Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ATTRACTISS (AcTivate and TRigger ACTors to deepen the function of Innovation Support Services)
Période du rapport: 2024-04-01 au 2025-09-30
The goal of ATTRACTISS is to improve and embed competencies, approaches, instruments and governance models for Member States (MS) Agricultural and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and specifically for Innovation Support Services (ISS) as a crucial AKIS actor, to enable them accelerating individual grassroots innovative ideas to come to fruition and generating solutions for the transition process to more sustainable agriculture and forestry.
ATTRACTISS aims to
(1) empower ISS and all AKIS actors, through capacity building and provision of effective methods and supportive tools, to discover grassroots innovative ideas and enable uptake in a co-creative way thereby fostering AKIS ecosystem building to support the transition to sustainable and circular agriculture and forestry systems
(2) support Managing Authorities (MA) in all EU MS to organise and monitor efficient support for ISS
(3) provide support for new actors in AKIS processes to better facilitate cocreation approaches involving farming, practitioners & research centres
ATTRACTISS achieves these goals by
(1) setting up an EU wide network for ISSs that allows to connect, develop common understanding, vision and capacities about their roles and functions within the AKIS. This ultimately leads to the development of an ecosystem in favour of Multi-Actor Approaches (MAA) and innovative projects
(2) building upon and giving continuity to other previous initiatives to focus on ISSs and broaden the networks
(3) systematizing the current databases and tools for ISSs to provide a unique virtual location for tools and guidelines to support best practice
(4) providing a step change in the provision of support and training for key actors in MAA and ISS across MS which builds knowledge, understanding & confidence in the practical delivery and benefits of these approaches
(5) enabling institutional dialogue among ISSs & MAs based on enhanced understanding of the potential to organize ISS in a way that will lead to targeted CAP interventions for the integration of ISS within the AKIS
ATTRACTISS aims to
(1) empower ISS and all AKIS actors, through capacity building and provision of effective methods and supportive tools, to discover grassroots innovative ideas and enable uptake in a co-creative way thereby fostering AKIS ecosystem building to support the transition to sustainable and circular agriculture and forestry systems
(2) support Managing Authorities (MA) in all EU MS to organise and monitor efficient support for ISS
(3) provide support for new actors in AKIS processes to better facilitate cocreation approaches involving farming, practitioners & research centres
ATTRACTISS achieves these goals by
(1) setting up an EU wide network for ISSs that allows to connect, develop common understanding, vision and capacities about their roles and functions within the AKIS. This ultimately leads to the development of an ecosystem in favour of Multi-Actor Approaches (MAA) and innovative projects
(2) building upon and giving continuity to other previous initiatives to focus on ISSs and broaden the networks
(3) systematizing the current databases and tools for ISSs to provide a unique virtual location for tools and guidelines to support best practice
(4) providing a step change in the provision of support and training for key actors in MAA and ISS across MS which builds knowledge, understanding & confidence in the practical delivery and benefits of these approaches
(5) enabling institutional dialogue among ISSs & MAs based on enhanced understanding of the potential to organize ISS in a way that will lead to targeted CAP interventions for the integration of ISS within the AKIS
Since the start of the project, ATTRACTISS has strengthened how innovation is supported in European agriculture. It has helped farmers, advisors, researchers, and public authorities work together more effectively to turn innovative ideas into practical solutions.
1. Guidance for improving and embedding innovation support across Europe
ATTRACTISS developed a shared understanding of what Innovation Support Services (ISS) are and how they help ideas move from the field to real‑world application. This common approach clarifies the key roles of innovation support throughout the innovation process and has been translated into practical learning resources used across Europe. In parallel, the project built a comprehensive overview of innovation support organisations in all Member States, including their focus areas and links to agricultural policy. Together with an action‑oriented guidance framework based on practitioners’ needs, this provides public authorities and coordination bodies with a stronger basis for embedding innovation support more effectively within national agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS).
2. Expansion of a European innovation support network
The ATTRACTISS network grew to 1,168 members from 38 countries. This community enables exchange of experiences, challenges, and solutions across borders. The AKISConnect online platform supports this network by offering a shared space for discussion, learning, and access to tools. By linking online interaction with regular exchanges between initiatives, ATTRACTISS has reduced fragmentation and strengthened cooperation at European level.
3. Supporting grassroots innovation
A central result of ATTRACTISS is a practical toolbox of 100 innovation generation and support methods and tools, accessible via the AKISConnect platform. These methods and tools help actors identify challenges, generate ideas, work collaboratively, and guide innovation in real‑life contexts. Developed and tested together with practitioners, the toolbox is actively used in training and peer exchanges. This has strengthened the ability of innovation support actors to capture grassroots ideas and support their development into concrete solutions.
4. Strengthening skills and multi‑actor collaboration
ATTRACTISS invested in building the skills needed to support innovation in practice. Through interactive learning formats, innovation support providers improved their capacity to collaborate, facilitate group processes, and manage innovation pathways.
These activities created spaces for dialogue and shared learning between policy, practice, and research, while ongoing peer‑to‑peer exchange through the network supports continued learning beyond individual events.
