InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the Science 2025 Meeting in Lisbon, at the Nova SBE Campus, to take part in the parallel session “Crop Protection for One Health, and Food and Environmental Sustainability”.
The Encontro Ciência took place from July 9 to 11 at the NOVA SBE Campus in Carcavelos, with the motto “Science, Innovation and Society”. Portugal's largest science and technology meeting was the stage for promoting and discussing the scientific, social, cultural and economic impact of research in Portugal, exploring the intersection between science, innovation and society, to inspire new ideas and foster transformative collaborations.
The director of the Data Management and Risk Analysis Department, Ricardo Ramiro, and the director of the New Biopesticides Department, Cristina Azevedo, presented some of the results of their work in this session co-moderated by the executive director, António Saraiva.
During the session, two important solutions for the agricultural sector, developed by our team, were presented:
iCountPests - an innovative app that uses AI to detect and count pests accurately and quickly in photos of chromotropic traps.
InPP 2 - a broad-spectrum biofungicide capable of fighting Botrytis cinerea, the fungus responsible for gray rot in tomatoes.
CoLAB MORE Colab - Collaborative Mountain Research Laboratory and Sfcolab - Collaborative Laboratory for Digital Innovation in Agriculture, were also present at the parallel session, as well as GREEN-IT, to discuss how science and innovation can tackle the challenges of climate change and promote more sustainable agricultural systems.
On June 30, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the meeting “7 years of CoLABs: impacts and perspectives”, which brought together political decision-makers, experts from the Portuguese innovation ecosystem, leaders from different sectors, representatives of public and private entities and the representatives of the 41 Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB), at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento in Lisbon.
The meeting, organized by the Forum of Collaborative Laboratories (FCoLAB), aimed to reflect on the impact of the work carried out by the different CoLABs over the last seven years, as well as to address future prospects and identify strategies to boost the contribution of scientific research and innovation to the economy and society.
This initiative was an opportunity to showcase the products, services and solutions developed by CoLAB over the last seven years, highlighting its contribution to innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in various sectors of the economy. The application recently launched by InPP, iCountPests, which allows pests to be counted automatically using images from traps, reducing the time invested in monitoring and making it possible to create a pest history, was also highlighted.
The event was attended by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, Manuel Heitor, from the IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research and former Minister of Science and Innovation, António Grilo, President of ANI, among others.
In his speech, the Minister for Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, highlighted the purpose of science at national level: “We hope that the science created in Portugal will generate innovation. More than technology, innovation is the answer to society's problems. You are the agents of change!”.
During the session, the main activity indicators and proven impact of the first seven years of CoLABs' activity were also presented, and multisectoral perspectives on their role in the national science and innovation ecosystem were debated, focusing on topics such as socio-economic impact, internationalization, business competitiveness, technological innovation and sustainability.
The activity indicators and the impact of the 7 years of activity are as follows:
More than 260 projects approved
More than 1,300 qualified jobs created
19M€ in tax revenue generated
More than 900 interactions with companies
33 patent applications (10 granted)
680 scientific articles published
The two afternoon panels were attended by companies, partners and management entities, who reflected on the impact generated so far and presented proposals for maximizing CoLAB's long-term contribution to both the economy and Portuguese society.
At a time when the basic funding options for CoLABs are being discussed, this event is of the utmost importance. The area of crop protection, in particular, needs more investment in innovation. Holding this event was important for bringing this urgent and strategically important issue to the debate.
The InPP was also present in the exhibition area, receiving important visitors, including the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Canhão, the President of the FCT, Madalena Alves, the President of the National Innovation Agency, António Grilo, the President of the National Monitoring Committee for the RRP, Pedro Dominguinhos and the Executive Director of Ciência Viva, Ana Noronha.
On June 11th, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) held a seminar on “Six years of innovation: CoLABs” path to the future of the agricultural and agri-food sectors", at the National Agriculture Fair (FNA) in Santarém.
The event brought together, for the first time, six Collaborative Laboratories (CoLABs) with direct involvement in the agricultural and agri-food sectors: InnovPlantProtect, CoLAB4Food, FeedInov CoLAB, Food4Sustainability, MORE CoLAB and SmartFarmCoLAB.
Round table 1 - Sofia Couto (ANI), Paulo Madeira (InPP), André Mota (Colab4Food), Cristina Monteiro (FeedInov), Margarida Palma (Food4Sustainability), Albino Bento (MORE CoLAB), and Helena Vazão (SmartFarmCoLAB)Round table 2 - Isabel Martins (Vida Rural), Pedro Viterbo (Fertiprado), Rui Lima (SenseTest), Jaime Piçarra (IACA), Gonçalo Amorim (BGI), Andreia Afonso (Deifil Technology) and André Sá (TEROMOVIGO)Closing session - Tiago Pinto (ANPROMIS), António Saraiva (InPP), Miguel Teixeira (CoLAB4Food), Ana Sofia Santos (FeedInov), Nuno Serra (Food4Sustainability), Albino Bento (MORE CoLAB) and Helena Vazão (SmartFarmCoLAB)
The program included two round tables. The first, dedicated to “Innovation in Action: The Results and Impacts of CoLABs in Agriculture and Agrifood”, representatives from each CoLAB took part, presenting success stories and projects developed, with emphasis on the intervention of the innovation manager at InnovPlantProtect, Paulo Madeira, He shared InPP's achievements in developing solutions for more sustainable agriculture.
