"Que vida é a nossa?" – InnovPlantProtect

NEWS

Seminar highlights CoLABs' contribution to the future of agricultural and agri-food innovation

June 12, 2025
Blog, News
Ines Ferreira

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)

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.

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.

CoLABs in the spotlight at FNA: Innovation and Impact for Agriculture and Agrifood

June 3, 2025
Blog, News
Ines Ferreira

O InnovPlantProtect (InPP) promotes the seminar “Six years of innovation: The path of CoLABs for the future of the agricultural and agri-food sectors”, on the next day June 11th, from 09h30 until 11h00, in center stage at Espaço InsectERA, located in the Central Cloisters of the National Center for Agricultural Exhibitions and Markets (CNEMA) in Santarém.

The seminar aims to present the practical results and real impact of six Collaborative Laboratories (CoLABs) in Portugal - InnovPlantProtect, Colab4Food, FeedInov, Food4Sustainability, MORE and SmartFarmCoLAB. These interface infrastructures are essential pillars of the National Innovation System (SNI) and play a growing and essential role in the dynamics of innovation for agriculture and agri-food.

The event will be attended by members of the teams and partners of each of the CoLABs, who will talk about their vision of the added value of these interface and innovation entities, from the point of view of those who collaborate directly with them.

The initiative, which is part of the National Agriculture Fair (FNA) 2025, which this year has the theme “Biosolutions” and will be the stage for exploring the innovations that are shaping the future of the sector, brings together different representatives of the innovation ecosystem to show the role of CoLABs in stimulating the transfer of knowledge and making innovation available to agriculture and agri-food in Portugal, creating value and attracting highly qualified human resources to the country.

See the full program in the image below.

The registration for the event is free, but mandatory due to the limited capacity of the space. Guarantee your presence by filling in the available form here.

We look forward to welcoming you for a morning of sharing and debate on the future of innovation in the agricultural and agri-food sectors!

InPP participa na FNA25

June 3, 2025
Blog, Highlight, News, Latest
Ines Ferreira

Estamos em contagem decrescente para a Feira Nacional de Agricultura (FNA), uma das maiores feiras agrícolas do país!

É já de 7 a 15 de junho que o InPP vai estar na 61ª edição da Feira Nacional de Agricultura, que se realiza no CNEMA – Centro Nacional de Exposições, em Santarém.

O tema da edição deste ano é “Biosoluções”e pretende destacar a importância das soluções e tecnologias inovadoras no setor agroalimentar e na promoção de práticas mais sustentáveis e eficientes.

A FNA reúne agricultores, empresários e especialistas dos setores agroalimentar, pecuário e agrícola e é um excelente espaço para aumentar a nossa rede de contactos, trocar conhecimentos e apresentar as mais recentes tendências e soluções agrícolas que a nossa equipa tem desenvolvido.

Vai poder encontrar-nos no stand nº.18, à entrada do Espaço dos claustros, dedicado à Agenda InsectERA, entre as 10h e as 20h.

Venha visitar-nos. Esperamos por si!

EVENTS

Discovering the fascinating trees in the Elvas Municipal Garden

April 28, 2021
Latest
Ines Ferreira

O InnovPlantProtect (InPP) and D. Sancho II Secondary School, from Agrupamento de Escolas n.º 3 de Elvas, are going to organize a pedipaper at the Elvas Municipal Garden for 10th graders to explore, identify and marvel at the different trees in the garden and their differentiating characteristics. The initiative is part of and will take place on Fascination of Plants Day.

The event, to which Elvas City Council (CME) joins, will be held on the morning of May 18, 2021, Fascination of Plants Day. The Municipal Garden of Elvas is the largest green space in this Alentejo city, where the InPP is based. There you'll find specimens of olaias, linden trees, olive trees, cedars, orange trees, horse chestnut trees, mulberry trees, casuarinas, ash trees and carob trees, among many others.

Olaia in the Municipal Garden of Elvas — Among olaias, linden and olive trees, you can find orange trees, horse chestnuts and casuarinas, among many other trees, in the Elvas Municipal Garden.

The activity starts at 8:30 a.m. and will be divided into three sessions of 90 minutes each, for three 10th grade classes at Escola Secundária D. Sancho II: from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.. InPP researchers and teachers from the school will be on site to assist the participants. Another class, from the multimedia technical course, is due to take part, reporting on the event. At a later date, a similar activity will be offered to the class from the technical-vocational agricultural course.