5. Learning from innovation support activities
To support continuous improvement, ATTRACTISS developed guidance to help innovation support organisations reflect on their work and learn from experience. The focus is on self‑assessment, peer learning, and dialogue rather than rigid measurement. Combined with the expanded overview of innovation support services across Europe, this provides a stronger basis for understanding what works, in which contexts, and how innovation support can be improved over time.
Cross‑cutting impact
Across all activities, ATTRACTISS applied a strong multi‑actor approach and worked closely with other European projects like modernAKIS, EU-FarmBook, PREMIERE, and ClimateSmartAdvisors. This collaboration increased the project’s reach and contributed to a more coherent and connected European innovation landscape.
1. Guidance for improving and embedding innovation support across Europe
ATTRACTISS developed a shared understanding of what Innovation Support Services (ISS) are and how they help ideas move from the field to real‑world application. This common approach clarifies the key roles of innovation support throughout the innovation process and has been translated into practical learning resources used across Europe. In parallel, the project built a comprehensive overview of innovation support organisations in all Member States, including their focus areas and links to agricultural policy. Together with an action‑oriented guidance framework based on practitioners’ needs, this provides public authorities and coordination bodies with a stronger basis for embedding innovation support more effectively within national agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS).
2. Expansion of a European innovation support network
The ATTRACTISS network grew to 1,168 members from 38 countries. This community enables exchange of experiences, challenges, and solutions across borders. The AKISConnect online platform supports this network by offering a shared space for discussion, learning, and access to tools. By linking online interaction with regular exchanges between initiatives, ATTRACTISS has reduced fragmentation and strengthened cooperation at European level.
3. Supporting grassroots innovation
A central result of ATTRACTISS is a practical toolbox of 100 innovation generation and support methods and tools, accessible via the AKISConnect platform. These methods and tools help actors identify challenges, generate ideas, work collaboratively, and guide innovation in real‑life contexts. Developed and tested together with practitioners, the toolbox is actively used in training and peer exchanges. This has strengthened the ability of innovation support actors to capture grassroots ideas and support their development into concrete solutions.
4. Strengthening skills and multi‑actor collaboration
ATTRACTISS invested in building the skills needed to support innovation in practice. Through interactive learning formats, innovation support providers improved their capacity to collaborate, facilitate group processes, and manage innovation pathways.
These activities created spaces for dialogue and shared learning between policy, practice, and research, while ongoing peer‑to‑peer exchange through the network supports continued learning beyond individual events.
5. Learning from innovation support activities
To support continuous improvement, ATTRACTISS developed guidance to help innovation support organisations reflect on their work and learn from experience. The focus is on self‑assessment, peer learning, and dialogue rather than rigid measurement. Combined with the expanded overview of innovation support services across Europe, this provides a stronger basis for understanding what works, in which contexts, and how innovation support can be improved over time.
Cross‑cutting impact
Across all activities, ATTRACTISS applied a strong multi‑actor approach and worked closely with other European projects like modernAKIS, EU-FarmBook, PREMIERE, and ClimateSmartAdvisors. This collaboration increased the project’s reach and contributed to a more coherent and connected European innovation landscape.
During the first 36 months of the project implementation, ATTRACTISS:
• Prepared and delivered a common networking platform (AKISConnect.eu) with the modernAKIS project. This platform serves as a training, information and networking opportunity for the AKIS community of both projects as well as an open digital knowledge repository. Therein both projects feed AKIS supporting content like (policy-based) practices for a well-working AKIS including ways to integrate advisors in AKIS, a toolbox for Innovation Support Services as well as extensive networking opportunities and events.
• Built a network of more than 1000 actors from all EU Member States with the modernAKIS project, and established a series of capacity and networking events with broad participation from key AKIS actors.
• Built upon and gave continuity to previous initiatives (e.g. i2connect, Agrilink, AgriSpin) to focus more the specificity of ISSs: skils and competencies of ISS providers, training curriculum, innovation generation and support methods and tools.
• Enabled institutional dialogue among ISSs and public authorities based on enhanced understanding and greater recognition of the potential for multi-actor approach and ISS to respond to the challenges we face, by establishing a multi-actor Focus Group and delivering a first practical handbook for Managing Authorities.
• Prepared and delivered a common networking platform (AKISConnect.eu) with the modernAKIS project. This platform serves as a training, information and networking opportunity for the AKIS community of both projects as well as an open digital knowledge repository. Therein both projects feed AKIS supporting content like (policy-based) practices for a well-working AKIS including ways to integrate advisors in AKIS, a toolbox for Innovation Support Services as well as extensive networking opportunities and events.
• Built a network of more than 1000 actors from all EU Member States with the modernAKIS project, and established a series of capacity and networking events with broad participation from key AKIS actors.
• Built upon and gave continuity to previous initiatives (e.g. i2connect, Agrilink, AgriSpin) to focus more the specificity of ISSs: skils and competencies of ISS providers, training curriculum, innovation generation and support methods and tools.
• Enabled institutional dialogue among ISSs and public authorities based on enhanced understanding and greater recognition of the potential for multi-actor approach and ISS to respond to the challenges we face, by establishing a multi-actor Focus Group and delivering a first practical handbook for Managing Authorities.