The second round table, under the theme “Partnerships for the Future: How CoLABs are Driving Innovation in the Agricultural and Agri-Food Sector”, The event was attended by partner companies and associations, who stressed the importance of collaborating with the CoLABs. Among the speakers were Pedro Viterbo, manager of Fertiprado, InnovPlantProtect's partner, accompanied by representatives of the following organizations Sense Test, Associação Portuguesa Dos Industriais De Alimentos Compostos Para Animais (IACA), Building Global Innovators (BGI), DEIFIL Technology and TeroMovigo.
The seminar ended with a moment of joint reflection, with speeches from all the executive directors of the CoLABs present, including the executive director of InnovPlantProtect, António Saraiva, The meeting was organized by the European Commission, which stressed the importance of cooperation and strategic coordination between the Collaborative Laboratories, reinforcing their collective commitment to innovation and sustainable development in the agricultural and agri-food sectors.
Round table 1 - Paulo Madeira (InPP)Round table 2 - Pedro Viterbo (Fertiprado)Closing session - António Saraiva (InPP)
Throughout the seminar, the importance of synergies between science, innovation and the market became clear, as did the need to strengthen funding and guarantee conditions for the continuity and growth of these Collaborative Laboratories, whose impacts are already visible in the national agricultural and agri-food ecosystem.
This meeting was an important moment for sharing experiences and strengthening collaborative work, charting a joint path towards a more competitive, sustainable and innovative future for agriculture and agri-food in Portugal.
Academic federations, rectors and university professors will “Reflect on the past and future of higher education assessment and accreditation in Portugal” at a conference to be held on December 18 in Lisbon. The CEO of InnovPlantProtect, Pedro Fevereiro, is one of those invited to present the development prospects and future challenges, based on a reflection of the last decade.
The conference “Reflecting on the past and future of the evaluation and accreditation of higher education in Portugal” will be held on December 18, between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., at the Thalia Theatre in Lisbon. Organized and promoted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, in conjunction with the Board of Trustees of the Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education, A3ES, this initiative aims to diagnose the state of higher education in Portugal and present measures for improvement that can be implemented in the near future.
Pedro Fevereiro, CEO of the InnovPlantProtect collaborative laboratory, was invited to a session to present the development prospects and future challenges for higher education assessment and accreditation in Portugal and Europe, based on a reflection of the last decade of higher education assessment and accreditation.
Preceded by the inauguration of the new Board of Directors of the Agency for the Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education (A3ES), the session will begin with an introduction by the Chairman of the A3ES Board of Trustees, Manuel Sobrinho Simões, with speeches by the outgoing Chairman of A3ES, Alberto Amaral, and the new Chairman, João Guerreiro. This will be followed by a debate with brief speeches by the presidents of academic federations and the presidents of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP), the Coordinating Council of Polytechnic Higher Education Institutes (CCISP) and the Portuguese Association of Private Higher Education (APESP). Minister Manuel Heitor will close the session.
Although it will be held in person, subject to compliance with the rules in force defined by the health authorities, the conference will also be broadcast on the internet via the link: https://videocast.fccn.pt/live/sec-geral_mec/sdtroo. Prior registration is required at the following address: gabinete.mctes@mctes.gov.pt
This year's edition will see speakers reflect on and analyze the lessons learned from the pandemic and the paths to a sustainable recovery. It will also be an opportunity to present and discuss the results of the prospective study on “The farmers of the future”.
The European Union's annual conference, “Agricultural Outlook 2020”, will be held on December 16 and 17, this time in an online format and with a reduced duration (two half days) due to the global situation related to the Covid-19 crisis.
Organized since 2014, these conferences have become successful meetings for establishing exchanges between interested parties on the market outlook, including the political framework and the uncertainties regarding the evolution of the market over the next ten years. They are held to coincide with the publication of the annual market outlook report.
The “Green Deal Webinar Series”, promoted by high-tech Zenithwings, is back for another edition to highlight the opportunities of the European Commission's Green Deal strategy. The initiative - in this edition with a greater focus on the agri-food sector - aims to make national agents aware of the importance of channeling investments that contribute to a greater degree of environmental sustainability in their activities.
Webinar #2 of the Green Deal Webinar Series will take place online on December 2, starting at 10 a.m., with the theme “Farm to Work - New paradigms in the agri-food sector”, and will feature a specialized range of guests: Álvaro Amaro, MEP, Natacha Pinto, Executive Coordinator of InovCluster, Armando Alves, Researcher at the University of Aveiro and Carlos Oliveira, Head of Product at Zenithwings.
The general aim of this webinar is to explore the new challenges and opportunities of the Green Deal, with a focus on the agri-food sector. It will analyze the sector's current level of sustainability and what reforms are needed at the various points in the value chain, be it production, transformation, distribution, marketing or consumption.
The event also aims to encourage companies to adopt innovative technologies and solutions that bring sustainability to the sector, particularly those that contribute to greater clarity, monitoring and quantification of impacts. In this regard, Zenithwings' SmartAgriChain project will be particularly highlighted, as a web-based solution to support the certification of agri-food products and the monitoring of the entire sector. the supply chain, supported by blockchain technology.
The Green Deal Webinar Series is aimed particularly at entrepreneurs and technical experts in the areas of Technology, Agriculture, Industry, Construction, Urban Planning and Environmental Services, policy makers, teachers, researchers, students, members and governing bodies of non-profit associations and environmental NGOs, but is open to the general public. Participation in this webinar is free of charge and requires compulsory registration.
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