Challenges faced by agriculture and rural areas and the long-term character of research activities call for a strategic approach to research and innovation.

European Commission organises a large conference to discuss how such a strategic approach could be implemented. The conference will close a half-year process kicked-off in Milan in June 2015.

Conference objectives

The objectives of the conference will be to:

• present the main elements of a long-term strategy for EU agricultural research and innovation;
• discuss its content, in particular several dimensions of the manner it could be implemented.

Audience

The conference is targeted at an audience of around 400 participants including scientists (agriculture, food and rural research mainly) as well as relevant science networks (ETPs, JPIs, ERAnets…), stakeholders (farmers, up and downstream industries and retailers, civil society organisations, European organisations), International organisations (FAO, OECD, CGIAR) and authorities (Member states and main partner third countries).

Structure

The conference will be structured in two parts:

• pre-events (26 January and 27 January morning);
• main conference (27 January afternoon and 28 January).

In addition, a side-event will be organised on 27 January 2016 at 18:45 to celebrate the launch of the International Research Consortium on Animal Health.

Programma