The topic of Biodiversity is covered by the 10th grade. As a result of this activity, InPP, Escola Secundária D. Sancho II and CME will continue to collaborate on the development of a physical identification system for the Garden's trees, based on a QR (Quick Response) code.

This QR code, once scanned by a visitor's smartphone, will give access to a database on the trees in the Elvas Municipal Garden, including their identification, description, curiosities, history and mythology. This database/digital brochure will be created by InPP researchers and the school's students and teachers, and made available to the CME and all the secondary schools in the municipality of Elvas, in a project that should run until 2022.

The Municipal Garden is located on Avenida António Sardinha in Elvas.

Fascination of Plants Day is an initiative of the European Plant Science Organization (EPSO) and seeks to arouse enthusiasm and draw attention to the importance of plant science in various areas, from agriculture and sustainable food production, to forestry and the production of non-food goods, as well as culture and leisure.

In Portugal, the initiative is coordinated by ITQB NOVA and Portuguese Society of Plant Biology, The aim is for Portuguese institutions and companies to join hundreds of organizations from more than 40 countries in celebrating the wonderful world of plants. Portugal is considered a success story and is traditionally one of the countries that brings the most institutions together to celebrate this day.

Chasing Elvas Municipal Garden's fascinating trees

April 27, 2021
Blog
Ines Ferreira

InnovPlantProtect (InPP) is organizing a paper chase game (peddy-paper, in Portuguese) with D. Sancho II Secondary School for 10^th graders to explore, identify and marvel at Elvas Municipal Garden’s diverse trees and their differentiating characteristics, as a celebration of Fascination of Plants Day.

This event, with which the Municipality of Elvas associates itself, will take place in the morning of May 18, 2021 - Fascination of Plants Day. The Municipal Garden is the biggest green space in this small city of the Alentejo region where InPP is based. It holds specimens of Judas trees, lime trees, olive trees, cedars, orange trees, horse chestnut trees, mulberry trees, Casuarina, ash trees and carob trees, among many others, which are yet to be catalogued and mapped.

The activity will start at 8:30 AM and will be divided into 3 (three) 90-minutes time slots, for three different 10^th grade classes from D. Sancho II School: 8:30 - 10 AM / 10 - 11:30 AM / 11:30 AM - 1 PM. InPP researchers and teachers from the school will be on site to assist the participants. A different class, from the multimedia technical course, shall also participate, reporting on the event. At a later date, a similar activity shall be proposed to the class from the professional technical course in mixed farming.

The theme of Biodiversity is taught in the 10^th grade in Portugal. As a result of this activity, InPP and D. Sancho II Secondary School will continue collaborating to develop a physical signing system for the trees, based on a QR code. The code, once read by a visitor's smartphone, will give access to a complete data base about the trees of the Municipal Garden, including their identification, description, curiosities, history and local mythology. This data base/ digital brochure is to be built by InPP researchers and the school's students and teachers, and made available to the Municipality and all its secondary schools, in a project that should last until 2022.

The Municipal Garden is located in Avenida António Sardinha, in Elvas.

Fascination of Plants Day is promoted internationally by the European Plant Science Organization (EPSO) with the aim of awakening enthusiasm and calling attention to the importance of plant science in different areas, from agriculture and sustainable food production, to forestry and the production of other kinds of goods, as well as culture and leisure.

In Portugal, the initiative is coordinated by ITQB NOVA and Portuguese Society of Plant BiologyThe goal is that national institutions and companies join hundreds of organizations worldwide, from more than 40 countries, to celebrate the wonderful world of plants. Portugal is considered a success story and is traditionally one of the countires with more organizations joining the celebrations.

InnovPlantProtect wins “la Caixa” with AI project

April 9, 2021
Blog
Ines Ferreira

Artificial intelligence at the service of prediction and early detection of Phytophthora cinnamomi in assembled received funding from the Promove 2020 program.

We are delighted to share that our project “AI applied to a system for the prediction and early detection of Phytophthora cinnamomi in mounted/ dehesa” is one of the winners of the Promove 2020 Program, launched by the “la Caixa” Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

The results of the competition were announced today. “We are sure that the conditions are in place for this to be a successful partnership,” says the message we received. Congratulations to the Pest and Disease Monitoring and Diagnosis department, and to the entire InPP. Now, let the work continue!

Mount infected by *Phytophthora cinnamomi*.

Feature image: Juan Glez/ Pixabay

News & Events