissemination on our social media and website platforms.

Download

• AU-EU Agenda Innovation (French).pdf
• AU-EU Agenda Innovation (Portugues).pdf
• AU-EU Agenda Innovation (Arabic).pdf
• AU-EU Agenda Innovation (English).pdf
• AU-EU Programme.pdf
• AU-EU Concept Note.pdf
• REGISTER

LEAP4FNSSA eConsultation

9 June 2022. The LEAP4FNSSA actors are working towards the establishment of the International Research Consortium (IRC) platform. 

A first online consultation was held on 9th of June. 

• The zero draft of the IRC document was launched on 20th May on the LEAP4FNSSA website 
• and the FARA Dgroup 
• The document is available for inputs.

The IRC Platform is expected to target four specific objectives: 

1. Increase the synergies and coherence between actors, research and innovation projects, initiatives and programmes, through the development of institutional alliances and clusters of projects and expertise 
2. Develop a learning environment and a large knowledge base, including monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities, creating communication and links between different initiatives to improve STI cooperation 
3. Establish a long term and sustainable coordination infrastructure, governance and funding mechanism 
4. Liaise with the HLPD Bureau.

LEAP4FNSSAschedule:

eConsultations 

• 9th June / 5th July / 30th August

Accra's meeting

• Upscaling Private Sector Participation and Science-based Outreach in West Africa’ to be held on 22nd – 23rd June 2022 in Accra, Ghana.
• The workshop will be hosted by the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI), which is one of thirteen institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Ghana.
• Read/download the agenda 

Brussels' meeting

• 13 July 2022. from 10:30 to 16:30 CEST. Creating an International Research Consortium on Food, Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture: A Platform for Research and Innovation between Africa and Europe.The workshop will be held in a hybrid format. The physical meeting is in Brussels, Belgium.
• The workshop will create awareness on the International Research Consortium (IRC), the LEAP4FNSSA platform which will be launched in September 2022.
• The IRC will serve as a bi-continental platform to advance FNSSA, create synergies between the many Research and Innovation (R&I) programmes, initiatives, and actors from both Europe and Africa. It will provide information on prospective partners, funding opportunities, and innovations that have worked in FNSSA.

Final write-shop and the IRC

• These consultations are planned to lead to the final write-shop and the IRC founding launch on September 14-16 in Accra.

Supporting the AU-EU HLPD with a special focus on the Central and Eastern EU

2 November 2021. 
Supporting the AU-EU HLPD with a special focus on the Central and Eastern EUThe meeting aimed to Support the AU- EU HLPD with special focus on Central and Eastern EU countries as well as promotion of the AU-EU Research and Innovation on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) to relevant institutions in the countries of Central and Eastern EU. And to inform about the progress in implementation of the Roadmap and other existing cooperation opportunities to researchers, research founders, policy makers and other civil society actors.

• Welcoming of all participants (Jan Banout – CZU)
• Presentation of the AU-EU Research and Innovation Partnership on FNSSA (Melissa Plath – Finnish University Partnership for International Development)

Synergies and opportunities for alignment, future research interests & topics, related to the Roadmap (all participants – moderated by Jan Banout Czech University of LifeSciences Prague, CZU)

• Is your country engaged in Research & Innovation with Africa with a particular focus on FNSSA? Please give an overview and examples.
• Do you see the Research & Innovation Partnership with Africa in the field of FNSSA as important? If so, what are the specific areas that you see here.
• Do you see the need for a continental cooperation in research policy and dialogue?

Overview on past and current European projects in the field of FNSSA: Leap4FNSSA on the pathway to an informative project information system (Petronella Chaminuka – Agricultural Research Council, ARC)

Presentation of Research & Innovation Platform and how to join (Irene Annor-Frempong – The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa FARA)

Final Discussion

• What can we do to increase the engagement of Central–Eastern EU members in R&I oriented to the cooperation with African countries and the AU—EU Partnership?
• Under what conditions would the IRC would be attractive to you?