April 1, 2025
AKIS in action: Fostering knowledge flows and innovation: Aligning research with practice needs
This event is part of the WoW series of Webinars on Wednesdays hosted by modernAKIS and ATTRACTISS, where we explore how research can be directed to achieve the greatest possible practical impact. We examine the principles of multi-actor and co-creation approaches. Research is considered as a multi-stage, multi-actor process in interaction with practice and policy. In this context, the event also addresses the challenges faced by researchers in initiating co-creation processes and overcoming barriers to collaboration. This event is held in two parts, the first session on March 19 and the second session on May 28.
The first session of the event introduced key multi-actor strategies, including Thematic Networks and EIP-AGRI Operational Groups, which aim to strengthen agricultural knowledge and innovation systems by encouraging collaboration among farmers, researchers, advisors, and policymakers.
Sergio Ponsá kicked off the session with an insightful presentation about how research can catalyse change by building trust, engaging stakeholders, and fostering collaboration. He discussed the challenge of translating scientific knowledge into real-world impact, emphasizing the importance of bridging the gap between academia, policy, and practice. Ponsa called for a shift away from traditional, static post-research evaluations towards a more adaptive and anticipatory approach. This approach encourages early involvement of stakeholders, ensures flexibility throughout research projects, and positions science as a mediator between practitioners and policymakers. By doing so, research can better address practical challenges and produce tangible outcomes.
Katja Brase followed with a presentation on the “Focus on Animal Welfare” network, a nationwide German initiative aimed at enhancing the transfer of knowledge on animal welfare with sustainability at its core. The network connects science, practice, and policy, creating practice-oriented content and delivering it to farmers and professionals through both demonstration farms and digital formats. This project exemplifies how multi-actor networks can effectively share valuable knowledge, promote best practices, and improve animal welfare in agriculture.
Dimitar Vanev provided valuable insights from Bulgaria, highlighting the country’s experience in designing and implementing EIP-AGRI projects. These projects involve the active participation of farmers and advisors in operational groups, aiming to drive innovation in agriculture. Vanev explained that Bulgaria has significantly improved its approach to operational groups, with a fourfold increase in applications compared to previous funding periods. Key improvements included a two-stage application process, enhanced advisory support, and the active engagement of all relevant stakeholders. The goal is to establish at least 120 operational groups, thereby fostering agricultural innovation and addressing sector-wide challenges.
The participants were highly interested in the topics and had in-depth questions. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion relating to the changed research approach developed in BETA center:
🔹 Selecting the Right Stakeholders: Choose entities that view research as a solution to real world problems, rather than just broad participation.
🔹 Building Trust and Engagement: Establish trust with farmers and policymakers to encourage deeper involvement in research.
🔹 Shift to an Adaptive Approach: Move from a post-research model to one that anticipates needs, involving stakeholders early for better alignment with real-world applications.
An important point was how to prevent actors within a project/network from competing with each other by adopting a systematic and inclusive approach that takes into account all relevant stakeholders and their needs. Katja Brase explained how they organised their platform with the Chambers of Agriculture and faced competition from the local advisors in different countries and regions. There was also an interest in how to encourage farmers to participate in on-farm demonstrations and events. Dimitar Vanev explained different tools to encourage farmers like evaluating the demonstrators or ensuring that farmers can easily access the event information. It was clear that collaboration among all actors is essential to ensure that research leads to meaningful, real-world impact, particularly in complex fields like agriculture.
Access the presentations to learn more:
🔹 “How can research in the agricultural and agri-food sectors be directed toward meaningful impact?” by Sergio Ponsa.
🔹ModernAKIS project presentation, by Julia Eberharter
🔹“Focus in Animal Welfare” by Katja Brase
