News & Events

white plant

NEWS

InPP took part in the kick-off meeting for the European PROSPER project, held on October 2 and 3 in Pavia, Italy. In attendance were the director of the Monitoring and Diagnostics Department, Ilaria Marengo, and the project manager, Bruno Orrico.

PROSPER's main objective is to transform European agriculture by valorizing highly resilient “orphan” legumes - forgotten crops, but full of potential to face the climate and food challenges of the future.

The project promotes sustainable, innovative practices adapted to different agricultural realities.

Over the two days, 27 partners from 13 countries met for presentations, in-depth discussions and strategic talks about the project's next steps.

We are excited about what comes next, certain that this journey will be more than a collaboration - it will be a true cooperation within an exceptional team.

Join us and keep up to date with all the news from the PROSPER Project!

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

EVENTS

Image credits: Henrique Casinhas

“Biotechnology should be seen from a broader perspective than just the development of new [plant] varieties. It is also the use of biological resources for the development and production of goods and services that we need,” stresses Pedro Fevereiro, executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), and adds: “We need to find new ways of looking at agricultural production, (...) using all the knowledge and technology we have available.”.

Pedro Fevereiro took part in the panel entitled “The impact of biotechnology on new agricultural crops”, which was part of the conference “The importance of biotechnology in agriculture”, held this Tuesday, October 17, at the Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB) in Lisbon.

This panel also featured Jorge Canhoto, President of the Biotechnology Information Center (CiB), Patrícia Fonseca, Agricultural Consultant and Former Member of Parliament and was moderated by Fernanda Freitas, Journalist.

In addition to the speakers on this panel, Eduardo Diniz, director-general of the Planning, Policies and General Administration Office (GPP), Jaime Piçarra, secretary-general of the Portuguese Association of Compound Feed Manufacturers (IACA), Paula Cruz Garcia, deputy director-general of the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV), José Diogo Albuquerque, former Secretary of State for Agriculture and specialist in agricultural policies, and David Pontes, director of the Público newspaper, the event's media partner.

Image credits: Henrique Casinhas

The Secretary of State for Agriculture, Gonçalo Rodrigues, was in charge of the closing session.

Watch the recording on Público's YouTube channel here.

The initiative was organized by InPP, IACA and CiB, with the collaboration of Público newspaper.

O InnovPlantProtect (InPP) participou no seminário “Tecnologia e Informação na Agricultura – Smart Farm Virtual”, promovido pela Associação Nacional da Indústria para a Proteção das Plantas (ANIPLA), que decorreu na Universidade de Évora (WOW), durante a tarde do passado dia 11 de outubro.

Pedro Fevereiro, diretor executivo do InPP, participou no painel “Ferramentas para sistemas de produção mais sustentáveis” para falar sobre a importância da investigação e desenvolvimento de Biopesticidas para o estabelecimento de sistema de produção mais sustentáveis.

O CEO do InPP foi ainda orador na mesa-redonda “Tecnologia e Informação na Agricultura”, na qual participaram também Ana Paiva Brandão, Assessora da Direção e colaboradora em projetos na Associação Portuguesa de Mobilização de Conservação do Solo (APOSOLO), e Alexandre Alves, Secretário Executivo da Associação Técnica dos Viticultores do Alentejo (ATEVA). A moderação da mesa redonda ficou a cargo de João Cardoso, Diretor Executivo da ANIPLA.

Topics such as the importance of biotechnology in adapting plants to the challenges of climate change, the need to make digital and precision agriculture accessible, and how conservation agriculture protects the soil and promotes biodiversity were also debated at the event, which was organized as part of the Smart Farm Hub project, in which InPP is a partner.

Um agradecimento especial à ANIPLA pela iniciativa! Foi um excelente momento para promover boas práticas agrícolas e para sensibilizar para os temas mais preocupantes para o setor agrícola.

Créditos das imagens: ANIPLA

O InPP visitou a 15ª edição da feira internacional Fruit Attraction, que se realizou de 3 a 5 de outubro, em Madrid. A Fruit Attraction é uma das mais importantes feiras anuais do setor hortofrutícola.

O objetivo da visita foi promover o networking com as empresas participantes do setor, dar a conhecer o CoLAB e as soluções inovadoras de base biológica e digital que temos disponíveis para a proteção de culturas contra pragas e doenças, bem como explorar parcerias estratégicas.

A Fruit Attraction 2023, organizada pela IFEMA MADRID e FEPEX, tendo a Andaluzia como região convidada, registou a maior participação da sua história com 2.000 empresas expositoras de 56 países, mais de 64.000 metros quadrados de área útil e uma presença de 90.000 profissionais de 135 países.

O InPP visitou a feira e os diversos parceiros que estiveram sob a alçada da representação Portuguesa