The overall goal of DIP4Agri is to accelerate capacity building in entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) of the HEIs involved in selected domains of deep tech that enable agri-food by-product valorisation. This Project will integrate knowledge in deep tech fields (biotechnology, clean technologies, photonics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and robotics) and E&I capabilities to regenerate agri-food losses, converting the problem into a business opportunity.

DIP4Agri will create systematic transformation for effective and long-lasting change, leveraging on existing structures and procedures to achieve impactful improvements in the regional innovation ecosystems in Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands. Thus, this Project will develop an education programme on deep tech with fully customised content to students and HEI staff, and create mentoring capacity for the development of solutions to respond to problem owners (involving industry, NGOs, municipalities, investors). The solutions will address challenges in agri-food losses, including feasibility demonstration for olive oil and melon production. This will contribute to the DIP4Agri Vision for 2030: to strengthen the E&I capacity of HEIs, and empower student entrepreneurs and non-academic staff to generate breakthroughs in deep tech that will benefit the regional socio-economic ecosystems and impact the broader European landscape.

DIP4Agri aims to scale the programme to have wider reach in order to become the European reference for tech/science-based start-ups. Based on partners’ individual HEInnovate self-assessment, we have developed an Innovation Action Plan (IVAP) which highlights seven Actions under five Domains:

Domain 1: Fostering institutional engagement and change:

• A1.1 Secure and maintain institutional engagement for the implementation of the IVAP, including departments and other units of HEI(s), as well as the leadership of HEI(s);
• A1.5 Set up or improve organisational units and/or entities, such as technology transfer offices, to develop collaborations for technology transfer.

Domain 2: Strengthening partnerships (Knowledge Triangle integration):

• A2.1 Establish new collaborations and enhance the nature, content and types of collaborations with external partners including businesses, research organisations, governmental bodies, NGOs, and other societal partners.

Domain 3: Contribution to developing innovations and businesses:

• A3.2 Create structures and conditions for innovation-driven research.

Domain 4: Enhancing the quality of innovation and entrepreneurial education:

• A4.1 Develop or improve innovation and entrepreneurial curricula;
• A4.3 Develop innovation and entrepreneurial training programmes and mentoring schemes for staff and students.

Domain 5: Knowledge sharing:

• A5.1 Collect and share success stories and lessons.