EU project PREMIERE: Kick-off meeting in Eberswalde

From 27 to 29 March 2023, 25 partners from eleven EU countries came to the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) for a joint kick-off meeting of the multi-actor project "PREMIERE - Preparing Multi-Actor Projects in a Co-creative Way" funded by the EU Commission.

The PREMIERE project supports applicant organisations that are interested in participating in an EU multi-actor project. In addition, recommendations are developed for policy-makers and supporting organisations.

PREMIERE is itself a multi-stakeholder project. A mixed group of actors applies participatory and co-creative working methods and strives for communication at eye level. Partners with a scientific orientation from different disciplines work together in the project with representatives of local rural development offices, a chamber of crafts or a regional administration. There are a total of five partner organisations from the eastern EU member states. The involvement of partner organisations from countries with a low level of participation in EU research and innovation projects is a focus of the content-related work. PREMIERE is a cross-sectoral programme aimed at strengthening the agricultural and forestry knowledge and innovation system (AKIS).

PREMIERE is already the third European multi-actor project coordinated by HNEE (after InnoForest and LIAISON). While LIAISON dealt with the entire process of cooperation on innovation, PREMIERE focuses on the phase prior to the funded project work - i.e. on bringing the partner organisations together and writing applications for the EU-wide or nationally based multi-actor project.

HNEE's Policy and Markets in the Agriculture and Food Sector working group, headed by Prof Anna Häring, is coordinating the EU project. HNEE has around 500,000 euros at its disposal for project management and project work for the duration of the project from January 2023 to December 2027. A total of five million euros in funding is available under the EU's Horizon Europe programme.

The teaching staff and researchers at HNEE have many years of methodological knowledge and experience in bringing multi-actor projects to life. The close cooperation with practitioners and the orientation of applied research towards the innovation needs of practice and the transformation processes in agriculture, forestry and the rural economy have a long tradition at HNEE.

Note on image material
The photos available here may be used for reporting purposes. Please note the copyright notice © HNEE / Ulrich Wessollek