VIDA Alumni
In a three-year-long journey, the project partners and SMEs have co-created the Alumni Network as a strategic tool to maintain and exploit project actions and results developed through the implementation of the VIDA Nexus (collaboration and exchange between the food, energy and water sectors and use of key enabling technologies (KET)).
VIDA Alumni aims to:
- Utilise the VIDA Toolbox to stimulate cross-fertilisation and use of KET between SMEs coming from the food, energy, water sectors
- Create a pool of SMEs and other players to co-facilitate cross-sectoral and cross-regional collaboration among SMEs
- Support collaboration and matchmaking of various innovation projects of similar interest and have access to a pool of investors
- Support the development of sustainable innovative solutions (technologies, services and systems)
- Provide information on the Green Deal initiatives and opportunities for circular economy
- Consult and exchange information about ongoing strategies for regional development
The network will be chaired by CEW and co-managed by the VIDA partners and VIDA Beneficiaries. In the Advisory Board, there will be policy makers and financiers, among others. At first, the VIDA Alumni will focus on the mobilisation of the VIDA Beneficiaries and other SMEs interested in VIDA. The VIDA Alumni will then turn its attention to involving other regional and EU initiatives targeting the development and fertilisation of the European food value chains.
The VIDA Alumni will develop and implement an online event every 4 months (i.e. webinars, workshops, roundtable discussions). These will also be follow-up actions for SMEs who successfully completed their innovation projects – such as IP protection, business (plan) development, connecting to other businesses, further funding opportunities and programmes at the European/regional level in the sectors of the VIDA Nexus.
Membership is free of charge. For more information please send an email to info@vidaproject.eu or sign up for the membership here. We will keep you posted about the upcoming events.