Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AgriFoodBoost (Boosting Excellence in Experimental Research for Agri-Food Economics and Management)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2020-10-01 al 2021-12-31
AgriFoodBoost is a 3-year project led by the University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture (FAZ) that focuses on the application of experimental economics in the fields of agriculture, food and environment. It was developed in collaboration with three renowned partners: University of Bologna, Agricultural University of Athens and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences .
The main objective of the AgriFoodBoost project is to enhance the research excellence and scientific visibility of agri-food economics at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb and to support FAZ in becoming a regionally leading centre for experimental agri-food economics and management.
AgriFoodBoost twinning will enhance the scientific, innovation and academic capacities of FAZ researchers in order to become competitive in the scientific market. The project will help improve networking between faculty and industry and increase the capacity of FAZ researchers to offer new expertise to the agri-food industry.
AgriFoodBoost activities include researcher exchanges, thematic summer schools and workshops, expert visits, participation in conferences, the establishment of a laboratory for experimental economics and a research HUB, which aims to bring together universities, industry and public administration. Special attention has been given to early stage researchers, including long-term visits and dual supervision, participation in summer schools, workshops and PhD conferences. A specific task will help to improve the project management/administration skills of FAZ researchers and administrative staff. Communication, dissemination and exploitation activities include efforts to raise awareness of recent developments in experimental economics among the scientific community in Croatia and neighbouring regions. In addition, these activities target businesses and policy makers with the aim of increasing their awareness and understanding of the goals of the experimental economy, its potential areas of application and its benefits. It also aims to promote experimental economics to the public as a support for rational and responsible decision-making in order to achieve a positive societal and economic impact on society.
The main objective of the AgriFoodBoost project is to enhance the research excellence and scientific visibility of agri-food economics at the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb and to support FAZ in becoming a regionally leading centre for experimental agri-food economics and management.
AgriFoodBoost twinning will enhance the scientific, innovation and academic capacities of FAZ researchers in order to become competitive in the scientific market. The project will help improve networking between faculty and industry and increase the capacity of FAZ researchers to offer new expertise to the agri-food industry.
AgriFoodBoost activities include researcher exchanges, thematic summer schools and workshops, expert visits, participation in conferences, the establishment of a laboratory for experimental economics and a research HUB, which aims to bring together universities, industry and public administration. Special attention has been given to early stage researchers, including long-term visits and dual supervision, participation in summer schools, workshops and PhD conferences. A specific task will help to improve the project management/administration skills of FAZ researchers and administrative staff. Communication, dissemination and exploitation activities include efforts to raise awareness of recent developments in experimental economics among the scientific community in Croatia and neighbouring regions. In addition, these activities target businesses and policy makers with the aim of increasing their awareness and understanding of the goals of the experimental economy, its potential areas of application and its benefits. It also aims to promote experimental economics to the public as a support for rational and responsible decision-making in order to achieve a positive societal and economic impact on society.
Two face-to face trainings were organised in Zagreb in the first reporting period. The aim of the workshop on statistical tools was to give participants a broad overview of the statistical techniques needed to design and conduct an economic experiment. Topics included power analysis, designing an experimental design and analysing experiments with discrete and continuous outcome variables. The workshop was attended by FAZ members and participants from other research institutions in Croatia and a researcher from UNIBO. At the Autumn school on experimental economics methods for preference elicitation participants learned about fundamentals of experimental economics, social preferences, risk and time preferences.
Due to the limitations of COVID -19, the planned visits of international experts to FAZ took the form of online consultations and thematic online meetings. The aim of these meetings was to deepen the discussion on relevant topics in the field of experimental methods for the agri-food sector, to work on joint research and scientific papers and to develop joint proposals.
During the first reporting period, one short-term mobility at the University of Bologna was carried out.
The Centre for Experimental Economics was established and a laboratory for experimental economics was equipped with 15 laptops for participants, a PC - server computer.
At the invitation of UNIBO, FAZ was involved in two consortia preparing Horizon Europe projects, one of which was submitted in October 2021.
Due to the limitations of COVID -19, the planned visits of international experts to FAZ took the form of online consultations and thematic online meetings. The aim of these meetings was to deepen the discussion on relevant topics in the field of experimental methods for the agri-food sector, to work on joint research and scientific papers and to develop joint proposals.
During the first reporting period, one short-term mobility at the University of Bologna was carried out.
The Centre for Experimental Economics was established and a laboratory for experimental economics was equipped with 15 laptops for participants, a PC - server computer.
At the invitation of UNIBO, FAZ was involved in two consortia preparing Horizon Europe projects, one of which was submitted in October 2021.
The AgriFoodBoost project gave FAZ researchers the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from internationally leading researchers in the field of experimental economics. This strengthened their knowledge and skills to properly apply experimental economics methods and make their research designs more powerful.
Collaboration with international partners in the AgriFoodBoost project has increased FAZ's scientific visibility and their integration into the European Research Area by joining international consortia preparing EU-funded proposals.
The leading role in the AgriFoodBoost project enabled the expansion of FAZ staff's management and administrative skills.
The project gives FAZ researchers the opportunity to improve their collaboration and knowledge transfer to the business and government sectors.
Particular attention is paid to raising awareness and disseminating the project results. Therefore, project activities are continuously published on the project website (https://agrifoodboost.agr.hr/) and via social media.
Collaboration with international partners in the AgriFoodBoost project has increased FAZ's scientific visibility and their integration into the European Research Area by joining international consortia preparing EU-funded proposals.
The leading role in the AgriFoodBoost project enabled the expansion of FAZ staff's management and administrative skills.
The project gives FAZ researchers the opportunity to improve their collaboration and knowledge transfer to the business and government sectors.
Particular attention is paid to raising awareness and disseminating the project results. Therefore, project activities are continuously published on the project website (https://agrifoodboost.agr.hr/) and via social media.