Partner Search – FOODHUB MED

Dear Helena,

Thank you for sharing the FOODHUB MED project concept. We find the idea very interesting and see a strong potential for cooperation with Baltazar University, Centre for Projects, particularly given our experience in European project development, stakeholder cooperation and initiatives related to sustainable development, entrepreneurship, education and local communities.

We believe Baltazar University could contribute as a knowledge and implementation partner, supporting the development and testing of the food hub model, stakeholder engagement, capacity building and transferability of the pilot results to other Mediterranean territories.

In particular, we could contribute to activities related to:

connecting local producers, SMEs, public institutions and other relevant stakeholders;

development of training and capacity-building activities for local producers and other target groups;

supporting the development and testing of practical, sustainable and transferable food-hub models;

communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement;

evaluation of pilot activities and identification of opportunities for replication in other territories.

We are especially interested in the fact that the project focuses on real-life territorial pilots and practical implementation, rather than research activities alone. We believe this approach fits well with our current project development and partnership activities.

We would be very interested to learn more about the current consortium and the role you envisage for potential Croatian partners. If there is still an opportunity to join the partnership, we would be happy to arrange a short online meeting and discuss how Baltazar University, Centre for Projects could contribute to the FOODHUB MED concept.

Please feel free to contact us and share the more detailed project concept.

Best regards,

Antonia Bašić
Baltazar University, Centre for Projects
abasic@bak.hr

Dear helena,

We would be very interested in exploring a potential cooperation within FOODHUB MED.

Ideazione Srl is an Italian SME based in Piedmont, with over 30 years of experience in sustainable tourism, local and territorial development, cultural innovation and European projects. Over the years, we have also developed specific expertise in agri-food value chains, food districts, wine routes and territorial food systems, mainly working in rural and peri-urban areas (ideazionesrl.it)

We believe we could contribute to the project not only as a project partner, but also by bringing concrete Italian territorial models and networks that could be adapted and tested within the FOODHUB MED framework.

For example, we currently work with Food Districts (Distretti del Cibo), a territorial model promoted in Italy to strengthen local agri-food systems by connecting producers, processing activities, institutions, markets and other local actors. Among others, we support the Food District of Pinerolo, Turin – IT, and could bring this experience as a potential pilot/reference model.

Another relevant practice is the DE.CO. (Municipal designation) model, which identifies and promotes traditional local food products and gastronomic heritage through a formal territorial recognition by municipalities. We work with the Vermenagna-Roya territory – Piedomont- Italy, on this topic within the Interreg ALCOTRA framework and could contribute this experience to the project.

We also have experience with wine routes and wine territorial networks, including the Strada del Barolo e grandi vini di Langa (Piedmont – Italy), with which we collaborated as project managers and subcontractors within an interreg project aimed at supporting tourism operators and strengthening the local wine-tourism ecosystem.

Beyond these examples, our added value would be our ability to involve local producers, food-sector consortia, territorial organisations and other agri-food stakeholders from the Italian territories where we work. Some are long-standing contacts, while others are organisations we directly support in their territorial development strategies.

We therefore believe that the Italian experience we could bring could fit well with FOODHUB MED’s focus on real-life territorial pilots, shared infrastructure, local value chains and replication across Mediterranean territories.

We would be happy to arrange a short online meeting to present our experience and discuss how Ideazione could contribute to the partnership.
My contacts are: nicolotti@ideazionesrl.it and progetti@ideazionesrl.it

Best regards,

Dear Helena,
I am writing on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) of the University of Catania (Sicily), Italy, to express our interest in joining a consortium as a scientific partner within the Interreg Euro-MED Green Living Areas Mission.
Specifically, our research group, coordinated by Prof. Daniela Romano, Full Professor of Horticulture and Floriculture, has extensive scientific and applied experience in Mediterranean landscape and urban horticulture, ornamental and Mediterranean plant species, sustainable management of green areas, and plant responses to abiotic stresses.

Our expertise includes, in particular:

-selection and evaluation of ornamental and Mediterranean plant species for urban green spaces and climate-resilient landscapes;
-physiological and productive responses of plants to water scarcity, salinity, shading and other environmental stresses;
-water-use efficiency and identification of species suitable for low-input and water-limited environments;
-planning and sustainable management of parks, gardens and Mediterranean green areas;
-use and valorisation of native plant biodiversity for urban and peri-urban greening;
-research on medicinal and aromatic plants, including essential oils, plant extracts and their potential applications in urban horticulture;
-development and evaluation of plant-based solutions contributing to biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and ecosystem services.

The research group has long-standing experience in national and European research projects addressing sustainable horticulture, plant biodiversity, Mediterranean production systems, urban green infrastructure and plant adaptation to environmental constraints. We are available to join a consortium as a scientific partner and contribute actively from the proposal development stage, bringing our expertise to defining project objectives, designing scientific activities and methodologies, and planning pilot actions addressing green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, biodiversity, and climate-resilient Mediterranean urban landscapes.
We would welcome contact from lead partners, municipalities, public authorities, universities, research organizations and other partners currently building a consortium and seeking complementary scientific expertise. We would be pleased to discuss how our research group could contribute to preparing the joint proposal and its subsequent implementation.

Kind regards,
Valentina Formica
valentina.formica@phd.unict.it

University of Catania
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A)
Catania, Italy