11 – 12 October 2017. Lisbon. The Agri-Innovation summit (AIS) 2017 is a joint initiative of a Portuguese consortium, the Portuguese Government, the EIP-AGRI network and the European Network for Rural Development.

- Promoting cross fertilization between multi-actor innovation initiatives, both under Rural Development Programmes and Horizon 2020
- Raising awareness about innovation and digitisation opportunities for agriculture and rural economies and how these may be supported under on-going Rural Development Programmes
- Providing input for EU innovation policies for agriculture and rural areas after 2020, following-up on Point 7 of the Cork 2.0 Declaration

The AIS 2017 program featured matchmaking, partner search and brokerage activities, thematic networking corners and a startup contest.
12/10 Plenary Session
Opening remarks:
- Luís Capoulas Santos – Portuguese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development
- Phil Hogan – Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development
How to foster innovation – the past and the future
- Henrique Leitão – FC/UL
- Elvira Fortunato – FCT/UNL
12/10 Promoting innovation in rural areas – now and in the future : how can the current support system be improved and simplified?
This workshop focused on the perspective of rural businesses, and aims to provide inspiring examples of support tools and mechanisms that help such businesses to innovate and respond to emerging new opportunities and challenges. The workshop will identify specific needs and formulate recommendations on how to improve various policy tools to support business innovation in rural areas.
- ENRD Case Study on “Revitalising rural areas through digitisation – the experience of three rural digital hubs”
- EU Rural Review Nº 24 – “Re-imagining Rural Business Opportunities”
If you couldn’t participate in the event, take a look at the opportunities that the participants shared
Source: PAEPARD FEED