News & Events

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NEWS

InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the project launch meeting BioLivingLABS - Bioeconomia ao Serviço da Sustentabilidade dos Territórios do Interior (Bioeconomy at the Service of the Sustainability of Inland Territories), which took place on October 1st at the School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB).

Funded by COMPETE 2023, the BioLivingLABS project, led by MORE CoLAB - Laboratório Colaborativo Montanhas de Investigação, in partnership with the InPP, the IPCB, from AQUAVALOR and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB).

This project's mission is to add value to the low-density territories in the north, center and south of the country by demonstrating and economically boosting the work carried out by the partners - through the creation, demonstration and application of products, processes and services resulting from joint research.

Four living laboratories will be created (Living Labs) in the innovation hubs of Mirandela, Douro, Covilhã and Elvas, which they intend to promote:

  • the transfer of knowledge;
  • technology demonstration;
  • strategic roadmapping and
  • the protection of intellectual property.

BioLivingLABS strengthens the link between academia, business and society, driving innovation and sustainability.

Expected impact:
Over the course of 24 months, and with Living Labs dedicated to sectors such as olive groves and olive oil, vineyards and wine, fruit and cereals, legumes, among others, the project will contribute to:

  • increase regional competitiveness;
  • promote sustainable practices and
  • responding to the environmental, social and economic challenges facing inland territories.

More news about this new project soon.

On September 25, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the National Exhibition of Blue Bioeconomy Pact Projects, held at the Port of Leixões Cruise Terminal, for the exhibition session of the Algae Vertical project, led by PhytoBloom by Necton.

InPP, leader of sub-project 6 - Agriculture, was represented by department director Cristina Azevedo and executive director António Saraiva, who presented some of the new algae-based biosolutions that our team and partners are developing.

There were more than 300 participants and 80 entities, including companies, research centers and political decision-makers. The Opening Conference was attended by the Chairman of Inovamar's General and Supervisory Board, José Soares dos Santos, and round tables were held on the future of the blue economy in Portugal.

Algae Vertical explores the biotechnological potential of algae in sectors as diverse as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and energy.

Find out more about the Algae Vertical Project here

InnovPlantProtect (InPP) recently received approval for an application submitted to COMPETE2030-2024-6 - Collective Actions - Transfer of scientific and technological knowledge - BioLivingLABS - Bioeconomy at the service of the sustainability of inland territories, led by MORE CoLAB - Laboratório Colaborativo Montanhas de Investigação, Associação, in partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB), the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco (IPCB) and AQUAVALOR.

BioLivingLABS aims to promote the economic valorization of research and development (R&D) results obtained by various institutions in the North, Center and Alentejo. To this end, it will create an experimental demonstration network, the so-called Living Labs, The project will be held in the innovation hubs of Mirandela, Douro, Covilhã and Elvas. In addition, demonstration actions, workshops, an inland innovation catalog and training on intellectual property protection will be developed with the aim of encouraging the incorporation of innovative solutions in the business sectors of these regions.

Scheduled to begin in October and lasting 24 months, the project has a total eligible investment of over 740,000 euros, financed by COMPETE2030 - Thematic Program for Innovation and Digital Transition. For InPP, this project is a strategic opportunity to strengthen its mission as a center for technology development and transfer, boosting the practical application of scientific knowledge to promote sustainable development.

This initiative confirms InPP's commitment to open and sustainable innovation, integrating science, technology and regional development to respond to the challenges and potential of the interior of the country.

EVENTS

(Updated, 21/3/2022) The sustainability team of the InnovPlantProtect, InPP Greeners, will plant 19 almond trees with students from the Alcáçova Primary School, The World Tree Day 2022 event, which was scheduled to take place today, has had to be postponed due to weather conditions. The event, scheduled for today, March 21, had to be postponed due to weather conditions and will be held on a new date to be announced.

The trees will be donated by Bolschare and the initiative has the support of Elvas City Council, In addition to the land, the company also provides the necessary planting material and technical support staff. The event will be attended by Councillor Hermenegildo Rodrigues.

At 9.30 a.m., a total of 57 pupils from three classes in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of the Alcáçova Primary School, part of the Elvas School Group 1, will join InnovPlantProtect (InPP) volunteers and members of the Municipality on the ground to plant the almond trees in the area surrounding the so-called “Amoreira arches” in Rossio de São Francisco.

With this action, InPP Greeners want to make elementary school pupils aware of the importance of trees for life. The almond trees were chosen because not only are they part of the work being carried out by InPP, but they are also of great economic interest to the region and are very beautiful landscape trees.

Bolschare is a family-run company based in Elvas that specializes in planting various crops.

The InPP Greeners are InnovPlantProtect's (InPP) sustainability team, created at the end of 2021 to share knowledge and good practices that lead to the creation of more sustainable laboratories and institutions, as well as promoting the adoption of more sustainable behaviors by all citizens.

The president of Elvas City Council (CME), José Rondão Almeida, visited today for the first time the facilities of the InnovPlantProtect (InPP), at the Elvense center of the INIAV - National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research. The mayor was accompanied by InPP's executive director, Pedro Fevereiro, and the director of INIAV's Elvas Center, Benvindo Maçãs.

The purpose of the visit was to introduce the mayor to the collaborative laboratory (CoLAB), at a time when the team is moving into the definitive premises, whose construction work is almost finished. Rondão Almeida considered the new space “very functional” and wanted to find out about the people who work at the InPP: how many there are, where they come from and what roles they play.

InnovPlantProtect has a total of 39 members, 33 researchers and 6 administrative staff, from Elvas, various other parts of Portugal and abroad, from countries such as Guatemala, India, Iran, Italy and Brazil, among others.

The president of the CME, which is a founding member of the InPP, expressed his satisfaction with what he had seen and what it could represent in terms of contributing to the development of the Alentejo, considering the CoLAB “a good challenge” that the local authority has embraced together with INIAV and other institutions.

Elvas, March 16, 2022

Images: CMElvas

The most unprotected and fragile populations, those who have the most difficulty accessing food, are the ones who will feel the impact of the potential food crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine the most, Pedro Fevereiro said today on the morning program of the Ukrainian Television. Antena 1, to which he was invited.

In a live interview with journalist Eduarda Maio, the executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP) also expressed concern about the transformation of agriculture in Europe towards a more sustainable model. Although the decisions have already been made, Pedro Fevereiro believes that there will be an impact when they are implemented, not only from an environmental point of view, but also from a social and economic one.

The director of the InPP argued that the current crisis, coupled with the previous one caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, is very worrying and that we are “forgetting other issues that are fundamental”, such as efforts to mitigate climate change and reduce the increase in the planet's average temperature, which are now even economically constrained.

Listen here in full to the 10am slot on Antena 1, with Pedro Fevereiro's full statements.