First meeting of the Joint Board of Directors of the “Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Agri-food and Agri-food Crisis Management”

On Friday, the 29th of   January 2021, the first meeting of the Joint Board of Directors of the "Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Agri-food and Agri-food Crisis Management", was held in a very positive atmosphere. This center was, actually created, in the framework of the Agricultural University of Athens partnership, with the Attica Region and the Regional Development Fund, too. In addition, the mission of the Center, which will be housed into the building facilities of the former Lysiatreio infrastructure, is described, as follows:

• the development of an integrated system and procedures for food standardization, certification, monitoring and promotion,
• the deployment of technologies and implementation of methods, for reducing the environmental footprint in the agri-food sector,
• the elaboration of a platform - innovation observatory, in the field of agri-food,
• the establishment of an Innovation Center - Incubator for generating New Ideas and Youth Entrepreneurship, in general,
• the organization and conduct of innovation competitions, scheduled meetings, workshops, and conferences,
• all the synergies included, besides networking with similar centers and initiatives with other regions, in Greece and across Europe,
• the view to advancing and rewarding of the academic and scientific excellence, in the area of Agri-food.

  It is noteworthy that, the Board of Directors of the Center, consists of the following nine (9) regular members:

1. Kintzios Spyridon, Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens, as President.

2. Voidonikolas Stavros, representative of the Attica Region, as Vice President.

3. Adamopoulou Georgia, representative of the Attica Region.

4. Grigoriou Ilias, representative of the Attica Region.

5. Angelaki Dimitra, representative of the Attica Region.

6. Christakopoulos Pavlos, representative of the Attica Region.

7. Chatzipavlidis Iordanis, Vice Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens.

8. Zografakis Stavros, Vice Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens.

9. Nikolaropoulos Sotirios, representative of the Regional Development Fund of Attica.

    Furthermore, the three (3) members below, serve as alternate ones:

1. Margari Stylianos, representative of the Attica Region.

2. Zaloumi Olga, representative of the Attica Region.

3. Liakea Penelope, representative of the Regional Development Fund of Attica.

   The newly established "Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Agri-food and Agri-food Crisis Management", shall bridge a significant gap, between research and innovation, produced in the university laboratories and is bound to meet the flourishing needs of the productive bodies and agencies, in the agricultural domain, especially the ones, of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), for which it will be a real “springboard” for growth.

    At the same time, it will conduce, in a decisive manner, to the vocational training of executives, indeed, of the young graduates, in collaboration with the respective Chambers. Last but not least, the common goal of the contracting partners, is the key contribution of the Center to the strategic development and upgrading of the agri-food sector, as well as the productive reconstruction.