Forum: Valorisation of agri-food and agricultural innovations and Europe-Africa partnerships
The Wallonia-Brussels Delegation to Dakar, the Institute of Food Technology (ITA) as a centre of excellence in West Africa, and the leading Research and Development Centre of Senegal, in collaboration with numerous Senegalese and international partners, are organising a Forum on the Valorisation of scientific and technological innovations in the area of the agri-food industry and agricultural resources. This Forum will be held in Dakar from 9 to 11 November 2010.
This international Forum on the Valorisation of scientific and technological innovations and the Promotion of public-private partnerships will concern the areas both of the agri-food industry and of agricultural resources, in sectors as varied as the bio-mass (agricultural wastes : rice hulls, peanut shells, etc.), bio-gas, bio-fuels, solar energy, to respond to climate change.
The primary objective is to take advantage of innovations, examples of good practices, Poles and Centres of excellence, successful “win / win” partnerships, both public and private; to encourage a dynamic synergy, at national, sub-regional and international level, between trainers, university professors, researchers, industrialists, economic players, SMEs, support and financing structures; to improve the circulation of knowledge and innovation.
The second objective it to promote the transfer of innovations in the agri-food and agricultural resources area, to the SMEs and economic players; to identify the problems concerning financing, the protection of innovative ideas, industrial property rights (patents, etc.), fair trade; to establish a dialogue between the actors of Centres for research and innovation and the support and financing structures with a view to leading these structures to create more appropriate financial products (lines of credit, etc.)
To meet these challenges, panels, exhibitions, conferences, tours, “B to B” business meetings, etc. will be organised.
This event will also make use of exemplary international partnerships, especially between the ITA and the Walloon Centre for Industrial Biology (CWBI) of the University of Liege and the Faculty of Agronomy Sciences of Gembloux.
