“We're here to listen to the sector's problems and find solutions together”. This was said by António Saraiva, executive director of InnovPlantProtect (InPP), who attended the eighth edition of the National Olive Oil Congress, held in Campo Maior and featured in the July edition of Voz do Campo magazine.
In the interview, António Saraiva highlighted the importance of olive growing, one of the most representative crops in the Mediterranean, and pointed out some of the major challenges currently facing the sector:
A growing shortage of phytosanitary solutions: many tools are disappearing and effective alternatives are not always emerging.
The long road between research and application in the field: the process of bringing a scientific solution to farmers can take around 10 years.
Impacts of climate change and emerging pests, which make farming even more difficult.
Faced with these challenges, InPP is committed to developing new innovative solutions that are environmentally friendly and sustainable for farmers. CoLAB is looking for agents such as active substances and microorganisms capable of controlling diseases and boosting biostimulants, as well as investing in digital technologies that allow producers to detect crop problems early and increase the effectiveness of interventions.
Another point highlighted by the executive director is the need to speed up the transfer of knowledge to the field, through partnerships and commercial agreements that ensure that innovations actually reach farmers.
“We're here to listen to the sector's problems and find solutions together. We want to be close to farmers, associations and companies, because that's the only way we can develop effective and sustainable tools,” António Saraiva stressed.
The full interview is available in the July issue of Voz do Campo magazine, on newsstands now, and in the image below.
It's called PROSPER and it's a new European project that aims to transform European agriculture through the valorization of “orphan” legumes - resistant crops, little exploited, but with great potential to face the challenges of climate and food in the future.
The consortium, with total funding of around 5 million euros, brings together 27 partners from 13 European countries and Tunisia, including universities, research centers, companies and non-profit organizations in the agricultural sector. Among them are countries from the Mediterranean (Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal and France), Central Europe (Germany, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania), Northern Europe (Denmark, Sweden and Finland).
The aim of PROSPER is to test and validate new agricultural diversification strategies, adapted to different climates and social and economic contexts, promoting more sustainable, innovative practices that are adjusted to the needs of different agricultural realities.
InPP, PROSPER's partner, will be responsible for analyzing:
Soil health and environmental impact
Energy efficiency and waste management
Nutritional quality of crops
Fair valuation along the production chain
To do this, the InPP team will use advanced technologies, such as real-time sensors and geospatial analysis, which will help study soil health, carbon sequestration captured by crops, water management and biodiversity, among others.
PROSPER is co-created with the main players in the agricultural sector, ensuring that the solutions developed do not remain on paper: they will be practical, useful and transformative.
The project starts in September 2025. We are ready to embark on this journey towards a greener, fairer and more resilient agriculture.
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.
For two days, the Lisbon Congress Center will host researchers, entrepreneurs and the general public for the annual Science 2020 meeting. At this event, ANI - Agência Nacional de Inovação (National Innovation Agency) will host six virtual sessions as part of the PERIN/Horizonte Europa network and Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB).
At the annual Science 2020 meeting, which is being held today and tomorrow at the Lisbon Congress Center, ANI-National Innovation Agency will be hosting 6 virtual sessions as part of the PERIN/Horizonte Europa network and Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB).
Horizon Europe, the European Union's next framework program for research and innovation, will be the theme for three sessions promoted by ANI, as a member of the PERIN network:
PERIN Session - Missions
On November 3, at 11:30 a.m., there will be a presentation of the missions that will be part of Horizon Europe, followed by a speech by the European Commission on the concept of mission. The session will also feature a round table of Portuguese experts participating in mission boards. Access the event here.
PERIN Session - Pillar II
Also on November 3, at 2pm, the structure of “Pillar II of Horizon Europe - Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness” will be presented, focusing on the opportunities and themes of each of its clusters. Access the event here.
PERIN Session - Pillar III
On November 4, at 11:30 a.m., the different areas of “Pillar III of Horizon Europe - Innovative Europe” will be presented: European Innovation Council, Eurostars 3 (focusing on the Portuguese presidency of Eureka), SME Support Networks and European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Access the event here.
