On 15 March, we are organising a dedicated SME competitiveness day as part of our Policy learning week! During this day, we have organised several sessions around the topic of SME competitiveness, with a dedicated workshop on the European agri-food sector. Explore the full agenda below. 

Agenda

Explore the activities and choose the sessions you would like to attend! Register today.

  • Ask an expert session | 11:30 – 12:00 CET

A dedicated session where we ask our experts, Rene Tonnisson, Luc Schmerber and Mart Veliste, questions coming from the community! Topics we will be discussing:

  • Digital transition
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Circular economy
  • Travel with us to La Valetta, Malta |12:00 – 12:30 CET

The second stop of our virtual European tour will take us to Valletta in Malta, as part of our SME competitiveness day. During this online study visit we will present the Interreg Europe project Design4innovation with its Maltese partner, the Valletta Cultural Agency.

Design4innovation aims at promoting design as a tool for user-centre innovation and to help small and medium enterprises become more competitive. In this video, we will put the spotlight on the Valletta Design Cluster and how the restoration of an old abattoir into an innovation hub will generate positive social value for the community through innovation and creativity.

  • Online workshop on the European agri-food sector | 14:00 – 17:00 CET

The strategic importance of the agri-food sector for the European Union can hardly be better underlined as by the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), which represents about 36% of the overall budget of the EU.

The agri-food sector has a strong cultural and social importance, taking into account Europe’s strong tradition and the contribution of the sector to keeping rural economies alive and maintaining rural areas and landscapes across the EU.

It has also become an industrial sector competing on the global level. The European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), which fosters competitive and sustainable farming and forestry and the EIT Food, a large  European food innovation initiative, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted, illustrate the central position of the agri-food sector in Europe’s industrial and innovation strategy.

This workshop will allow regions to share their experiences and practices on the challenges and opportunities of the European agri-food sector.

For more information, check out the draft event's agenda and register today!

  • Online policy helpdesk | 17:00 – 18:00 CET

Do you need advice on a specific regional challenge? Book a 10-minute individual meeting with our experts at the end of the workshop!

Other Policy learning week events

Organised over the course of a week, from 14 to 18 March, we are bringing you several dedicated thematic events, register today! 

This week will be the opportunity to meet like-minded participants, exchange good practices and experiences, create synergies and learn more about our services and how we can help you.

Credit: Photo by BIOREGIO