Also November 3rd and 4th, the three sessions dedicated to Collaborative Labs, These presentations are also part of the program of the Science 2020 Meeting. Each presentation will be structured according to a pitch in which each CoLAB will showcase its activities and the technologies and services it provides. The interventions are divided into 6 thematic areas, according to the respective area of intervention: Digital and Information Systems; Climate, Space and Oceans; Health and Social Services; Materials, Circular Economy and Urban Sustainability; Energy and Sustainability; Biodiversity and Forestry; and Agri-food. See detailed information on the CoLAB sessions e watch the event here.
The importance and challenges of science, research and innovation in Portugal's recovery in times of pandemic set the tone for the Science 2020 Meeting. This event is particularly relevant as Portugal prepares to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2021. Speakers and participants will discuss strategies for the country and Europe to be more resilient, digital, green, social and global in the current context. Over the course of two days, the program includes several thematic sessions in a wide range of scientific areas, promoting interaction between researchers, the business sector and the general public.
The Science Meeting is promoted by the Foundation for Science and Technology in collaboration with Ciência Viva - National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture and the Parliamentary Commission for Education and Science, and has the institutional support of the Government through the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education. More information about the meeting will be released soon.
Main responsibilities This researcher reports directly to the Director of the Department of Protection of Specific Crops of InnovPlantProtect and has the following responsibility: - To identify pests and diseases in the field and in the laboratory - Sample plant, pests and pathogen material from crop fields - Interact with farmers and field researchers - Support field, greenhouse and laboratory plant-pathogen interaction assays
Specific requirements - Master degree in Phytopathology or related fields - Experience in phytopathology and agronomic techniques is desirable - Knowledge on molecular phytopathology and plant physiology - Fluency in English, spoken and written
InnovPlantProtect is a private non-profit association InnovPlantProtect aims to create innovation for the protection of crops, seeds and post-harvest products, in particular through: - Development of new technologies and knowledge, as well as the improvement of previously developed technologies, to protect crops, seeds and post-harvest products, as as well as their intellectual protection and availability; - Development of applied scientific research to introduce the developed technologies in the market, and to develop processes and products; - Provide technical support to companies and entities, public or private, assisting them in the introduction of biotechnological strategies, methods and processes, and in the orientation and implementation of industrial research and development, directed towards the protection of crops, seeds and post-harvest products; - Collaboration with public or private institutions, national or foreign in their areas of activity.
Workplace The place of work will be the headquarters of InnovPlantProtect, at the INIAV Elvas pole, in the former National Plant Breeding Station (Elvas, Portugal).
Salary and contract A full-time contract will be offered, starting December 1st, 2020. The contract will last until December, 31, 2022, being renewed annually, and with a trial period of 30 days. The contract will be renewed past 2022 depending on further financial support. All the activities to be developed will be subject to confidentiality clauses. The gross value of the remuneration will be 1509,8€ (14 months - 21,152.6€/year) plus 4,77€ of lunch subsidy per working day.
Financial Support This contract is co-financed by the European Social Fund and Alentejo 2020, under the Operation: Highly qualified employment in companies - Hiring Highly Qualified Human Resources (PME or CoLAB). Project reference: ALT20-59-2018-49
To apply for this position, the following documents should be sent in a single PDF document: - Curriculum vitae (CV) - Motivation letter - Honor statement that all data provided in the CV is true (If the selected candidate does not hold a master's degree by a Portuguese Higher Education Institution, its recognition by the Portuguese State must be delivered after signing the contract, under the terms of the Portuguese Decree-Law No. 66/2018)
Where to send the application To the care of the Chief Executive Officer of InnovPlantProtect Collaborative Lab, Professor Pedro Fevereiro (inpp@iplantprotect.pt).
Deadlines This call is open until November 6th 2020, with a decision expected by November 20th. The selected candidate is expected to start on December 1st.
General rules of data protection (GDPR) With the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 26, 2016, commonly known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and in order to ensure a fair and transparent treatment of the holder of the data, InnovPlantProtect informs that by applying for this position you are authorizing InnovPlantProtect to (1) collect and process your personal data deemed necessary and relevant to this recruitment process, (2) to disclose the results of the evaluation in accordance with the legislation in force.
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